Ad-Supported Kindle?

[theGsayeth]

At $114 they're missing the boat - target should be $99 or lower for the ad-supported model.

They won't drop it to $99 until a Christmas rolls around. $99 is that golden price, they drop it there and EVERYONE will be buying. This is just a toe in the water.

[SensualPoet]

This may be brilliant ... but it's the dumbest idea for the ereader community I've heard discussed seriously in a long time. More power to Amazon if they are onto the next big thing ... but I dunno ... forced advertising into perpetuity for the "privilege" of using a discounted ereader ... I don't think so.

[DixieGal]

Can you not turn off the wifi while reading?

[stickybuns]

On the flip side: it kind of sucks to have paid full price for the 3G model and NOT be given access to the discounts being offered.

Not that I particularly want to have advertising on my e-reader, but if they added a menu option in the "Experimental" section to "View an Ad and receive our latest coupon code direct to your Amazon account," it would be a decent compromise.

[wvcherrybomb]

In the late 90's I got a free computer that was ad supported. It also came with free internet access - I assume so they could keep an eye on you and update the ads.

Within six months, the company (freePC.com) went under and sent us all instructions to legally remove the ads along with ownership papers for the computers and monitors.

It's interesting to see Amazon releasing something similar on the Kindle all these years later. The difference is that the ads on freePC were always there as a side bar, not just a screen saver. And, of course, freePC was 100% free.

As others have said, not sure I like it at $114. I think my selling point for this would be $89.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Hoyt Clagwell

I am doing some beta testing for the device. Some of the screen savers can be kind of embarrassing.

Are these ads to your device based upon "your" surfing habits?

[ATDrake]

I thought April Fool's was week before last?

I'm just wondering if there's an "upgrade" path where you pay the extra $25 to get rid of the ads*.

In any case, a mere $25 pricedrop is not nearly sufficient to compensate for viewing ads for most people who can already afford over $100 for the lowest priced Kindle*.

Take it to at least $50 off and then it starts to look more worthwhile.

* Excepting people in dire financial straits who nevertheless want a Kindle in their lives but would be hard pressed to justify the initial cost even if they would save big on public domain classics and transportation costs/storage space.

In which case this kind of subsidizes them. But not by much.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

At $114 they're missing the boat - target should be $99 or lower for the ad-supported model.

Agreed

[stickybuns]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

I'm just wondering if there's an "upgrade" path where you pay the extra $25 to get rid of the ads*.

That's what I'm predicting will be the next step. If sales for the ad supported device are good, they'll probably offer an ad-free upgrade as an add-on option.

I'm sure that the advertisements will generate more revenues than what Amazon would lose with the $25 discount. If the advertising is relatively unobtrusive, than Amazon would probably be betting that the average user won't feel like bothering to pay for an ad-free upgrade.

Of course, there's always the chance that they'll go entirely ad-supported and not offer an upgrade option. But that would be stupid as it would chase away too many people who will dislike not having an option.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

On the flip side: it kind of sucks to have paid full price for the 3G model and NOT be given access to the discounts being offered.

Maybe that's the hidden bonus for the ad supported model. While a mere $25 price drop may not be enough to entice many to purchase it, exclusive ads offered only to these owners may be the tipping point.

Shoot, I'd jump on 6 Audible books for $6 in a heartbeat.

[JeremyR]

I could understand putting up with the ads if this was free (like that PC deal, I remember that, I signed up for it but never got one) and you got free books. But that's not even a big discount...

[grumpy3b]

Originally Posted by stickybuns

On the flip side: it kind of sucks to have paid full price for the 3G model and NOT be given access to the discounts being offered.

Not that I particularly want to have advertising on my e-reader, but if they added a menu option in the "Experimental" section to "View an Ad and receive our latest coupon code direct to your Amazon account," it would be a decent compromise.

give me free Amazon Prime for a year and they can push all the freaking ads to our Kindles they want. I would sign up in a heartbeat. Face it we already don't even see the ads on web sites so no reason the Kindle ads would not become equally transparent.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

I could understand putting up with the ads if this was free (like that PC deal, I remember that, I signed up for it but never got one) and you got free books. But that's not even a big discount...

It's a big discount if these offers are exclusive to this model.

[grumpy3b]

by the way to those iPad and Touch owners out there do you really think the push technology built into your devices is for email? Nope it is to push ads and try to drive sales. Only Apple is pretty nimble at putting a pretty bow on the situation.

[dallas]

I bet the $139 model goes away if the $114 model sells even modestly well.