MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Guardian: No Kindle for the UK (or anywhere else outside US)

cstross · 06-10-2008, 05:43 AM

Now let me reverse my position and suggest how Amazon might launch the Kindle in Europe:

1. CDMA may be unavailable, but what about WiFi? Or WiMax? Nokia have just shoved a WiMax chipset in the N810, so they're out there already; a WiMax chipset with fallback to WiFi would probably do the job for Kindle in urban areas, and the EU is in general more heavily urbanized than the USA. Free Wifi is also becoming extremely common (at least in parts of the UK) as a local draw for pubs, bars, and cafes.

2. WiFi would allow them to launch right now, if the cellcos refuse to cooperate. Not ideal, but workable -- just use any hotspot. Alternatively, if they could reach a deal with a couple of the big WiFi hotspot providers (BT OpenZone or T-Mobile, maybe) that might be a workable alternative.

3. Target English first, add other languages progressively (as works become available).

4. Rights: I know that Hachette group (who are currently having a pissing match with Amazon.co.uk) have an overall worldwide ebooks strategy and are re-jigging their rights position so that they can provide the correct edition to the correct ebook market more or less on demand. I expect the other multinational publishers can't be far behind, if at all. Small local publishers will be a headache, but they're part of the long tail, and Kindle strategy differs from Amazon's overall strategy insofar as it isn't about monetizing the long tail -- it's about bootstrapping a whole new publishing sector. They can leave the small fry for later, in other words.

06-10-2008, 05:43 AM	#29
cstross Cynic Posts: 86 Karma: 514 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Lots, started with a Psion 3 circa 1998	Now let me reverse my position and suggest how Amazon might launch the Kindle in Europe: 1. CDMA may be unavailable, but what about WiFi? Or WiMax? Nokia have just shoved a WiMax chipset in the N810, so they're out there already; a WiMax chipset with fallback to WiFi would probably do the job for Kindle in urban areas, and the EU is in general more heavily urbanized than the USA. Free Wifi is also becoming extremely common (at least in parts of the UK) as a local draw for pubs, bars, and cafes. 2. WiFi would allow them to launch right now, if the cellcos refuse to cooperate. Not ideal, but workable -- just use any hotspot. Alternatively, if they could reach a deal with a couple of the big WiFi hotspot providers (BT OpenZone or T-Mobile, maybe) that might be a workable alternative. 3. Target English first, add other languages progressively (as works become available). 4. Rights: I know that Hachette group (who are currently having a pissing match with Amazon.co.uk) have an overall worldwide ebooks strategy and are re-jigging their rights position so that they can provide the correct edition to the correct ebook market more or less on demand. I expect the other multinational publishers can't be far behind, if at all. Small local publishers will be a headache, but they're part of the long tail, and Kindle strategy differs from Amazon's overall strategy insofar as it isn't about monetizing the long tail -- it's about bootstrapping a whole new publishing sector. They can leave the small fry for later, in other words.