Using a Kindle in Italy

My wife has a Sony Reader, also with WI-FI and 3G... free through AT&T. But overseas, AT&T is NOT an option for her. So she downloads through her laptop computer and dumps onto her Sony Reader. It can be done, just not as quickly. When she travels back to the USA, as she's waiting for her luggage, she's on her WI-FI reader, downloading books! (got yelled at in customs in ATL for doing so!). Living overseas, books in the English language are hard to find and EXPENSIVE. So the Reader makes it easy to download and get new books you just can't find as easily in say, Rome. So for us, it has saved us a TON of money and made books more accessible, more immediate. To give you an idea of how expensive books can be... I picked up a copy of Rick Steves Rome guide-book in the bookstore at Largo Argentina. List price in the USA (on the cover) $17.95. The price from the bookstore: €24... or $34.82 at today's conversion rates... We are also allowed 5 "shared" computers with the Sony, so I also read the books on my laptop. We have well over 500 e-books on her device. (Many were the free, classic book downloads and she does have an extra memory card).

Have used my 3G Kindle in Italy (Sorrento only so far) with no problem. I was able to download books and also use the "experimental" internet capability which I found a bit clunky. But maybe that's just me and a younger brain would not have a problem. However, because I bought it primarily as an e-book reader no biggie. The Kindle internet access was free.

David, are you primarily concerned with the availability of wifi and/or 3G? 'Santa' (the one I live with) brought me one for Christmas; after some internal debate, I decided the wifi was enough. I don't download books every other day; I have lots on there at any given time to keep me plenty busy. So, even looking ahead at using it in Europe, I decided that wifi is available in enough places...If I really needed access to a book, I could at that time hunt around for a wifi connection if need be. Now, living there for 6 mos would be different, but easier perhaps - as a resident, you'd know where the good wifi spots are; perhaps you'd even have wifi where you're living. The Kindle 3G (for downloads) IS free, so that's good. I just decided that I could buy beer with the $50 I saved on not getting the 3G ;-) And Linda - it's definitely NOT you! The "experimental browser" is a bit "clunky" (great description!), but usable. David, if you're looking for something to access the internet with any regularity...the Kindle is NOT it LOL!!!

Note that some ebook titles are not available for download in some places. For example, there are a number of travel-related titles that are not available in the U.S. but are available in the U.K. I am sure there are situations in reverse. I'm not sure if that is true for some Kindle titles. I've been tempted to see if I could download some things over there that I've been blocked from downloading in the U.S.