# Verizon to support Kindle rivals



## Benjamin (Dec 26, 2008)

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE5057I520090106

But what book stores will they use? Amazon is the biggest aint it?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

If I may say, that's one of those pre-conference press release articles that says absolutely nothing. My 2 cents.

L


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

lets see what is announced during CES.


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## TM (Nov 25, 2008)

From a selfish viewpoint - I wish Amazon would have went with Verizon instead of Sprint. I get much better signal from verizon...


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## MineKinder (Jan 5, 2009)

I also get much better coverage from Verizon, as opposed to Sprint.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Just about everyone I know gets a better signal from Verizon then Sprint. Everyone in my family uses Verizon and we are spread across the country. Not to mention, Verizon serves the DC Metro.


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## Miss Molly (Nov 7, 2008)

TM said:


> From a selfish viewpoint - I wish Amazon would have went with Verizon instead of Sprint. I get much better signal from verizon...


Me too...


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## Sofie (Dec 30, 2008)

I'm a Cingular kinda girl. As is everyone in my family.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Verizon is here at CES so I'll find them tomorrow and quiz them about this.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Perhaps Verizon is fishing to get the Amazon Kindle contract?  Would not be the first time a company pretended interest in another unnamed rival to get a foot in the door.  From what I read Sprint is considered to have major challenges ahead.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Gables Girl said:


> Perhaps Verizon is fishing to get the Amazon Kindle contract? Would not be the first time a company pretended interest in another unnamed rival to get a foot in the door. From what I read Sprint is considered to have major challenges ahead.


Oooooo. I like this strategy idea. I would love it if Kindle switched to Verizon. A lot of my friends have Sprint and most of their phones don't work at my house. Luckily I have no problem with Whispernet. It's never five bars but is usually four.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I believe Verizon and Sprint are both CDMA networks. . .so software/hardware-wise it would certainly be possible. . . . .

Ann
(if I'm wrong about that, I apologize.  I'm sure someone else has the full scoop. .. I didn't look it up. . .)


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

I did a lot of research on cell phone coverage after I got an RV and wanted to see which service is best for general national coverage. This is extensively covered in the RV forums because people have a lot of real world experience traveling all over the country using their phones. It is generally accepted that Verizon has the best overall national coverage. Most particularly they are better in the more rural areas than their competitors. In the urban and suburban areas their was not much difference. Having said that I am sure that Sprint most have this thing legally sown up for many years. There is no real impetus for Amazon to switch, the vast majority of people get whispernet just fine, at least at some point during the day (if it doesn't work at home maybe it works at work, or at the store, etc). Its not like you have to have continous coverage like with a cell phone.

Steve


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## Essensia (Nov 3, 2008)

> This is extensively covered in the RV forums because people have a lot of real world experience traveling all over the country using their phones. It is generally accepted that Verizon has the best overall national coverage.


Ditto. When I lived and worked in my RV, I found that Verizon had the best national coverage. It surprised me when I researched the Kindle and learned that Whispernet is Sprint-based. I expected Amazon to go with the accepted top of the line.

On the other hand, USB downloading isn't a deal-breaker. I just hoped for a little more from Amazon. Whispernet works fine for me when I'm home-based.


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## DawnOfChaos (Nov 12, 2008)

I'd be a little leery of Verizon taking over anything.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Verizon phone and have Verizon contracts for about 5 years now.  I love their coverage.  But they do things to their phones to limit their manufactured functionality (such as file transfers via bluetooth, or GPS).  Sometimes they don't mention the changes they've made to the phones until after market, when their customer service reps in the store are just as confused as the consumer about what the phone can and can't do.  So people build work-arounds just to get to the functionality the manufacturer intended.

I imagine they would spread their limiting love on anything else they touch.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

If they would let me convert my unused minutes to Kindle books I'd be very happy......


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Gables Girl said:


> If they would let me convert my unused minutes to Kindle books I'd be very happy......


I am with you on that!!


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm in the Chicago suburbs.  Good WhisperNet.  I guess Verizon's coverage is good.  The last time I had Verizon cell phone and service, I got very poor customer service and attitude in a Verizon store.  Have had T-Mobile cell service ever since.


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## Benjamin (Dec 26, 2008)

Thats weird Sandpiper. I just moved from edgewater (chicago nieghborhood for those unfamiliar with chicago). I had ATT, and had terrible service. I switched to verizon and had no problems at all.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm out in Waukegan, I don't have any trouble with my iPhone on AT&T. I had loads of trouble with Verizon, but it was probably the Motorola Razr vs. the cell service. That was a terrible phone.


