European Availability in July?

I ran across this post in the "The Digital Reader" blog:

I’ve just gotten word (via MobileRead) that the Edge will be available in Europe in July. Here’s the email one member got from Entourage:

Thanks for your email and interest in enTourage eDGe. We will start the official distribution in Europe at the beginning of July. However I can offer you the possibility to pre-order via email.
If you can provide me with the model you want to order, your full name, delivery address and telephone number.

The EU MAP price for the enTourage eDGe are as following:
enTourage eDGe: Midnight Blue € 599 – including 19% Dutch VAT
enTourage eDGe: Black € 629 – including 19% Dutch VAT
enTourage eDGe: Red € 629 – including 19% Dutch VAT
enTourage eDGe: Glacier € 629 – including 19% Dutch VAT
enTourage eDGe: Ice Blue € 629 – including 19% Dutch VAT

If you are a registered company outside the Netherlands, with a valid VAT number I can sell the device without 19% VAT.
If you pre-order now I am able to give you a 25 euro discount and we will deliver you the device on July the 10th, you will be one of the first in EU to receive the enTourage eDGe reader.

Thanks for your response in advance.

[link to site: http://www.the-digital-reader.com/ ]

It seems a bit strange that nothing this definite has been announced in this forum or on the enTourage Facebook page, though. Has anyone heard anything to confirm or refute this?

Currently tech support working on international support in e-ink reader and journal. New firmware will be released in june. So probably after this they can start international sales.

Originally Posted by Batman Jr.

If you pre-order now I am able to give you a 25 euro discount and we will deliver you the device on July the 10th, you will be one of the first in EU to receive the enTourage eDGe reader.

One of the first in EU to receive the enTourage reader.....Ha

I think I might have the cheapest one in Europe already

$521 for a white one off eBay
$41 shipping
£10 VAT (not sure how they worked that out but I'm not complaining - you don't get many HMRC errors in your favour!)
£8 ParcelFarce bandit fee

~ £400

Can't see it being available in UK for much less than £529

Being someone who uses one in Australia and paid less than the above price on ebay, I would hope that they put a faster cpu in it or something.

Faster CPU is useless for EE (unless you want to play games in an emmulators or view HD video, which is also useless becouse of video card which not support hardware video optimisation). And faster CPU mean less battery life which is much more important for mobile devices.

Hello All,

I simply had to reply to this thread. In the last 2 months I have been checking out the Entourage eDGe website periodically to see when I could order an eDGe in Europe. I have even tried ordering one trough my aunt who lives in Canada. But now looking at this price I find it a bit unbelievable.

Take the red version for 629 euro's. Thats about 751 USD. Now as a resident of the Netherlands I know about our taxes being 19% and all but how can you justify this huge amount it costs more over here ( 230 usd )?

Here's me hoping these aren't the definitive prices we will be dealing with. For 630 euros you can buy one insane laptop!

Originally Posted by FreeSpirit

Here's me hoping these aren't the definitive prices we will be dealing with. For 630 euros you can buy one insane laptop!

I think one shouldn't compare this to a laptop. You have to chose the right tools for the right job.
The Edge isn't about laptop computing. It is about mobility, note taking etc. Different ball game

Isn't at least part of the higher price due to the VAT?

Originally Posted by walt526

Isn't at least part of the higher price due to the VAT?

Import duty and shipping and insurance then add the VAT onto that. It can all get pretty Expensive once all these extras are taken into consideration. I was lucky to get one from eBay. Laptops don't attract import duty in UK so there's a small saving there. Yellowman1 has offered to order and ship to other forum members so I'm sure he might be able to help you out in order to save a bit of cash. Any business would need to cover it's costs so that's what leads to the markup. We always get screwed in Europe. Even Apple started charging 99p for a 99cent download on iTunes and that's a purely electronic transaction! Basically companies will charge what the Market will stand until competition forces prices down. To be honest I was holding out for the NotionInk Adam until it got delayed and delayed. I'm wondering what an eDGe with two PixelQi screens would be like!

I think one shouldn't compare this to a laptop. You have to chose the right tools for the right job.
The Edge isn't about laptop computing. It is about mobility, note taking etc. Different ball game

Yes, you make a valid point there. The eDGe really isn't comparable to a laptop, I mean to point out the amount of money and what else you can get for it. A couple months back I fell in love with the eDGe because of its uniqueness and possibilities.

I would really appreciate it if Entourage could somehow explain it in more detail (the price difference that is) Although I wont expect them too.

