No UK Kindle launch before Xmas

[Richard Herley]

This article by Sarah Butler has just appeared at The Bookseller:

'Amazon will not launch its Kindle e-book reader in the UK until after Christmas as it attempts to sign up Wi-Fi partners around Europe, it has been revealed.

'Rumours that Amazon.com was poised to launch the device in Europe—with the Frankfurt Book Fair the launch venue—have been circulating. However, fair-goers hoping for an early sighting of the popular device will be disappointed.

'In an interview with The Bookseller, Brian McBride, managing director of Amazon in the UK, said it was not yet clear when the Kindle would launch in the country. He said it was likely to be some time next year, given the complexity of signing up the many partners needed to support Europe-wide Wi-Fi access. “The Kindle is based on wireless technology. If you need agreement with carriers in the US, there is one carrier. In Europe it is a minefield as there are so many operators. If you buy a Kindle in the UK and want to read it on the beach on holiday in Spain, unless we have signed deals in Spain it is not going to work on that beach,” he said.'

Full article.

[babyd]

I am pleased to hear this as we were unsure if it would get a UK release and it seems it will, fab !! I know I will get one when it arrives, I am addicted to my Sony silver 505 and am getting a red version for Xmas too, so this will hopefully be available in time for my Birthday in March, then I can add this to my collection.

Here's hoping.

[DDHarriman]

The option is simple: not going to wireless but 3G instead, choosing a big wide spread company in Europe like Vodafone, and with roaming... you can get connection almost anywhere.

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

This article by Sarah Butler has just appeared at The Bookseller:

'Amazon will not launch its Kindle e-book reader in the UK until after Christmas as it attempts to sign up Wi-Fi partners around Europe, it has been revealed.

'Rumours that Amazon.com was poised to launch the device in Europe—with the Frankfurt Book Fair the launch venue—have been circulating. However, fair-goers hoping for an early sighting of the popular device will be disappointed.

'In an interview with The Bookseller, Brian McBride, managing director of Amazon in the UK, said it was not yet clear when the Kindle would launch in the country. He said it was likely to be some time next year, given the complexity of signing up the many partners needed to support Europe-wide Wi-Fi access. “The Kindle is based on wireless technology. If you need agreement with carriers in the US, there is one carrier. In Europe it is a minefield as there are so many operators. If you buy a Kindle in the UK and want to read it on the beach on holiday in Spain, unless we have signed deals in Spain it is not going to work on that beach,” he said.'

Full article.

Well, if you buy a Kindle in the US and want to use it on a beach in Spain, you are currently out of luck as well. Not sure what point is being made here...

[AshW]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Well, if you buy a Kindle in the US and want to use it on a beach in Spain, you are currently out of luck as well. Not sure what point is being made here...

In a lot of retail areas (Video Games are good example) Europe is treated as a single region, rather than releasing products on a country by country basis. Amazon only has separate stores for UK, France and Germany, however when they launch the Kindle they will probably be launching it as a Europe-wide device.

Kindles will need to work across Europe, otherwise they will be selling a device that's worthless to half the market.

[pshrynk]

Ah. As opposed to worthles to the majority of the world. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle and take it everywhere. It would be nice to be able to get content while on vacation. But not crucial. But not being able to use get it at home would be very annoying.

[Tommo43]

[QUOTE=Richard Herley;271440]This article by Sarah Butler has just appeared at The Bookseller:

'Amazon will not launch its Kindle e-book reader in the UK until after Christmas as it attempts to sign up Wi-Fi partners around Europe, it has been revealed.

I don't know if anyone has noticed but in the news and commentary section sub heading
A UK publisher is happy with Waterstones ebook sales
at the top of the screen. There is a tab for UK book reader and on page two they have a picture of a kindle


* Name: Kindle
* Price: TBC
* Dimensions: 190 x 134 x 18mm
* Battery Life: "a week or more" (reduces with wireless use)
* Weight: 289g

I didn't realise that introduction was so close. Mind you the page also shows a cybook priced at £268 so it can't be that up to date

Tommo

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

'In an interview with The Bookseller, Brian McBride, managing director of Amazon in the UK, said it was not yet clear when the Kindle would launch in the country. He said it was likely to be some time next year, given the complexity of signing up the many partners needed to support Europe-wide Wi-Fi access.

I'm 99.9% sure that the reporter has got it wrong here, and that they don't really mean "WiFi" access. I notice that in the actual quote from Amazon they merely talk about "wireless technology", rather than "WiFi".

For Europe a system using GPRS would be far more practical, I suspect.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm 99.9% sure that the reporter has got it wrong here, and that they don't really mean "WiFi" access. I notice that in the actual quote from Amazon they merely talk about "wireless technology", rather than "WiFi".

Agreed. Is there WiMax in Europe? It is just starting to happen over here. But, a GSM radio would make much more sense... the component and services are readily available in both the US and Europe.

BOb

[JSWolf]

If you buy a US Kindle, as long as you have content you wantto read on it, you can use it on a beach in Spain.

We know what was meant, but the way it was said just lacks polish.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Agreed. Is there WiMax in Europe? It is just starting to happen over here. But, a GSM radio would make much more sense... the component and services are readily available in both the US and Europe.

BOb

WiMax is at the "being talked about" in the UK, certainly. Free WiFi is rather rare here - there are lots of WiFi hotspots, but generally you have to pay to use them. There are some free ones - eg at McDonalds!

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm 99.9% sure that the reporter has got it wrong here, and that they don't really mean "WiFi" access. I notice that in the actual quote from Amazon they merely talk about "wireless technology", rather than "WiFi".

I also agree. A "use your existing WiFi" approach makes sense for small companies selling reading devices, since it pushes the responsibility for network charges onto the individual (who may already have access). For Amazon cell phone technology makes sense because they can get a good deal on wide area coverage.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I also agree. A "use your existing WiFi" approach makes sense for small companies selling reading devices, since it pushes the responsibility for network charges onto the individual (who may already have access). For Amazon cell phone technology makes sense because they can get a good deal on wide area coverage.

Especially when you combine it with the "downloading books while lying on the beach" stuff. Cell phone technology is available on the beach, yes, but how many beaches have WiFi?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Well, if you buy a Kindle in the US and want to use it on a beach in Spain, you are currently out of luck as well. Not sure what point is being made here...

The point is that a very, very high proportion of Europeans routinely travel to other countries in Europe, whereas relatively few Americans leave their own country. A device on which you can only download books wirelessly in your own country is fine in the US, but it wouldn't be very successful in Europe. People here are used to travelling to other countries, and automatically expect that their cell phones, etc, will carry on working when they do so.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by HarryT

People here are used to travelling to other countries, and automatically expect that their cell phones, etc, will carry on working when they do so.

This is consistent with the "holiday in Spain" statement, but Amazon UK probably considers all of Europe their catchment area for English language ebook customers. If Amazon negotiates data access in a given country, they must want to sell Kindles to folks living there.