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## Brian (Nov 13, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> I'm out in Waukegan, I don't have any trouble with my iPhone on AT&T. I had loads of trouble with Verizon, but it was probably the Motorola Razr vs. the cell service. That was a terrible phone.


I think the phone can have a huge affect on coverage. I had AT&T with a Palm Treo and that phone dropped calls like crazy and signal strength was erratic. My son had a different phone on that same plan and never had any problems whatsoever. I eventually did switch to Verizon (for business reasons) and have been completely happy with their coverage.


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## Miss Molly (Nov 7, 2008)

DawnOfChaos said:


> I'd be a little leery of Verizon taking over anything.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I have a Verizon phone and have Verizon contracts for about 5 years now. I love their coverage. But they do things to their phones to limit their manufactured functionality (such as file transfers via bluetooth, or GPS). Sometimes they don't mention the changes they've made to the phones until after market, when their customer service reps in the store are just as confused as the consumer about what the phone can and can't do. So people build work-arounds just to get to the functionality the manufacturer intended.
> 
> I imagine they would spread their limiting love on anything else they touch.


Until summer of '08 I used US Cellular (then switched to Verizon) - they did the same thing with their phones. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if all (or most) cell phone companies did this as a way to make more money (for example modifying the phones so that you had to pay a monthly fee to use one of the functions that the phone should have come with anyway)..


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I think its also depends on the area you live in. In different areas I've been in there have been different preferred providers


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Gables Girl said:


> If they would let me convert my unused minutes to Kindle books I'd be very happy......


That would be way cool!


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## Khabita (Oct 28, 2008)

This was the key quote for me, from the guy who runs the group that certifies 3rd-party products:

"Competitors to the Kindle are out there and ready," said Lewis, who declined to name the company's e-reader partners. "In 2009 I'd expect them to come to the market."

Notice he "declined to name the partners" and he "would expect them to come to the market."

In other words, "we got nothing to rival the Kindle, but if anyone does, we'd be interested in having you use our network."



Spoken like a true high-paid executive. I wonder if he started his career at Fannie Mae?


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

Verizon doesn't exist in Europe (or Asia, etc.) so this would still not be usable overseas.  I think for a company to be a competitive rival, it's not good enough to catch up to Kindle by offering access through Verizon.  They need to start looking at the international market.


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Khabita said:


> This was the key quote for me, from the guy who runs the group that certifies 3rd-party products:
> 
> "Competitors to the Kindle are out there and ready," said Lewis, who declined to name the company's e-reader partners. "In 2009 I'd expect them to come to the market."
> 
> ...


I completely disagree with your interpretation of the quotes. Of course he couldn't disclose any e-reader partners, he never would until they are ready to go. Why would he give a tip off to Amazon about competitors. I think we can assume that Sony is one of them. If I were his boss and he revealed partner names before we were ready to roll out our product, I would fire him immediately. It is not the network or the Kindle technology that will keep them in the lead. Those are easily duplicated. Its the large library of books and the relationships that Amazon has with the publishers that will distinguish them in the end.

Steve


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## Khabita (Oct 28, 2008)

Nah. If he had partners, he'd have said they would be coming to market in 2009. He's got nothing. He's advertising.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Khabita said:


> Nah. If he had partners, he'd have said they would be coming to market in 2009. He's got nothing. He's advertising.


I agree, if they had someone they would be more definite. It is a fishing expedition.


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## Maelstrom (Nov 26, 2008)

I disagree.  I wouldn't just assume that this is meaningless advertisement.  Verizon has plenty of other revenue streams available with no real need to spend time spreading fodder in a fairly new tech segment.  My own assumption as to why he did not provide specific names is that they are under a legal gag order until all of the details are nailed down with the partners in question.  This seems to be very common in the business world.  I would also attribute his ambiguous statement about release dates to the same cause.  That information would most likely be released by the manufacturer first or at least simultaneously.

Remember that this forum is dedicated to a product created by Amazon, who has been extremely quiet about any details surrounding their own device.  They've been silent since they released the product, releasing nothing in the form of software updates to expand the functionality of the device as their users have been vehemently requesting.  They also refuse to provide any sales data, which is questionable in and of itself (especially in light of them placing it in their 2008 best sellers list.. where is the accountability?).  And finally, they have provided no tangible information about the next generation.  My intention here is not to bash Amazon, but to bring perspective when talking about a company failing to release details about ongoing negotiations.

