Will the Kindle Go International?

With the Kindle now attracting worldwideworld.
attention, is there any plans in the future for it toIn places like Japan, where high technology is
go international? While (as at the time of writing)embraced, sales of regular books are on the
Kindle is available in the U.S. only, there is talksdecline now anyway, and in 2007 the top 10
that Amazon is in negotiation with Vodafone tobestselling books contained 5 books that were
launch it's ebook reader outside of the U.S.delivered wirelessly. One of these, Koizora
Currently the Kindle itself will work outside of the(translation: Love Sky) was bought primarily on
U.S. however the wireless coverage won't. Thatcell phones such as the iPhone and sold more than
means that if you take your ebook reader1 million copies within 12 months.
abroad you'll have to download any extra booksAnd these trends are appearing worldwide as well
that you want to your computer and thenwith eBook sales in the U.S. jumped over $ 10
transfer them to the Kindle via a USB connection.million dollars in the years between 2006 and
That may be satisfactory for holiday makers but2007. With figures like these, it's no surprise that
not for those that live abroad.the Kindle 1 was released in late 2007.
Speculation is that the Kindle will go internationalWhile there has been no official word from
(and it may be sooner than you think), but startAmazon as to whether it will take the Kindle
in countries that Amazon already has a presenceglobal, it seems extremely likely that this will take
such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Canadaplace in the near future. So if you live overseas
and Japan. That way they can still controland have been coveting one, you may not have
distribution and wireless coverage efficientlymuch longer to wait.
enough before they descend on the rest of the