Kindle going global, cheaper
Wed Oct 7, 2009 5:21PM EDT
See Comments (6)
Good news, world travelers-slash-e-book enthusiasts!
If you've ever tried to buy an electronic copy of Atlas Shrugged* for your Kindle while backpacking in the pampas** and found yourself stymied because it only supports downloads while in the U.S., well, you're in luck. Later this month Amazon is upgrading the Kindle with serious international support. The new version of the 6-inch model will work in over 100 countries, from Suriname to Sweden***, so purchased books and other content can be beamed to you no matter where your travels take you.
The new model arrives on October 19.
Aside from the radio (which, in the U.S., trades in Sprint's network for AT&T's), nothing about the Kindle is changing -- except for the name, "Kindle, U.S. and International Wireless." The price: $279.
More of a homebody? Amazon is keeping the U.S.-only Kindle around and knocking a few bucks off the price. It's now $259, a $40 price cut from before.
So, is the global model worth the $20 premium? Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos suggests to Wired that it's a small price to pay, if only for the luxury of being able to access your hometown newspaper on the cheap should future travels take you abroad.
One more detail on the new product: U.S. users will also have pay an extra $1.99 per book downloaded while they're out of the country (best to stock up on titles before you skip town).
Finally, the large-size Kindle DX isn't being updated at this time; it will continue to operate only in the U.S. and remains at a price of $489.
* Not really, Atlas Shrugged is still unavailable for the Kindle.
** Not really, the Kindle International version still doesn't work in Argentina.
*** Yes really, both of these countries are supported.
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2 Posted by alan_r_cam on Thu Oct 8, 2009 3:15AM EDT Report Abuse
You still need an internet connection, ie. the Kindle needs to find a local Wi-Fi connection. Before you venture internationally, I have to ask- what's reception like in the Grand Canyon? Yellowstone National Park? The Yukon?
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3 Posted by br4jc on Thu Oct 8, 2009 6:23AM EDT Report Abuse
Hey alan_r_cam, didn't you read the part about trading in Sprint for AT&T? You don't need Wi-Fi, just need to be in range of a cell tower.
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4 Posted by crapdirector on Thu Oct 8, 2009 10:29AM EDT Report Abuse
Of course the international version will work both in the Congo and the war torn Sri Lanka, but not Canada. Man, sometimes it sucks to be a Canuck.
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5 Posted by dkreese on Thu Oct 8, 2009 11:07AM EDT Report Abuse
And how much effort would it have been for Amazon to publish, after many years of inaction, their intent to actually produce an international Kindle. They could have said if international is important to you wait until October. They would have still gotten the order but the customer would not have felt like a mushroom and have purchased the wrong product. Keeping the customers informed and not in the dark is paramount for any business. Does Amazon care. I think not.
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1 Posted by stephenjonesnyc on Wed Oct 7, 2009 6:58PM EDT Report Abuse
There are cheaper ways to debase yourself than buying Atlas Shrugged for your Kindle. Torturing kittens for starters, not quite as horrible as Ayn Rand, but it's in the right direction.