As to the comment regarding international whispernet service, bear in mind that Vodafone is a parent company of Verizon Wireless.  Negotiations with Verizon for such service could easily be extended into the European market through that relationship.


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2009)

I know very little about wireless tech and the various companies but I have some questions.  If Amazon did switch to Verizon, wouldn't that mess up our current Kindles that are set to receive Sprint?  Is the provider selection a hardware device or software?

If we have to do a hardware upgrade, what would it cost us?  Is it something we can do like changing ou the battery or is it much more involved?


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

Khabita said:


> If he had partners, he'd have said they would be coming to market in 2009.


Things like product development and corporate contracts take a long time. There's a good chance that the statement means they are expecting something in 2009 but can't commit to the time frame yet.



Vampyre said:


> If Amazon did switch to Verizon, wouldn't that mess up our current Kindles that are set to receive Sprint?


I can't believe that Amazon would switch to Verizon. It doesn't really help Amazon at all. Yes, I believe that Verizon has a better network and better coverage, but I don't think the network is holding the Kindle back at all. So, there isn't an incentive for Amazon to use Verizon (unless it would be a financial deal). Depending how the Kindle is made, a switch in carries could mean a hardware change.

Amazon would benefit more by finding a way to go International, Verizon doesn't help them with that.


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## Glynnis (Nov 25, 2008)

I live in a rural part of Northern California that doesn't have Sprint's Whispernet service - the nearest spot is more than an hour's drive. I download content to my computer and transfer it to my Kindle. Until this past Friday, my husband and I were using two types of internet service -- satellite (Starband) and dial-up. 

Why two services? We've had Starband since early 2003 - for the first 3+ years everything worked really well, except for a couple of multiple-day outages. This first happened when the satellite the company used was damaged and knocked out of alignment. It took a couple of weeks for them to fix it. With no internet or email, we had to rely on basically useless information we received through Starband's automated "customer service." We finally called the local installation technician - who actually knew quite a bit about the problem - and were advised to get a local dial-up connection until the problem could be solved. 

We had to add a phone line (and on-going monthly cost for a local connection), and the download speed was annoyingly slow in comparison, but we decided to keep the dial-up as a back-up system anyway. It was useful in several shorter outages that occurred over the years. After we'd had the satellite service for a little over 3 years, we started having more and more problems - slow connections, email outages, fairly frequent modem replacements (every couple of years), etc. It finally got so frustrating that I went back to using dial-up and my husband would only use the satellite when he had to participate in online meetings. From discussions with neighbors and friends, Starband and Hughes have both throttled back bandwidth to residential customers to the point that folks are looking for better solutions. There is no cable or DSL available and they're unlikely given our sparse population and general demographics, so wireless has become the next-best choice.

We started using a Verizon wireless USB modem the day after Christmas. We had to run a USB-extension cable to place the modem at a window to get good reception (we live at the bottom of a valley), but it's wonderfully fast and, so far, no problems. As I understand it, this is the same type of signal as Whispernet (EvDO). I wish I could use it with Kindle, but it's certainly not a deal-breaker for me. I think some diversity in supplier base is a good business strategy (whether for wireless service or the next-to-impossible-to-buy Kindle battery), especially in the current economy. I hope Amazon is building that into its long-term plan for Kindle - doing otherwise seems awfully short-sighted IMO. 

Glynnis


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## Maelstrom (Nov 26, 2008)

Sorry to revive such an old thread, but I came across some information that may or may not end up substantiating this claim. The thread below is from the forums of Astak. They're the US distributor of the EZ Reader (also known as the Hanlin V3 in China and the BeBook in Europe). The thread details features that are going to be available on their upcoming device which will be titled the EZ Reader PRO. 3G access is listed among them (fifth paragraph down). It doesn't indicate a specific carrier, but even if it doesn't end up being Verizon Wireless, this does show that other manufacturer's will be implementing the same technology in upcoming devices.

http://www.viewipcam.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=221
http://www.mobiebook.com - Astak's homepage for the EZ Reader


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Verizon is a strong company and Sprint is basically a basket case. I'm sure Sprint gave Amazon a much better deal for the wireless. My question is what happens if Sprint goes under. I don't think it's anything to worry about right now, but in several years, who knows.