As some of you already pointed out, it might be much cheaper to get it overseas still, I will most certainly be looking into it.

Now more of a personal thing. I am a student, in the Netherlands. Thanks to a student loan i get from the government I can live off 650 Euro (excluding study and book costs). This is all I require each month for living and food expenses. So considering a eDGe costs me (as a student, which is the target market for the eDGe) about the same amount of money I have and require to live for an entire month... I'm seriously wondering the appeal for it on a large scale among students.

The eDGe will become more affordable the more popular it gets (although I think $500 USD is an appropriate price point at this point in time). I imagine that they are amortizing a lot of the fixed costs that were necessary to startup production into the first generation devices to a higher degree than they will in subsequent models. Most likely (based on what other tech startups have done in the past), the second generation will also be at or around $500 as well, but will have additional capabilities.

Although there's a lot of room for growth built into this first generation device (they will still probably be adding features at least throughout calendar 2010), it would be nice if at some point Entourage offered early adopters some sort of discount on the second generation devices, if/when they are released.

Have you seen the update on international shipping in the official FAQ?

Online orders from www.entourageedge.com can only ship to U.S. and Canada. International shipping will be supported through our online partner CDW. Visit www.cdw.com for details.

As to me that's not good at all. An altogether unsatisfactory solution after three months of them promising and us waiting. Just look at international shipping conditions of CDW:

International Orders

Orders for shipment to addresses outside of the U.S. and including Canada, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are subject to the following terms:

* International orders and inquiries can be placed via voice telephone to 847.465.6000, by facsimile 847.465.6800, postal mail or e-mail. Please include your telephone number and e-mail address with your inquiries.
* Orders for shipment outside of the U.S. are subject to shipping fees, applicable customs, duties and taxes, all of which are the responsibility of the customer. All international orders must be prepaid in full with U.S. funds by wire transfer or cashiers check drawn from a U.S. bank.
* Incoterms for shipments outside the U.S. are CIP (Carriage and Insurance Paid). Processing times may take an additional 3 days compared to domestic orders.
* CDW will not ship to freight forwarders unless product is for their internal use only. All international orders must ship directly to the end destination.
* "Will-Call" orders are not accepted for international shipments.
* CDW cannot drop ship physical products to an international location.
* Please note that certain products may not be exportable due to their classification. Also, certain brands may not be exportable for contractual reasons. CDW reserves the right to deny an export for any reason.
* CDW does not provide certificates of origin, NAFTA certificates or any other free trade certificates, letters of credit or legalized paperwork. Pre-shipment inspections, when necessary, are the customer's responsibility.
* All commodities, technology or software are exported from the U.S. in accordance with the Export Administration Regulations. Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited.
* Diversion, use, export or re-export contrary to U.S. law is prohibited. Export to the following countries is prohibited: Cuba, Iran, Sudan or Syria. In addition, products may not be exported or re-exported to entities and persons that are ineligible under U.S. law to receive United States commodities, technology and/or software.


International Payment

To determine the shipping cost for your order please include:
• Name/Company Name
• Street Address/Apartment/Suite/Unit
• Postal Code (if applicable)
• City
• Country

Wire Transfer for entire amount including shipping to:
The Northern Trust Company
C/O CDW
Account #47910
Route #071000152
50 LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois USA 60675
312.630.6000

Cashiers Check or Money Order for entire amount including shipping to:
CDW
200 N Milwaukee Ave
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061
Attention: International Prepay

Note: Include CDW order number provided by your Account Manager with payment.


International Warranties

Please be aware that many products' warranties do not provide coverage outside the U.S., and some products may not be exported under any circumstances due to manufacturers' restrictions or U.S. law.

CDW makes no representations regarding warranty coverage, compatibility or serviceability for products that are used outside the U.S.

That's all just terrible. You are not able to place order online, instead you'll have to contact them and wait till they bother to answer. You are not able to pay with credit card or PayPal, instead you'll have to use inconvenient and expensive wire transfer. And, most important, the eDGe is $100 more expensive at CDW, but still you get no warranty.

So there is no point at all to wait for official distribution. Ask your friends in the US to buy one or use mail forwarders.

I think Yellowman1's going to be busy !!!!!

...but still you get no warranty.

Sorry, I really feel for you for this.... but I don't understand 'why no warranty'? I didn't see that in any of the info you put up?

No "warranty coverage, compatibility or serviceability for products that are used outside the U.S. "