Kindle in overseas ?

lyj898 · 05-26-2009, 11:28 AM

Anybody has any ideas when the Kindle might find its way out of the US ?

HarryT · 05-26-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyj898

Anybody has any ideas when the Kindle might find its way out of the US ?

There are three hurdles:

1. Producing a version that uses GSM rather than CDMA. Probably not a particular big step - the comms system is pretty much a plug-in module on most of these devices.

2. Arranging the equivalent of Sprint's "Whispernet" system with a telecoms provider in whatever country they wish to sell it in. That's a HUGE deal, especially if you want to allow "international roaming", which would certainly be a requirement for European sales, for example. The legal issues are a nightmare.

3. Obtaining the legal right to sell books outside the US. Also a huge legal issue, since many books have US-only distribution rights, and different publishers in other countries.

Mike L · 05-26-2009, 03:18 PM

Harry,

I wonder if there's any technical barrier against them doing wi-fi rather than a Whispernet equivalent -- much like the iPod Touch, perhaps. That way, they wouldn't have to negotiate with any providers, and they won't run up against EU legislation.

Of course, it wouldn't be anywhere near as convenient as Whispernet. Then again, there are so many wi-fi hotspots around these days, it might not be too bad.

What are your thoughts?

Ervserver · 05-26-2009, 06:41 PM

couple years

HarryT · 05-27-2009, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike L

Harry,

I wonder if there's any technical barrier against them doing wi-fi rather than a Whispernet equivalent -- much like the iPod Touch, perhaps. That way, they wouldn't have to negotiate with any providers, and they won't run up against EU legislation.

Of course, it wouldn't be anywhere near as convenient as Whispernet. Then again, there are so many wi-fi hotspots around these days, it might not be too bad.

What are your thoughts?

I'd be happy to buy a European version of the Kindle that didn't have wireless access at all, and transfer books via USB.

Slow_hand · 05-27-2009, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd be happy to buy a European version of the Kindle that didn't have wireless access at all, and transfer books via USB.

That is known as the Sony Reader. J/K, but why the love for the Kindle without whispernet when the Reader is available there?

Mike L · 05-27-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

I'd be happy to buy a European version of the Kindle that didn't have wireless access at all, and transfer books via USB.

In effect, that's what I've done. My Kindle is not specifically European, of course, but I can use it in Europe (or anywhere else), transfering via USB.

HarryT · 05-27-2009, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow_hand

That is known as the Sony Reader. J/K, but why the love for the Kindle without whispernet when the Reader is available there?

TTS, searching, annotation, the Amazon eBook store, to name but four. The Kindle has all sorts of things going for it even without Whispernet.

Alisa · 05-27-2009, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

TTS, searching, annotation, the Amazon eBook store, to name but four. The Kindle has all sorts of things going for it even without Whispernet.

Yep. When the Kindle first came out I didn't even remotely care about Whispernet. I'm quite comfortable loading stuff via USB. I figured it was for the tech-shy and I likely wouldn't use it very often. I cared about search and dictionary support. If the Sony had those, I would have bought one long before. When the Kindle came out with those two features, the biggest selection of content and the lowest book prices, I jumped on it.

I have since grown to love Whispernet and realize just how cool it is. It's the combination of the connectivity and the sample chapters which I find truly game changing but the Kindle still has plenty to offer even without it.

Over · 05-27-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There are three hurdles:

2. Arranging the equivalent of Sprint's "Whispernet" system with a telecoms provider in whatever country they wish to sell it in. That's a HUGE deal, especially if you want to allow "international roaming", which would certainly be a requirement for European sales, for example. The legal issues are a nightmare.

I'm curious. How much does it cost the "whispernet" thingy? Downloading a 500KB book, for example, how much does it costs (besides the price of the book, obviously)?

Quote:

3. Obtaining the legal right to sell books outside the US. Also a huge legal issue, since many books have US-only distribution rights, and different publishers in other countries.