Steve


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Maelstrom said:


> Sorry to revive such an old thread, but I came across some information that may or may not end up substantiating this claim. The thread below is from the forums of Astak. They're the US distributor of the EZ Reader (also known as the Hanlin V3 in China and the BeBook in Europe). The thread details features that are going to be available on their upcoming device which will be titled the EZ Reader PRO. 3G access is listed among them (fifth paragraph down). It doesn't indicate a specific carrier, but even if it doesn't end up being Verizon Wireless, this does show that other manufacturer's will be implementing the same technology in upcoming devices.
> 
> http://www.viewipcam.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=221
> http://www.mobiebook.com - Astak's homepage for the EZ Reader


If it does all it says it will and is priced competitively, I would say the Kindle has some _serious_ competition. Wi-fi! 3G! Touchscreen! Bluetooth! Different colors!!!!!

Competition is good. This will only make the Kindle better. I think Mr. KM will wait for one of these before he purchases an ereader. I'm perfectly happy with my Kindle, but dang, this is some great stuff on an ereader (Maroon!).


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

I like my Kindle and I like Amazon.  But Amazon isn't in the hardware business, I hope they can keep up with the competition.


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## Benjamin (Dec 26, 2008)

After dealing with touch screen on an iphone in the winter, I can honestly say ill never buy another touch screen device.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Benjamin said:


> After dealing with touch screen on an iphone in the winter, I can honestly say ill never buy another touch screen device.


Maybe that's just an iphone problem. I live in a winter-zone and have never had problems with my GPS touchscreen (in my car - talk about a cold place!) or my Palm - which I don't have anymore.

I don't use my Kindle where it's cold - at least I haven't yet. So far I've only used it in my home, at church , in the car (with the hearter on) and at work. It's experienced no sub-zero temps and don't see it ever doing so. Maybe you're a lot more adventureous with your Kindle.

And that makes me sad about the iphone. I was considering that as my next phone but if it has problems where it's cold - forget it! Maybe I'll just stick with my Blackberry which I've been very happy with.


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## bosslady402 (Nov 6, 2008)

KindleMom said:


> I don't use my Kindle where it's cold - at least I haven't yet. So far I've only used it in my home, at church , in the car (with the hearter on) and at work. It's experienced no sub-zero temps and don't see it ever doing so. Maybe you're a lot more adventureous with your Kindle.


When I am out in my car or walking through the parking lot in the cold, the kindle screen refresh rate goes down considerably - both pages overlap for a split second while it changes - and that's only after a minute or two out in the cold. I've never had it out in the cold for more than a few minutes. Has anyone ever had it out for an extended time below 35 degrees or so?


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

bosslady said:


> When I am out in my car or walking through the parking lot in the cold, the kindle screen refresh rate goes down considerably - both pages overlap for a split second while it changes - and that's only after a minute or two out in the cold. I've never had it out in the cold for more than a few minutes. Has anyone ever had it out for an extended time below 35 degrees or so?


I'm interested in this as well. One of my plans for the kindle is to take it with me backpacking. Cool to cold evenings and morning are the norm early spring and late fall, to say nothing of winter in the Ozarks.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I haven't had my iPhone have any difficulty in the cold, but I do keep it in my jacket pocket, which is up on the chest, for easy access. A lot warmer there than carrying it in a bag. I don't leave it out in the car for any extended period of time, either. Anything with a rechargeable battery will suffer performance problems in the cold. Heck, I suffer in the cold.   20 degrees today, it's like a heat wave after last week.


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

Benjamin said:


> After dealing with touch screen on an iphone in the winter, I can honestly say ill never buy another touch screen device.


I live in Minnesota, we just got over the -30 chills and frigid cold weather. My daughter has an iphone and I don't think she has had any issues. But she hasn't had it long, maybe she just hasn't run into the issues yet.

But as for a touch screen, I love it. I've used a Palm or a smartphone with a touch screen for many years and haven't had any issues.


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## Benjamin (Dec 26, 2008)

When I had mine in Chicago, I kept it in my pocket as well. I had just moved there and had to go to the bank to transfer my account to that branch. I got inside, got out my iphone to get some info i had stored on it. Well, it took a half hour for the thing to warm up enough to be able to use the touch screen. After that nonsense, I switched right to blackberry.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Watching my cousin with her IPhone in DC, I have to think that the bigger problem is trying to navigate and use the keys with gloves on. She had to take her gloves off on a regular basis in order to send emails and text message folks. Then her fingers got cold. Service seemed to be fine and she didn't have an battery issues.


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

I think the real problem is...  When it's that cold, we shouldn't be outside


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