Firmware Update Web browsing now working in Canada?

spetschu · 05-08-2010, 06:59 PM

My Kindle 2 arrived yesterday and I was surprised I could access any website via the experimental browser over wireless.

Is this a change (I've read only Wikipedia is accessible) or should I expect a bill at the end of the month? There was no warning of possible charges and the browser shipped with links to external websites. My account is registered as Canadian.

Anarel · 05-08-2010, 07:06 PM

No bill for the wireless access....... but several other Kindle users have reported being able to use the browser now, no word from Amazon yet as to whats going on...

SensualPoet · 05-08-2010, 09:52 PM

Yes, I wondered about that a few days ago ... if it was a fluke ... but I seem to have "full" browsing access to the web which I definitely did NOT have before.

If this means I will be able to download (purchase) magazines and newspapers with picture content, I may actually step up and subscribe.

Jzz · 05-09-2010, 06:01 AM

Do you both have the 2.5 update?

odelay · 05-09-2010, 06:22 AM

I'm thinking Amazon have flipped the switch to allow web browsing globally. I've had a k2i for the past 6 months and web browsing suddenly started working yesterday for me. I'm in the UK, and haven't had the 2.5 update yet, still
running 2.3.3. I can access any site now, from
bookmarks or entering a URL manually.

HarryT · 05-09-2010, 07:08 AM

I still appear to have the usual restrictions, here in the UK. My Kindle is still running 2.3.2.

odelay · 05-09-2010, 08:21 AM

Hmmm. Strange. Maybe they're only enabling it for some devices initially, as with the firmware updates.

SensualPoet · 05-09-2010, 03:26 PM

No, I have the Kindle 2 with 2.3.4 running, and I have "full" web browsing enabled and my device is registered in Canada. I have purchased a couple of Kindle titles recently; mainly I have been using the Kindle 2 with content sourced elsewhere.

I doubt (strongly) Amazon would open web-browsing internationally. The cost of such a move will be the result of a negotiation between Amazon, AT&T and the local AT&T roaming partner. In Canada, that looks to me like Rogers ... which recently announced plans to provide iPad 3G support (after May 28 when the device arrives here).

The Kindle isn't a very efficient way to browse the web over 3G -- but it is a nice to have feature and does help set it distinctly apart from Kobo which -- and I am sure this is a TOTAL coincidence -- just launched in Canada on May 1st.

Make no mistake: the Kindle 2 is a MUCH better e-reader than Kobo in every single proof point ... except price and direct access to library books. Price is easy to dismiss: Kindle 2 is way more capable; the Kobo "wins" only if price is the sole deciding factor (Kobo is base-line basic -- it just allows files to be read in e-ink; no dictionary, no text-to-speech, no user-generated content at the bookstore, no direct-to-device shopping). Library books access is Kindle's Achilles' Heal ... so adding 3G web browsing is another important tick in the column of "better value".

It would be nice if the $2 Whispernet tax (for those in Canada and elsewhere) could be pared down or optionally eliminated by accepting purchase deliveries only over the Internet. But I do sympathise with Amazon that it does not want to risk incurring 3rd party roaming costs without some tradeoff in profitable sales. Ultimately that comes down to refining some sort of revenue sharing deals to cover the "free" cost of 3G data between Amazon, AT&T and each territory's 3G roaming partner.

Jzz · 05-09-2010, 07:37 PM

I'm also in Canada running 2.3.3 and still limited to Wikipedia. Perhaps they're data mining to get an idea of browsing habits, cost...

ficbot · 05-09-2010, 08:21 PM

I am in Canada as well, with 2.3.4 and still only Wikipedia for me. I really want the new update with the collections. I even turned wireless on hoping I would get it.

flavioSP · 05-09-2010, 08:45 PM

it is working in Brazil... full browsing.... hummm

mdovell · 05-10-2010, 10:49 AM

"I doubt (strongly) Amazon would open web-browsing internationally. The cost of such a move will be the result of a negotiation between Amazon, AT&T and the local AT&T roaming partner. In Canada, that looks to me like Rogers ... which recently announced plans to provide iPad 3G support (after May 28 when the device arrives here)."

I disagree. think about the amount of bandwith for a kindle vs that of say the ipad...Text and some photos can only be so much. We aren't talking about live streaming of youtube videos in 1080i here.

Pure text and simple photos shouldn't be that much of an issue. if the ipad draws so much attention it only makes sense that amazon pulls this out as a wild card to say "yeah we don't have games or video or a touchscreen...but you have world wide internet acces for free"

How many people don't use email ? maybe add a im feature and people would be set...

SensualPoet · 05-10-2010, 07:18 PM

@mdovell: the browsing bandwidth for the Kindle "may not be much" but it is something and as long as it is strings-free "free", why would Amazon give it away in the one-time price of the hardware? Nor does AT&T have a vested interest in paying third party carriers in Brazil, Canada or Mexico for Kindle traffic with nothing in return.

