Diane - Kindle for PC is free - you have to buy the books or subscribe to papers, magazines etc. from them to use it so that is where they make their money.

There are some things they still need to work on in the PC version.

Here's a good article from one of the many kindle blogs talking about some pros, cons, reactions to the PC version release:

click here

I don't have the international version, but I think it uses AT&T which would pose a problem for me here in the mountains. The Sprint Whispernet works OK at my house. I guess if an AT&T cell phone works on a ship then the intl kindle would work? You can always download and sync.