Check Wireless Coverage Before Buying a Kindle
Fri Dec 7, 2007 11:54PM EST
See Comments (5)
If you're thinking about getting that special someone a Kindle e-book reader for Christmas, I encourage you to check wireless coverage in your area first. One Book of Joe reader found out his Kindle was useless the hard way. After buying a Kindle for $400, Steve Saroff discovered his new gadget did not work in Montana after Amazon's tech support team finally admitted coverage wasn't available in his area. Gizmodo posted a link to a Kindle Coverage Tool that shows coverage only available to those living in or around the green areas. As you can see from the map, coverage is pretty slim across the country, so I suspect a lot of people will be returning their Kindle after the holidays.
Curiously, the device is out of stock at Amazon, so either the company temporarily halted sales due to the lack of wireless coverage or folks bought them as Christmas gifts without checking covered areas. Amazon's web site asks potential customers to contact its support team to find out if wireless coverage is available in their area, and I advice you to do the same.
After Mr. Saroff's complaint, it seems Amazon updated its site warning those in Montana and Alaska that Sprint's data network for Kindle is not available to them. The warning comes a little too late, if you ask me.
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2 Posted by dougspoelker217 on Sat Dec 8, 2007 4:47PM EST Report Abuse
Seems like I will be buying the Sony Reader now. Thanks for the heads up.
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3 Posted by rogueist on Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:51PM EST Report Abuse
Wow - thats important to know! Lots of midwest and west coast travellers wont be buying this...
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4 Posted by billy_goat_ranch on Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:38AM EST Report Abuse
Saying this 'gadget is worthless' if you don't have the wireless connection via sprint is totally WRONG. You apparently did NOT do your homework on this issue- not even half an hour's worth- but instead listened to one person's rants. Why? Because the kindle comes with a computer connection. You can easily download the books onto the reader via your computer if you don't have wireless coverage- and take it ANYWHERE. There is even a picture taken of someone reading it overseas on vacation. I checked out the kindle very well BEFORE I ordered one- and my area is NOT in the coverage area. I knew that going in. But it is still wonderful to be able to get the latest bestsellers for under $10. and read them in your armchair, in bed, etc. Also, yes, they are OUT OF STOCK. Because they are very popular!! They have NOT pulled them off the market at all. They are NOT useless without the wireless connection. They are still very much- terrific. The question is, why is amazon getting so much flack when they have put out the greatest advance in e-reading EVER? Sure it is in it's first stages... why isn't anyone whining to Sprint about THEIR lack of coverage? If Sprint went into the deal with amazon, why didn't they try their best to beef up their network coverage to help make the partnership work?
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5 Posted by garycooper10025 on Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:41AM EST Report Abuse
Surely you aren't suggesting that it's equally convenient to download a Kindle book to a computer and thence to a Kindle. If the guy in the next state downloaded the New York Times wirelessly that morning, read it on the bus, read a review of a new book, downloaded the new book on the bus, and was able to start reading it at lunchtime, are you seriously suggesting he doesn't have any advantage over a Montanan with either no computer at all or a nice slow laptop? Of COURSE wireless coverage is an issue. Without wireless coverage, you might as well have a Sony Reader. Amazon is selling the wireless coverage feature HARD. Don't try and tell me its absence doesn't matter.
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1 Posted by ssaroff on Sat Dec 8, 2007 1:08AM EST Report Abuse
As Amazon has now admited and posted on thier Kindle site, There is No Coverage in Montana, yet thier map (shown here in this article) still shows coverage (the green areas) in all of the major Montana cities. There may be many other areas arround the country where there is also no coverage, even if the Sprint/Amazon map shows green coverage. I would suggest that no one purchase a Kindle until the lack of wireless coveragem issue is fully dealt with. There are some serious technical issues at play here.