[asciibaron]

a little more than a decade ago there was this great internet appliance called an iOpener. it was a computer/monitor all in one. they sold the hardware for $99.00 and they didn't require a service contract. the device was easily modified to by-pass their embedded OS with the addition of a 2.5" hard drive.

they lost a ton of money within the first 30 days and changed the terms of service so you could no longer buy the hardware without the service - which is what they should have done in the first place. i bought several of them and modded them - that was my introduction to Linux - hacking the iOpener.

my point - if a product is sold without a specific limit via contract then the hardware becomes fair game to the owner. the case of the iOpener really needs to be understood by a manufacturer when they sell a loss leader with plans to make up the cost on the backside in a service contract.

i highly doubt Amazon is really concerned about the loss of a percentage of the SO models no longer displaying the ads - they are making money on the units, it might not be keystone numbers, but they are profiting never-the-less. it would be foolish to take the loss unless they were going to recoupe the revenue. and simply saying that there are x amount of SO's sold means they can demand ad space for some amount based on the potential audience - it doesn't matter if the potential audience numbers and actual audience numbers don't jive, they never will - death, dis-interest, and failure after the warranty all reduce the actual vs. potential audience.

this has all been counted and re-counted so Amazon makes a profit.