This thing is amazing. Last night I was at a party where one of the people had one of these and the clarity on the screen is great and very comfortable to read. I want one!

With the build in phone service, called WhisperNet, which I'm told runs on the Sprint network, you can download books without going to a store, needing a hotspot or network connection. Now Sprint does not have coverage throughout the States, if you're unlucky and live somewhere without service (like in Lincoln, ME) then you can download books from Amazon and copy them to your Kindle using a USB connection.

Wikipedia says:

Amazon Kindle is an electronic book (e-book) service launched in the United States by Amazon.com in November 2007. It uses an electronic paper display, reads the proprietary Kindle (AZW) format, and downloads content over Amazon Whispernet, which uses the Sprint EVDO network. This means that unlike previously existing e-book readers, the Kindle can be used without the need for a computer. Whispernet is accessible through Kindle without any fee. ^[1] The Kindle sold out in five and a half hours,^[2] although Amazon has not stated how many units were available in the launch offering.