Back home we have Amazon Prime, so new books arrive in a couple days. But it can take 10-14 days for a book to show up while overseas. That’s why I’m loving my new Amazon Kindle.
I can get a hunch to read a book and have it transferred to my Kindle in minutes. I’ve also downloaded many free books, such as the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island. I was worried about losing the “reading experience” and the device feeling like a gadget. I haven’t felt any of that, and find reading on the Kindle enjoyable. I especially like that it has no back light, so I can read it before going to bed and it doesn’t wake me up like a laptop would.
The whispernet service is unavailable in many deployed areas (such as Qatar), but it’s easy to transfer books via USB. You can check Amazon whispernet coverage here.