Amazon Kindle not coming to Germany any time soon, says report

Alexander Turcic · 06-27-2009, 08:20 PM

I put off writing about this because I wasn't ready in my heart to accept it, but according to German WirtschaftsWoche, e-book fans in Germany won't have the pleasure of using the Amazon Kindle in their country any time soon. According to the weekly, Amazon could not come to a pricing agreement with local mobile operators like T-Mobile and Vodaphone.

This report has apparently already been confirmed by German Amazon partners. Very big time bummer!

AprilHare · 06-27-2009, 08:24 PM

And the USA-centric Amazon Kindle bandwagon rolls on...

daffy4u · 06-27-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

And the USA-centric Amazon Kindle bandwagon rolls on...

Maybe some letters of displeasure to the telecom companies are in order since it seems Amazon was making an effort with 2 companies.

Elsi · 06-27-2009, 08:29 PM

Why pick on Amazon? It appears that the problem is with the telephone carriers.

zerospinboson · 06-28-2009, 02:12 AM

Yay, less chance we'll be living in a topaz/azw monoculture.. If only they had a big competitor with a good name (and no, I don't really think Sony counts here, as they're still hardly marketing the PRS), though.

HarryT · 06-28-2009, 04:19 AM

Very disappointing news

. Do you know, Alex, if there is any word on a release elsewhere in Europe?

tompe · 06-28-2009, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

Why pick on Amazon? It appears that the problem is with the telephone carriers.

Well, if Amazon really only have one model of how it should work and that model is impossible to implement in a country I would say it is Amazons fault that let for book reading and buying irrelevant details control if they will sell book or not.

Dave_S · 06-28-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

Why pick on Amazon? It appears that the problem is with the telephone carriers.

Sprint-Nextel was desperate for customers for it's excess capacity. Maybe T-Mobile and Vodaphone are not so desperate for business that generates so little income? Since Amazon failed with two separate carriers, it is much more likely that Amazon is not offering sufficient incentive for a profitable carrier to accept their business model.

Could the Kindle DX save Sprint Nextel?

HarryT · 06-28-2009, 07:38 AM

I'm really surprised that any non-GSM carrier is able to be profitable these days.

Dave_S · 06-28-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm really surprised that any non-GSM carrier is able to be profitable these days.

Are there still any GSM only carriers? It seems that almost all carriers in industrialized nations are upgrading to UMTS now. A UMTS phone is backward compatible to GSM for now, but a GSM phone can not work on a UMTS network. GSM uses a very old and inefficient multiple access air interface called Time Division Multiple Access, while UMTS uses a more modern and efficient spread spectrum multiple access air interface, so they are totally incompatible at the air interface.

http://www.umtsinfo.co.uk/gsmvsumts.html

HarryT · 06-28-2009, 07:58 AM

I mean GSM as opposed to CDMA. I was including UMTS (probably incorrectly) as "GSM".

Dave_S · 06-28-2009, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I mean GSM as opposed to CDMA. I was including UMTS (probably incorrectly) as "GSM".

OK, now maybe the thread can get back on topic again.

olis · 06-28-2009, 08:14 AM

I think Amazon could simply put a Wi-Fi chipset in the Kindle and sell it worldwide without caring too much about awkward deals with mobile operators.

HarryT · 06-28-2009, 08:15 AM

The key selling-point of the Kindle, however, is the "buy books anywhere" feature. How often are people within range of a WiFi hotspot?

vivaldirules · 06-28-2009, 08:25 AM

There are two sides to every agreement and either or both could be at fault for not reaching one. I would not exclude Amazon from blame.

06-27-2009, 08:20 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Amazon Kindle not coming to Germany any time soon, says report I put off writing about this because I wasn't ready in my heart to accept it, but according to German WirtschaftsWoche, e-book fans in Germany won't have the pleasure of using the Amazon Kindle in their country any time soon. According to the weekly, Amazon could not come to a pricing agreement with local mobile operators like T-Mobile and Vodaphone. This report has apparently already been confirmed by German Amazon partners. Very big time bummer!

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06-27-2009, 08:24 PM	#2
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	And the USA-centric Amazon Kindle bandwagon rolls on...

06-27-2009, 08:29 PM	#4
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,366 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	Why pick on Amazon? It appears that the problem is with the telephone carriers.

06-28-2009, 02:12 AM	#5
zerospinboson "Assume a can opener..." Posts: 755 Karma: 1942109 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Local Cluster Device: iLiad v2, DR1000	Yay, less chance we'll be living in a topaz/azw monoculture.. If only they had a big competitor with a good name (and no, I don't really think Sony counts here, as they're still hardly marketing the PRS), though.

06-28-2009, 04:19 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	Very disappointing news . Do you know, Alex, if there is any word on a release elsewhere in Europe?

06-28-2009, 07:38 AM	#9
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'm really surprised that any non-GSM carrier is able to be profitable these days.

06-28-2009, 07:58 AM	#11
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 mean GSM as opposed to CDMA. I was including UMTS (probably incorrectly) as "GSM".

06-28-2009, 08:14 AM	#13
olis Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 369 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Italy Device: prs-500, Nokia N810, Irex dr1000s, Kindle3	I think Amazon could simply put a Wi-Fi chipset in the Kindle and sell it worldwide without caring too much about awkward deals with mobile operators.

06-28-2009, 08:15 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The key selling-point of the Kindle, however, is the "buy books anywhere" feature. How often are people within range of a WiFi hotspot?

06-28-2009, 08:25 AM	#15
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	There are two sides to every agreement and either or both could be at fault for not reaching one. I would not exclude Amazon from blame.