Amazon opens up Kindle to 100 countries including UK

Now, two years after the initial UK launch, the International Edition is up for grabs.

British bookworms looking to ditch the paperback for an electronic alternative will finally be able to get their hands on Amazon's best-selling Kindle reader when the International Edition officially goes on sale today.

The device, which can only be ordered from the US-based Amazon.com side of the company's business, has until now proved elusive to those hoping to join the e-book reader revolution.


Now, two years after the initial US launch, the International Edition is available to Brits for $275 (£170), along with a £35 charge for UK customs and VAT.



The Kindle has a 6-inch monochrome screen and allows users to use Wi-Fi or 3G to download up to 1,500 books and even daily newspapers The Times and The Daily Telegraph (for £14-a-month, mind) to the device from Amazon's Kindle Store, a vast online database.



The launch brings some much needed competition to the UK market, currently dominated by Sony's Reader devices, which were recently upgraded with Touch and Pocket Editions.



Books will cost UK users $13.99 (£8.75) for UK users to download, which is a tad more expensive than our American counterparts pay.