Kindle, eReaders and eBooks in South Africa – Frequently Asked Questions
Posted on July 7, 2011Many visitors to this site arrive through search queries. People looking for information about which Kindle to buy, where to get the Kindle in SA, features that work (or don’t) and similar. There are also many people looking for answers about eBooks.
Previous posts cover some of these answers. To make it easier to access this information from one place I have started a FAQ to deal with common questions and answers (and links to previous posts). This will grow over time. Enjoy, and feel free to post any further questions, I will answer as best I can.
The direct link to the FAQ is : http://j-j.co.za/ebooks-faq/ otherwise find it on the menu at the top of the page.
Tags: amazon, amazon.com, ebook readers, ebooks, FAQ, kindle, mobi, PDF, questions
Categories: Fun things to do, Gadgets
Hi
I would like to borrow ebooks (Ebook Library). Is there a place in SA to do so?
19.11.2012 10:31
Is it possible to download/view photos from one’s camera to an e-reader?
04.10.2012 21:17
Hi I want to buy a Kindle WiFi 3 G. Is it Adobe compatable? I dowloaded a book and need Adobe on a Tab to be able to read it.
13.02.2012 12:39
Hi Mariana
Kindle doesn’t support Adobe DRM (purchased) files unfortunately.
Justin
13.02.2012 12:41
Kindle Touch now official released to South africa from amazon with prices $139 USD
11.02.2012 09:01
That’s great, thanks for the update. The Kindle Touch seems to be a really nice device. Anyone with one have some experiences to share?
11.02.2012 09:16
I am wanting to buy the kindle touch , already January 2012…. Any idea on when amazon will ship to SA? Also, how different would the keyboard kindle be to the touch?
29.01.2012 15:37
Hi Bronwyn,
Unfortunately still no firm news on the availability of the Touch. There are still the options of the “baby” Kindle as well as the keyboard kindle. I have never used the touch version of the Kindle as I have the keyboard version. There are very few occasions when I actually use the keyboard. The “baby” Kindle would serve me just fine for 99% of what I need to do, and it is smaller and lighter. If you are wanting a Kindle, that would be a good option to go with. It is quite a bit cheaper than the Touch, at around $109, and I would expect the touch would come in at around $200.
Regards
Justin
29.01.2012 20:24
Hi Justin
Is there any chance in the near future that SA kindle users will be able to borrow kindle books for a limited time, or even swap books?
07.12.2011 16:16
Hi Corne
The legalities and business model around this seem to be still up in the air. As far as I understand it Amazon has implemented some of their lending without the permission of the publishers and have gone as far as “buying” a copy of the book each time a person “borrows” it just to get the scheme running. Perhaps once all the legalities are sorted Amazon will look to roll this out globally. Wouldn’t hold my breath though.
Justin
07.12.2011 21:13
Hi
I’m looking to buy a Kobo some where in South Africa.. any ideas ?
06.12.2011 18:06
Hi Paul, I haven’t seen one in person. Wantitall.co.za does have it listed, looks a little pricey to me, but if you really want one you may need to pay a higher price.
Justin
06.12.2011 21:39
Hi Justin, do you have any idea when the kindle touch will be avaliable in South Africa?
28.11.2011 18:49
Hi Robs
At the moment Amazon aren’t saying. It seems they want to supply the US demand first then do International. Not looking good for before Christmas.
Justin
28.11.2011 19:16
Hi Justin I am looking for a reader for my father (68) with night light. Is there one like that I have a I River and he cannot see the writing when the lighting is bad. Thanks
16.11.2011 11:44
Hi Brenda
Most of the e-ink readers have a passive (non-back lit) screen so you need to get a separate reading light for them. I have the leather case with built in reading light for my kindle, the light isnt perfect but it helps in low light conditions. Something like the ipad with their books app or the kindle app may work better as it is backlight, but it is much bulkier and more expensive in comparison to the kindle. I haven’t seen a backlight e-ink device, so options are somewhat limited I am afraid. Perhaps try find someone with the Kindle + light and see if that works for your dad.
Regards
Justin
16.11.2011 20:18
Hi Justin, what do you think of the Kindle Touch 3G (apparently only available from the 21st of November)? We don’t have Wifi at home so we would need the 3G version. And I think the Kindle Fire would a bit unnecessary for us at this stage. We basically just want it for reading e-books and magazines.
10.11.2011 14:13
Hi Pete
The touch is a nice light purpose built reader and the Amazon Eco system is great for ease of use. The Amazon Fire tablet is not available outside of the USA yet as most of the services it is made to consume don’t work outside the USA. The Touch last time I looked also wasn’t available to order outside the USA but this may have changed. It would be my first choice.
Justin
11.11.2011 10:16
Hi there, just got a e-reader as a gift. No instructions in the leaflet on how to start downloading. I don’t know if I should register or how it works. Please help?
07.11.2011 10:29
Hi Nickey, Do you have any details on the make, model, etc ? Justin
07.11.2011 20:38
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23.07.2011 22:25