I don't see an issue here. Europeans would only be able to download the kindle editions from the Amazon.co.uk (and .fr and .de) stores, with the same restrictions. Unless for some reason a paperback can be sold here and the same ebook version can't.

susan_cassidy · 05-27-2009, 03:12 PM

Using whispernet to download books from Amazon is free - no extra charge. Also no charge for Wikipedia access, web browser, etc. Emailing personal documents direct to the Kindle is .15/megabyte, but you don't have to email them, you can copy via USB.

The rights to digital books in different countries depends on contracts with authors and publishers, and may differ for each book and each country.

Slow_hand · 05-27-2009, 05:28 PM

Hmm - the Sony has no search then. Shocked I am. Question answered in spades.

Over · 05-27-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Using whispernet to download books from Amazon is free - no extra charge. Also no charge for Wikipedia access, web browser, etc. Emailing personal documents direct to the Kindle is .15/megabyte, but you don't have to email them, you can copy via USB.

Thanks. I guess the challenge would be for Amazon to arrange a similar FREE service like whispernet in Europe, where telecomunications are usually expensive (more in some countries than others, but surely more than in USA).

Quote:

The rights to digital books in different countries depends on contracts with authors and publishers, and may differ for each book and each country.

I know, I just thought that those books sold on amazon.co.uk, for example, already have those rights. Although the site is from England, it exports to many different european countries. Surely they have authorization to do so for said books. So I don't see why the same book in electronic version would have different restrictions.

wallcraft · 05-27-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Over

So I don't see why the same book in electronic version would have different restrictions.

It is crazy but true. Physical books ordered from Amazon in the US are deemed sold in the US even if shipped to (say) the UK, but ebooks ordered from Amazon in the US are deemed sold at your credit card billing address no matter where you may actually be ordering from. So far, ebook retailers in the UK are "shipping" world-wide. Either the law is different in the UK, or US-rights publishers have not yet woken up to what the UK-rights publishers are getting away with.

fugazied · 05-27-2009, 10:46 PM

Wifi is fine for distribution. The issue, as usual, is publishers and copyright laws.

Apple managed to get it sorted quickly with music/movies, and Amazon should have the same kind of marketing clout you would think, which pushes publishers to do the smart thing.

'Hopefully'' it will at least be in most of Europe and countries like Australia before 2011. It's a real problem for Amazon.

05-26-2009, 11:28 AM	#1
lyj898 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	Kindle in overseas ? Anybody has any ideas when the Kindle might find its way out of the US ?

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05-26-2009, 03:18 PM	#3
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Harry, I wonder if there's any technical barrier against them doing wi-fi rather than a Whispernet equivalent -- much like the iPod Touch, perhaps. That way, they wouldn't have to negotiate with any providers, and they won't run up against EU legislation. Of course, it wouldn't be anywhere near as convenient as Whispernet. Then again, there are so many wi-fi hotspots around these days, it might not be too bad. What are your thoughts?

05-26-2009, 06:41 PM	#4
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	couple years

05-27-2009, 03:12 PM	#11
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Using whispernet to download books from Amazon is free - no extra charge. Also no charge for Wikipedia access, web browser, etc. Emailing personal documents direct to the Kindle is .15/megabyte, but you don't have to email them, you can copy via USB. The rights to digital books in different countries depends on contracts with authors and publishers, and may differ for each book and each country.

05-27-2009, 05:28 PM	#12
Slow_hand Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 326 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore Device: Amazon Kindle 2	Hmm - the Sony has no search then. Shocked I am. Question answered in spades.

05-27-2009, 10:46 PM	#15
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	Wifi is fine for distribution. The issue, as usual, is publishers and copyright laws. Apple managed to get it sorted quickly with music/movies, and Amazon should have the same kind of marketing clout you would think, which pushes publishers to do the smart thing. 'Hopefully'' it will at least be in most of Europe and countries like Australia before 2011. It's a real problem for Amazon.

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