“Get Kindle app! Get Kindle app!!”, my friend kept hounding me. Eventually, I succumbed and downloaded the damn thing to my phone.
However, for a little over four weeks, I didn’t even open the new downloaded app to see what it was all about. During a training class at work, a few books were mentioned as required reading. I had gone to Debonair bookstore to order some of the books already, then I thought of my Kindle book app. Quickly, I launched the app and searched on how to buy a book on it.
On the Amazon website (Amazon are the guys behind Kindle), I navigated to the Kindle store, where I found the book, happily clicked on it, at which point a little green icon flashed to the right hand side. I totally ignored it, went ahead to add to my cart and went on to look for other books. At this point I observed that I didn’t see any Add To Cart icons again! Haa!
I searched again and again, yet nothing changed. I thought to myself, What’s going on? So, I started the process of ordering all over again, and presto! The little green thing came up again. This time, I checked it out, and what I saw made my blood boil. Here it is:
I was irritated and visibly angry. I picked up the phone and called my friend who said, “That’s the annoying thing that these folks and Apple do”. Did I mention that he is a hater of Apple’s “regimented life style”? He couldn’t help but mention my Apple inside this Kindle matter. Anyway, he went on to tell me that I have to use a UK or a US address/location to be able to buy some books on Kindle, otherwise those items would remain unavailable to me.
So my questions:
- What does Amazon mean by this?
- Are there books that our Internet bundles can’t download?
- Are there books we can’t afford to read and understand?
- Are there things we from this clime aren’t suppose to know or learn from their books?
- Are there books that we can’t pay for?
- Or are there books that the payment with African Cards can’t afford to be debited for?
I am just as irritated as confused right now!!!! Why would a book app have locations you can’t buy from? What’s the essence of books by the way? They would prefer that I lie about my location so I can buy a book? A friggin’ book? Issokay!
- This article was contributed by Chika Ozoemena, an enthusiast and a committed learner.