Kindle already a success in the UK - new rumors

[Alexander Turcic]

Hot on the heels of recent rumors stating that Amazon had no plans to introduce the Kindle reader in the UK, the Sunday Times reports that in the very same country, the Kindle is already "rapidly taking on the must-have aura of Apple's iPod." Also:

The new generation of electronic books – ebooks – has fired a revolution even before they go on sale in Britain. Such is the sudden success in the United States of the Amazon Kindle, a reading device capable of storing 200 books, that UK buyers are bidding for them on eBay in the hope of shipping them over. [...]

The Kindle, which is expected to go on sale in the UK later this year, has surprised US publishers and authors by how rapidly it has moved into the mainstream. [...]

Amazon has not decided how much ebooks for the Kindle will cost in Britain, but in America new releases and bestsellers, for example, typically cost $9.99 (£5), compared with £7.50-£10 for traditional volumes bought through the company’s website.

So, the Kindle, now again going on sale in the UK later this year? Ah, the rumor mill -- what a boring life we'd all lead without it.

[Ervserver]

Wonder if Amazon will run out again

[RickyMaveety]

Heck, you never know. I made a mint (alright ... only a small mint) buying Furbies and shipping them to the UK years ago. I think Amazon would be crazy not to find some way to take advantage of the world market.

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Heck, you never know. I made a mint (alright ... only a small mint) buying Furbies and shipping them to the UK years ago. I think Amazon would be crazy not to find some way to take advantage of the world market.

I had my Kindle with me in Toronto last week and some of my colleagues there were quite interested. One commented that if he drove close enough to the border, he might even be able to use the Whispernet service.

[RickyMaveety]

Yeah .... I may be moving out of Texas or out of this part of Texas before long (because it appears they don't like us strange Buddhist types who love animals in this part of Texas), and I actually found myself examining the coverage area really closely before deciding what part of the country I might move to. Northern Vermont looked really attractive last week .... but now that I'm getting a Kindle ... not so much.

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Yeah .... I may be moving out of Texas or out of this part of Texas before long (because it appears they don't like us strange Buddhist types who love animals in this part of Texas), and I actually found myself examining the coverage area really closely before deciding what part of the country I might move to. Northern Vermont looked really attractive last week .... but now that I'm getting a Kindle ... not so much.

Just move a couple of hours north. I'm near Sanger -- about 50 mile north of Dallas and only 22 miles from the Oklahoma border. We moved here because we wanted more land and more of a rural community. I've got very good Whispernet coverage in my house, which surprised me very much. Heck, cable TV still hasn't found us and we were in the house more than 9 months before the telephone company offered us DSL. I was *dying* for high-speed networking. Or, if you can stand urban living, move closer in to the Metroplex. There's quite an eclectic population in the area -- a rather large Asian community where you're bound to find other Buddhists. Shoot, there's even a fairly large Pagan group in Denton!

[RickyMaveety]

I'm only about 45 minutes outside of Austin. I thought (silly me) that it would be far enough out in the country to let me have my animals, but close in enough that there would be a more socially liberal bent. Wow .... was I wrong .... so very wrong.

People look at me like I grew horns and ate their baby when I mention that I'm a Buddhist. In fact, one (supposedly college educated woman) actually asked me why I didn't wear an orange robe, shave my head and hang around the airport banging a drum with the rest of the Buddhists.

Oh for goodness sake ... I mean, how ignorant is it possible to be?? Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question. I know ... extremely ignorant. But, seriously, I'm now in a law suit with someone who is trying to drive me out of the area. Strange place this town I have moved to .... quite .... unique.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

People look at me like I grew horns and ate their baby when I mention that I'm a Buddhist. In fact, one (supposedly college educated woman) actually asked me why I didn't wear an orange robe, shave my head and hang around the airport banging a drum with the rest of the Buddhists.

What kind of animals? What problems are you given?

BOb

[Tom90deg]

Hmm...if they can tap into the cult of the iPod then the Kindle could really take off. It dos'nt matter how good a product is, you still have to convince people to buy it

[Moonraker]

I can't understand how the Kindle will take off in the UK because our Mobile Phone networks use GPRS (or 3G ?) for data transfer.

This is insanely expensive and most people will not use it.

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

I can't understand how the Kindle will take off in the UK because our Mobile Phone networks use GPRS (or 3G ?) for data transfer.

This is insanely expensive and most people will not use it.

Not so much anymore.

you can get a monthly data add on starting at £5 and average price is around £15 with the modem free if signing up for a 18 month contract. This is pretty comparable, or even better then data prices in the US right now.

So Amazon, if they out a GSM/UMTS based radio in the kindle should probably be able to get a decent deal.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

I can't understand how the Kindle will take off in the UK because our Mobile Phone networks use GPRS (or 3G ?) for data transfer.

This is insanely expensive and most people will not use it.

Might be an idea to check out current prices - they've fallen quite dramatically over the last couple of years. I do quite a lot of internet access via my Windows Smartphone when I travel, and the prices aren't too bad at all.

[Razi]

I am amazed at the marketing techniques they are using. Surely Kindle will be released in the UK. Let them cover all the legalities of their anti-competition tactics they use by selling books only for their own device etc (it is not that simple in Europe) and find a suitable partner to deliver their content (a mobile phone company or something). They WILL be here. Let the rumors run their due course and create curiosity and publicity. They have Apple's business model they could follow but then Apple had a more attractive (aesthetically) and better product! Kindle can never become the designing icon like the iPod did in early part of this decade.

[astra]

I am sure Kindle will be released over here.

If they don't release Kindle then Sony will not be released as well.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

What kind of animals? What problems are you given?

BOb

20 cats and 2 dogs. The cats are mostly either elderly, have chronic illnesses, or are handicapped, so they stay indoors. Few of the people in this crap-fest they call a "town" has ever even seen them.

I am now suing certain individuals who are trying to drive me out of my home, and soon will be suing the whole stupid town.

They don't like the idea that I would move 1200 miles and buy a home solely for the comfort of my animals. Gee ... do they actually think I'd set myself up for a 1200 miles commute for my comfort??

I'll post the whole sordid story over in the lounge when I have time. It's waaay off topic for here.