Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

Publishers Weekly talks about Kindle Canada (via Kindle World) and has this little bomb -

One key difference for Canadian customers, however, is that they won’t be able to use their Kindles to browse the Web yet, although they will be able to access Wikipedia.

But Amazon says it does intend to enable its experimental browser in every country.

Wow! Kindle Global with Global free internet.

Just amazing that Amazon is going to expand the free internet feature to every whispernet country.

There’s no mention of an ETA – However, we can hope it’s early to mid 2010.

Free Internet Around the World?

That sounds almost too good to be true.

If Amazon enables its experimental browser in every country you have -

1. Free Internet Access – good enough for checking mail, using twitter, browsing the news, reading your favorite blogs, etc. 
2. Free Wikipedia Access.
3. Zero subscription fees.
4. You get this everywhere that Kindle Whispernet exists – 81 countries.

All of this from a $259 device.

It really is a killer feature for anyone who travels for business or pleasure.

How will Amazon afford the Bandwidth charges?

Well, if you look at the things that are actually easy to use i.e.

1. News sites.
2. Blogs.
3. Email (have to use the mobile websites). 
4. Wikipedia.
5. Twitter.

It’s basic communication and reference and news.

That’s not really a ton of bandwidth.

The features that would cost a ton of bandwidth i.e.

1. Video. 
2. Photos. 
3. Document transfers.
4. Ajax and Flash.

Are either impossible or really inconvenient or taxed (15 cents per MB for document transfers in US, $1 outside the US).

Could it mean the $2 per book download charge is ended too?

Probably not. It might come down to $1.  

It would help the value perception of Kindle books a lot if internationally the charge was just $1.

Could Nook and Sony Reader Digital Edition match this feature?

Nook is in an awkward position -

1. They don’t have a browser enabled at the moment.
2. If they do enable the browser the color LCD screen’s support for video and more would mean sky-high bandwidth costs.

Free Internet for nook would cost a lot more in bandwidth than for the Kindle – making it rather unlikely that B&N enable it.

Sony could and should make Free Internet available -

1. The 7″ Daily Edition actually would make for a better browsing experience.
2. The touchscreen would help too.
3. You’re still working with eInk so no video bandwidth.

It did take Sony 2 years to match wireless book downloads. Wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for them to add Free Internet.  

How Strong is the Kindle Value Proposition?

Very, very strong. The nook put the fear of God into Amazon and in just the last 3-4 weeks we’ve seen -

1. Price cut to $259. 
2. Kindle for PC.
3. Announcement of Kindle for Mac.
4. Folders for Kindle in 2010.
5. Free Global Internet (perhaps in 2010).

Combine that with Whispernet, wireless downloads and Free Wikipedia in 81 countries and Kindle Global has perhaps the best value proposition of any mobile device.

Filed under: kindle international Tagged: | kindle global