Amazon Kindle (global wireless, 2009 version)

Pros: Living in Japan, I can fully access the US Amazon online site for free. I transfer the books and print media via USB cable and do not incur other charges. Plenty of free classics exist. As a commuter, I enjoy the wide selection of books on it.

Cons: I worry about changing the battery in the future. Am I going to get the same unit back or another one. I hope that Amazon will return the exact same unit that I have now. But I have not been able to get a definitive answer from customer service.

Summary: The international delivery fees, plus the time it takes for a print-book to arrive from the US or via Amazon Japan was a big drawback. Now, I have a choice, a $1.99 for WiFI delivery, which is cheaper than the minimum $10.00 and two week wait, within a few minutes, or I can forgo all delivery charges when I transfer via USB. The great variety of fiction and non-fiction books that are available is very satisfying. However, the newspapers and magazines lack photos and most graphs and charts. This is a definite drawback because without them many magazine and newspaper articles are lacking serious components. It seems to me that pictures, photos, graphs, and charts could easily be included in the Kindle versions. One feature that I enjoy is the highlighting, clipping, and annotating feature. The keyboard needs some getting used to, but once I did, I found myself annotating a lot. I found that I can send PDF files directly to my Kindle via USB port. They are page by page navigable, and that is fine. As noted previously, I am concerned about the battery replacement policy and want the same unit back. I am awaiting a definitive answer from Amazon, although I expect that it may be a year or so before I need to be concerned. Lastly, as an expat living abroad, it has been costly to get new books either by mail or to get to a bookstore with English books. For example, one issue of Foreign Affairs costs about US $20.00 in a bookstore in Japan; via Kindle it is $5.99. The Atlantic is about US $18.00 in a bookstore; the Kindle version is around $5. With the Kindle and the variety of titles and media available, I feel as if I am reconnected with mainstream US culture.