Quote:
Originally Posted by scrapking
You're right of course. That said, there's an increasing sense that Amazon is more U.S. focused all the time amongst many Canadians I talk to. For example, we still don't have even a hint of a release date for the Kindle Fire in Canada (we were the second market to get the Kindle), and only just got the Kindle Touch (and the Wifi version only, not the 3G). So we're becoming a little sensitive on the topic, even in situations where it's not Amazon's fault.  |
Only because Kobo essentially got a law pushed thru forcing some of the publishers to use them exclusively, from what I can tell.
Not Amazon's fault or desire, I'm sure, but same effect.
As for devices - they are a US company and someone has to be second. Think how those in Asia felt, when they are shipped from there, to begin with. As for 3G - I can see why they don't want to ship those outside the US and severely limit the ones they do. Roaming data charges are obscene in most countries, but in the EU, especially (at least, for cells that are registered to the US). Their long distance charges are just as bad on land lines (which is why a booming business in reverse charge calling has flourished in the US, even before VOIP.
Keep in mind, also, that for a US company to release "a computer" to a non-US market, there are both logistical (have to have enough supply) and legal (export of technology laws, even more draconian after 9/11) hoops to jump thru.
Another problem with the Kindle Fire - a lot of the content it is designed to consume, Amazon doesn' t have a license to provide outside the US. Books yes (and the web), but generally no so much on videos (and possibly not on music). So, it would be crippled outside the US (just as it can be for US owners when outside the US).