The Kindle is for reading. All the other stuff is "nice to have" but not part of the value prop. If you really need a place to read e-mail on the fly, do it on a cellphone, netbook or tablet. An e-ink reader with a goofy keyboard is not the place to be.

If Amazon in Canada can strike a decent deal with AT&T and its roaming partner whereby the average $2 Whispernet tax covers everyone's browsing in Canada, well, ok. Or, browsing opens only for those customers who actually buy books from Amazon regularly enough to cover their personal browsing costs. And maybe there is some in-between possible which also lowers the "tax".

mdovell · 05-10-2010, 10:16 PM

It might be a eink reader but consider this..

For the developing world that wants to communicate would they want a kindle or an ipad? ipad uses up much more power.

kindle is used more for reading...the market could be huge if say one kindle per classroom...

email and b&w text based web browsing would be much simplier to use rather than struggling to bring wifi to an area...

It's a simple PR win and since a fair amount of population growth is immigration based they gradually win in the long term.

SensualPoet · 05-11-2010, 07:27 PM

I continue to believe the cheek-by-jowl comparisons of Kindle and iPad are a phony construct created by Apple and Apple fanboys. One is an e-reader, the other is a multi-media delivery tool; they really are designed for different purposes.

If one really wants a cheap e-reader, the Kobo is a good place to start and, with the money you save from a Kindle, you've got a decent down-payment on a cheap-a$$ netbook for all your computing needs with a real keyboard. Combined, you'll spend less than on one iPad.

For this reason, I am not keen on trying to shoehorn the Kindle 2 into a role it was not designed for: a classroom device to take notes, for example. And, with respect, it is a heck of a lot cheaper to deliver "unlimited" wifi to a school than it is deliver "unlimited" 3G wireless data. I do not see that it is Amazon's, or AT&T's, mandate to deliver free 3G service around the world.

If the Kindle 2 had a WiFi capability -- where the cost of user data was borne by the end-user and not Amazon or AT&T with no prospect of a return on the investment -- I'd be more inclined agree with your PR argument of long-term benefits. But, it doesn't, so I don't.

05-08-2010, 06:59 PM	#1
spetschu Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kindle 2 Int'l	Web browsing now working in Canada? My Kindle 2 arrived yesterday and I was surprised I could access any website via the experimental browser over wireless. Is this a change (I've read only Wikipedia is accessible) or should I expect a bill at the end of the month? There was no warning of possible charges and the browser shipped with links to external websites. My account is registered as Canadian.

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05-08-2010, 07:06 PM	#2
Anarel Evangelist Posts: 424 Karma: 61399 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: K1, GKDX, K3	No bill for the wireless access....... but several other Kindle users have reported being able to use the browser now, no word from Amazon yet as to whats going on...

05-08-2010, 09:52 PM	#3
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	Yes, I wondered about that a few days ago ... if it was a fluke ... but I seem to have "full" browsing access to the web which I definitely did NOT have before. If this means I will be able to download (purchase) magazines and newspapers with picture content, I may actually step up and subscribe.

05-09-2010, 06:01 AM	#4
Jzz Member Posts: 20 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle2	Do you both have the 2.5 update?

05-09-2010, 06:22 AM	#5
odelay Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 166 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kindle	I'm thinking Amazon have flipped the switch to allow web browsing globally. I've had a k2i for the past 6 months and web browsing suddenly started working yesterday for me. I'm in the UK, and haven't had the 2.5 update yet, still running 2.3.3. I can access any site now, from bookmarks or entering a URL manually.

05-09-2010, 07:08 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I still appear to have the usual restrictions, here in the UK. My Kindle is still running 2.3.2.

05-09-2010, 08:21 AM	#7
odelay Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 166 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kindle	Hmmm. Strange. Maybe they're only enabling it for some devices initially, as with the firmware updates.

