After a very long wait, Canadians can finally start placing their orders for the
Amazon Kindle. The popular e-book reader, which was first launched in the United States in 2007, is now available for Canadian orders and shipment from Amazon.com for $259 US. The Canadian launch brings with it a limitations on select features.
Today’s launch does not include any retail stores within Canada nor does it include Amazon.ca, the company’s Canadian outlet for physical book orders. The device will only be made available for online order from Amazon.com, located in the US.
Although Amazon currently offers two different models of their e-book reader, the basic Kindle and a larger model called the “Kindle DX”, it is only the main Kindle model that will be available to Canadians. The Kindle DX remains a US exclusive.
The Kindle is designed to use a wireless internet connection to access the Amazon e-book store by itself, making it easier for users to browse, buy, and download books from any location.
Wireless cellular coverage isn't available in all areas of Canada, users can consult this map to check their area.
Amazon won’t divulge which Canadian cellular network it has partnered with in order to offer this access, only saying that the Kindle uses “advanced 3G GSM technology” and from the US operates over the AT&T Global Network.
The need for a Canadian wireless partner has long been speculated as the reason for the Kindle’s long delay here in Canada. The recent changes implemented by Bell to their own wireless network, which can now support 3G GSM service, may explain the sudden availability of the Kindle.
Although Canadians will be connecting to the same e-book store, due to publishing and copyright agreements, only 300,000 of the 360,000 titles will be made available. This will include magazines and newspapers, but not blogs which will remain a feature available only to American users.
Amazon’s selection of magazines and newspapers include publications from around the world. Today’s launch will add two from Canada – The Globe and Mail and The National Post.
In the US, users can add their own personal documents and photographs to their Kindles by e-mailing them through Amazon’s Whispernet service for $0.99 US per MB. This feature will not be available to Canadian users who instead will need to e-mail their files to Amazon for conversion and then download them to their computers through a link included in a reply e-mail. These files can then be manually transferred via USB cable.
Also missing from today’s launch is the Kindle For iPhone App which allows users to purchase and read Kindle books on their iPhone. Amazon has no timeline to offer as to when this or mobile apps for other handsets will be made available in Canada.
The current Kindle is Amazon’s second generation design, which replaced the original 2007 Kindle in February of this year.
It uses an electronic ink screen to simulate the look and feel of paper. It can hold more than 1,500 books and uses a built-in keyboard to add notes, search content by keyword, and access a built-in dictionary. Other features include the ability to display photos, play audiobooks, music in MP3 format, and use text-to-speech software to read content aloud.
Supported document formats include Microsoft Word, RTF, PDF (experimental), Mobipocket (unprotected), and structured HTML.
Supported image formats include JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP.
Music files are limited to MP3.
NOTE ON CORRECTION: When this article was first post, I incorrectly reported that Canadians would be charged service fees for purchasing books and subscriptions through the Whsipernet, these fees will only be charged to American Kindle owners traveling outside of the US.
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