Amazon Kindle goes international

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

You can buy US iTunes gift certificates (I bought them from a commercial provider, paid US 52.41 for US$ 50 face value), then you can download the Kindle app. And you also get your music much cheaper then in other countries, besides many things are only offered at US itunes.

I know, I know, I do it. I was always trying to get info (my iPhone has already some books).

[pdurrant]

I've pre-ordered one. Total cost to the UK is $387.85 (includes $26.97 shipping and $51.89 import fees deposit).

It will be interesting to see how well it works when it gets here.

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Kindle Wireless US and International: $279

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by scroll1

This is great news, I have placed a pre-order and stopped a friend of mine bringing a US model back to Australia.
As I read it the international models will not attract a 3G charge from your place of residence. I am just curious which provider they are using here in Australia. There coverage map looks like a Telstra map to me here in Brisbane.

I actually did a comparison of Amazon's coverage map against Optus, Telstra and Vodafone and using Tassie as my point of reference (yes I am Tasmanian, no I don't have two heads or a scar) looks like Optus is the carrier (Vodafone just doesn't cover enough area in the maps, and Telstra appears to cover more than what Amazon are saying.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by Reader1

I was glad to hear the latest news of the launch of Kindle International today. However when I look at the list of the countries that you ship Kindle to, I was flabbergasted that included countries like CONGO & RWANDA and yet missing out SINGAPORE!!

And we are actually listed together with SOMALIA, SUDAN, GAMBIA, etc. Amazon must seriously think that SINGAPORE is some third world countries that does not read English!! This is a terrible shame that SINGAPORE is left out in the list.....

Those who are from SINGAPORE should write to Amazon and ask them to check again the map and see where SINGAPORE is...

Why should an Asian country get preference over African countries?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've pre-ordered one. Total cost to the UK is $387.85 (includes $26.97 shipping and $51.89 import fees deposit).

That's including the $30 cover, isn't it, Paul? I've ordered it too, and mine's the same.

[RufusA]

Looking at the coverage maps for the UK, in particular Argyll (where 3g coverage is characteristic of only one operator), I'd say that they are using Three as the network provider.

Rufus.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by mores

Why would they want to sell a kindle to Eskimos* and polar bears



*Yes ... I know ... Not PC ... trying to make a point!

No, Bob, that isn't an ice hockey puck for night games?

[movieking]

Originally Posted by strangeseraph

WTH!!! Canadian customers are always chipped! Amazon.ca sucks, no kindle yet for us but sure, why not release it in Fiji and the Congo? Its like Canada doesn't exist to American companies! Zune was really really late. iPhone was really really late. Kindle is still really really late. Like the above too, I am losing all interest in wanting one.

Sony probably will get my money before long. 9-9

Did you see the coverage map for international kindles in Canada? Very lacking. Hopefully they are waiting until they could blanket Canada with coverage, instead of the limited areas that they are now showing.

[neilmarr]

This from my partner in Germany this morning:

***I notice that there still seem to be a couple of issues they’ve not properly sorted. For example, it can only be ordered and shipped from the US Amazon store, which means that it arrives with a US plug (although capable of charging from a 240v supply, the customer must still buy an additional plug adaptor), must be paid for in US dollars, is subject to customs duties and import taxes, and only has a one year warranty, which I believe is contrary to EU law. Plus, the newer DX version is not yet announced for international sale.

According to the Amazon publisher site, there have been no changes to the regulations about setting up content in the Kindle Store; still require a US presence, tax ID and bank account. Surely that must be against some kind of competition law though, since it means that, in 99 countries of the world, they are offering content for sale from the US, but barring sales of content from that home country. I guess that is one reason why they still only have the US Kindle store; start offering localised stores, and they’d have to also offer rights to local publishers. (ie. Maybe the argument is that, by buying from the US Kindle store even whilst outside the US, their purchases are actually made “in” the USA).***

On the subject of connectivity in Scotland where one of my associate editors (based in Canada) spends a few months of the year, he had this to say:

***Must have taken an army of lawyers to sort out this agreement with every mobile network owner in a hundred countries. Then again, I’m sure Amazon can afford it. Surprised about Canada though.

According to the network coverage map on site, although the 3G service is only available as far north as the major Scottish cities, you can still get EDGE/GPRS coverage even in the highlands. This is slower, but is still compatible with the Kindle. The reason is that the 3G antennae are relatively new and very expensive, and only have a small coverage footprint, but EDGE/GPRS technology uses the old-style antennae network which has been in place for many years now, and they have a much wider coverage.***

Hope some of this is useful here. Cheers. Neil

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've pre-ordered one. Total cost to the UK is $387.85 (includes $26.97 shipping and $51.89 import fees deposit).

It will be interesting to see how well it works when it gets here.

i'll be interested to hear how it goes

Like, is un-drming amazon book possible ? Regionals restriction or not ?

[berniej]

This is welcome news! I almost gave up on getting an ebook reader but now, all I need to do is pre-order from Amazon and wait

[llreader]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

I already did it, and I think I'm not going to change my country

Terisa,

Does this mean that you registered an iPhone and can buy Kindle books without the Kindle? Or did I misunderstand you? This is something that I might like to do after I buy a Sony Reader.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by jlick

It also seems to be a bit strange that the international wireless surcharge is so high even in places where data plans are much cheaper than in the US. For example, I'm in Taiwan and pay about US$23 a month for unlimited 3G data plan without a voice plan (I pay per-usage for voice). That's compared to my friends in the US who typically pay at least $70 a month for data and voice.

The international versions just seem to be at&t roaming onto local networks, a shortcut to save bothering signing multiple deals by the looks of it.

[ahi]

Are their list of books any more international than they were yesterday? Or is this merely meant to be a boon for the globetrotters among their established customer base?

- Ahi

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Reader1

I was glad to hear the latest news of the launch of Kindle International today. However when I look at the list of the countries that you ship Kindle to, I was flabbergasted that included countries like CONGO & RWANDA and yet missing out SINGAPORE!!

And we are actually listed together with SOMALIA, SUDAN, GAMBIA, etc. Amazon must seriously think that SINGAPORE is some third world countries that does not read English!! This is a terrible shame that SINGAPORE is left out in the list.....

Those who are from SINGAPORE should write to Amazon and ask them to check again the map and see where SINGAPORE is...

Maybe SINGAPORE ended up on that list for trying to hard.

- Ahi