05-09-2010, 03:26 PM	#8
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	No, I have the Kindle 2 with 2.3.4 running, and I have "full" web browsing enabled and my device is registered in Canada. I have purchased a couple of Kindle titles recently; mainly I have been using the Kindle 2 with content sourced elsewhere. I doubt (strongly) Amazon would open web-browsing internationally. The cost of such a move will be the result of a negotiation between Amazon, AT&T and the local AT&T roaming partner. In Canada, that looks to me like Rogers ... which recently announced plans to provide iPad 3G support (after May 28 when the device arrives here). The Kindle isn't a very efficient way to browse the web over 3G -- but it is a nice to have feature and does help set it distinctly apart from Kobo which -- and I am sure this is a TOTAL coincidence -- just launched in Canada on May 1st. Make no mistake: the Kindle 2 is a MUCH better e-reader than Kobo in every single proof point ... except price and direct access to library books. Price is easy to dismiss: Kindle 2 is way more capable; the Kobo "wins" only if price is the sole deciding factor (Kobo is base-line basic -- it just allows files to be read in e-ink; no dictionary, no text-to-speech, no user-generated content at the bookstore, no direct-to-device shopping). Library books access is Kindle's Achilles' Heal ... so adding 3G web browsing is another important tick in the column of "better value". It would be nice if the $2 Whispernet tax (for those in Canada and elsewhere) could be pared down or optionally eliminated by accepting purchase deliveries only over the Internet. But I do sympathise with Amazon that it does not want to risk incurring 3rd party roaming costs without some tradeoff in profitable sales. Ultimately that comes down to refining some sort of revenue sharing deals to cover the "free" cost of 3G data between Amazon, AT&T and each territory's 3G roaming partner.

05-09-2010, 07:37 PM	#9
Jzz Member Posts: 20 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle2	I'm also in Canada running 2.3.3 and still limited to Wikipedia. Perhaps they're data mining to get an idea of browsing habits, cost...

05-09-2010, 08:21 PM	#10
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I am in Canada as well, with 2.3.4 and still only Wikipedia for me. I really want the new update with the collections. I even turned wireless on hoping I would get it.

05-09-2010, 08:45 PM	#11
flavioSP Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brazil Device: Kindle DX	it is working in Brazil... full browsing.... hummm

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05-10-2010, 10:49 AM	#12
mdovell Zealot Posts: 144 Karma: 3168 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Kindle DX	"I doubt (strongly) Amazon would open web-browsing internationally. The cost of such a move will be the result of a negotiation between Amazon, AT&T and the local AT&T roaming partner. In Canada, that looks to me like Rogers ... which recently announced plans to provide iPad 3G support (after May 28 when the device arrives here)." I disagree. think about the amount of bandwith for a kindle vs that of say the ipad...Text and some photos can only be so much. We aren't talking about live streaming of youtube videos in 1080i here. Pure text and simple photos shouldn't be that much of an issue. if the ipad draws so much attention it only makes sense that amazon pulls this out as a wild card to say "yeah we don't have games or video or a touchscreen...but you have world wide internet acces for free" How many people don't use email ? maybe add a im feature and people would be set...

05-10-2010, 07:18 PM	#13
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	@mdovell: the browsing bandwidth for the Kindle "may not be much" but it is something and as long as it is strings-free "free", why would Amazon give it away in the one-time price of the hardware? Nor does AT&T have a vested interest in paying third party carriers in Brazil, Canada or Mexico for Kindle traffic with nothing in return. The Kindle is for reading. All the other stuff is "nice to have" but not part of the value prop. If you really need a place to read e-mail on the fly, do it on a cellphone, netbook or tablet. An e-ink reader with a goofy keyboard is not the place to be. If Amazon in Canada can strike a decent deal with AT&T and its roaming partner whereby the average $2 Whispernet tax covers everyone's browsing in Canada, well, ok. Or, browsing opens only for those customers who actually buy books from Amazon regularly enough to cover their personal browsing costs. And maybe there is some in-between possible which also lowers the "tax".

05-10-2010, 10:16 PM	#14
mdovell Zealot Posts: 144 Karma: 3168 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Kindle DX	It might be a eink reader but consider this.. For the developing world that wants to communicate would they want a kindle or an ipad? ipad uses up much more power. kindle is used more for reading...the market could be huge if say one kindle per classroom... email and b&w text based web browsing would be much simplier to use rather than struggling to bring wifi to an area... It's a simple PR win and since a fair amount of population growth is immigration based they gradually win in the long term.

05-11-2010, 07:27 PM	#15
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	I continue to believe the cheek-by-jowl comparisons of Kindle and iPad are a phony construct created by Apple and Apple fanboys. One is an e-reader, the other is a multi-media delivery tool; they really are designed for different purposes. If one really wants a cheap e-reader, the Kobo is a good place to start and, with the money you save from a Kindle, you've got a decent down-payment on a cheap-a$$ netbook for all your computing needs with a real keyboard. Combined, you'll spend less than on one iPad. For this reason, I am not keen on trying to shoehorn the Kindle 2 into a role it was not designed for: a classroom device to take notes, for example. And, with respect, it is a heck of a lot cheaper to deliver "unlimited" wifi to a school than it is deliver "unlimited" 3G wireless data. I do not see that it is Amazon's, or AT&T's, mandate to deliver free 3G service around the world. If the Kindle 2 had a WiFi capability -- where the cost of user data was borne by the end-user and not Amazon or AT&T with no prospect of a return on the investment -- I'd be more inclined agree with your PR argument of long-term benefits. But, it doesn't, so I don't.