[LINK] Kindle available for Australia

[Jan Whitaker]

from: Fwd: Publishers Lunch

Although not mentioned in the article below, it's true. The website 
has info about cost, functions [not all as in the US], 3G and 
EDGE/GPRS distribution, etc. Newspapers and magazines are available 
at a monthly charge. General browser use doesn't work here, but you 
can load your own personal stuff via usb.
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Reading-Display-International-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=amb_link_85165471_2/177-0747190-4709246?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=161XNY113871GPZB4F2S&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=493719271&pf_rd_i=1284007011

Jan

>
>Kindle Goes International; Now Comprises 48 Percent of Amazon's 
>Sales for Titles Available
>The so-called "UK Kindle" turns out to be an international Kindle 
>sold via Amazon's US site, as the company announced this morning. 
>They will start shipping the new Kindle, now with international 
>wireless capability, starting on October 19, priced at $279. At the 
>same time, the domestic-only Kindle has been reduced to $259. AT&T 
>is providing the wireless global service, said to be available in 
>"over 100 countries." But not yet in one of the biggest 
>English-language markets, Canada, according to an AP account. They 
>received this message instead: "Unfortunately, we are currently 
>unable to ship Kindles or offer Kindle content in Canada. We are 
>working to make Kindle available to our Canadian customers as soon 
>as possible."
>
>Jeff Bezos writes on the site that "In the future, we plan to 
>introduce a UK-centric Kindle experience, enabling you to purchase 
>Kindle and Kindle books in sterling from our Amazon.co.uk site." The 
>company says international customers will have access to 
>approximately 200,000 ebooks in English (as opposed to a new count 
>of 350,000 ebooks available in the US).
>
>The true cost of the device outside of the US will vary, including 
>shipping, customs and import fees, and VAT where applicable. (UK 
>bloggers and news sites have reported premiums of between $65 and 
>$85 to get the new Kindle delivered to Britain and Ireland.) 
>Additionally, Amazon says that international wireless delivery 
>outside of the US will cost $1.99 per file. But at least for now 
>customers in other countries will avoid the VAT applied to ebook 
>files themselves. As the Times of London notes, "in Britain the tax 
>often makes e-books them more expensive than their printed 
>counterparts." Since the downloads technically come from the US, VAT 
>does not apply.
>
>While many rightsholders have made books available for the new 
>service--the release names Atlantic Books, Bloomsbury, Canongate, 
>Faber and Faber, Hachette, Harlequin, HarperCollins, Lonely Planet, 
>Penguin, Profile Books, Quercus, Simon & Schuster and Wiley--that 
>leaves out Macmillan and Random House. Spokesman Stuart Applebaum 
>tells the NYT "discussions with Amazon about this opportunity are 
>ongoing, productive and private." Separately, Macmillan executive 
>Fritz Foy tells us "We are in ongoing conversations worldwide with 
>Amazon regarding the international release of Kindle."
>
>Jeff Bezos now claims that for books available in both print and 
>ebook form, Kindle comprises 48 percent of Amazon's sale on average.
><http://click.publisherslunchdaily.com/cp/redirect.php?u=NTAwNnwzNDQ4OXxqd2hpdEBqYW53aGl0YWtlci5jb218MzQ4MTI4fDc2MDIyMjM2fDUzNjE0Mw==&id=2321893>Release 
>


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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