Apple, Google, IBM, and various other tech companies are known around the world. Why are these companies so popular worldwide? One of the main reasons is that all of these companies offer websites, products, and devices in a number of different languages. Amazon is catching onto the fact that products should be available in many languages in order to capture a global audience.

Today, Amazon unveiled a new French-language Kindle. This Kindle is called the E Ink eReader, and it is sure to captivate many French-language consumers. As it stands, Amazon is already set up to sell French books through the Amazon store. What’s more, many French classics will be available when using the E Ink. Of course, those who wish to independently publish books will find that Amazon’s French marketplace is booming as well.

The E Ink eReader

The E Ink Reader will include everything that Amazon’s recently released $79 Kindle includes. This means that Francophone’s will no longer be left out of the Kindle crowd. Then again, the E Ink eReader is available for purchase if you have Euros, which may leave some French natives in the dust. Amazon should look to the north and include the French-speaking Quebecois too. Sure, these Canadians can purchase the US version, but that won’t help the French-language issues. But, I digress.

Even though Quebecois do not purchase items with Euros, there is a small population of French-speaking tech-savvy consumers in Quebec who would be interested in purchasing the E Ink eReader. For now, those people will have to fork over Euros or purchase the English-language equivalent. So, what can you expect from the E Ink eReader if you are French and looking for a new Amazon Kindle?

What to Expect

The E Ink eReader comes with WiFi, but don’t expect a touchscreen option. Amazon didn’t equip the E Ink eReader with a touchscreen or with 3G -- some might consider this a major fault. French eReaders will find more than 30,000 different book titles through Amazon’s marketplace, many graphic novels, French newspaper selections, best sellers, and an English-language section.

When all is said and done, it’s obvious that Amazon didn’t put as much attention into the E Ink eReader as the company invested in the new Kindle, but this eReader will captivate French audiences all the same. If you are French and looking for an eReader to call your own, you’ll be hard-pressed to find more title offerings than what Amazon has available.

Pricing and Availability

Amazon has priced the E Ink eReader at 99 Euros (comparable to the $79 USD offering). The E Ink eReader is available through Amazon right now. The price of this French-language eReader seems fair enough considering the fact that Amazon’s other, recent, Kindle offerings are easily affordable.

As with the US version of the Kindle, Amazon is attempting to reach out to everyday people who want access to the largest selection of e-books on the planet. As with everything else that Amazon offers, the new E Ink eReader is all about substance over device.