Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
But had they made it use EDGE, as Apple did with the iPhone, it would have still worked in the US, but been ready to roll-out internationally (as Apple have now done with the iPhone) without needing to redesign the hardware first.
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Unless they already have Kindle 2.0 designed & are getting it ready to go within the next year and are using the US Amazon site exclusivity, AZW & EVDO on purpose to keep the Kindle in a controlled market while they get things in place with overseas publishers. Due to their pbook business perhaps they feel they can't afford to alienate non US publishers with local rights to books by selling ebooks from US publishers to overseas customers. Are non US publishers big in the ebook market? I know Transworld isn't putting out Steven Erikson's books as ebooks in the UK, but beyond that I haven't really looked to see what non US publishers offer. Maybe they're less convinced that US publishers & Amazon is hoping to use Kindle 1.0 as a way to sell publishing houses in various markets that ebooks have merit. Amazon as a company isn't stupid in general so it would make sense they have reasons for doing Kindle 1.0 the way they did.
Just some thoughts.