Content Amazon.com to sell cheaper Kindle e-reader, but you'll have to see on-screen ads! - Page 3

bZkindle · 04-11-2011, 10:59 PM

that's absurd. I don't want any ads. and for a measly 25 dollar discount, forget it!

ProfCrash · 04-11-2011, 11:26 PM

Count me out. I am happy with my K3 and DXG not showing ads.

Mark Rehorst · 04-11-2011, 11:42 PM

Every time I pick up a magazine there are ads throughout the text I am reading. The back cover is usually one big ad, as is the inside of the front cover. I don't hear anyone complaining about the ads in magazines. Think of the ads on the screensavers like the back cover or inside front cover of a magazine. The small ad on the home-page isn't a big deal either- not much different from all those ads google puts on web pages. I think the price cut in exchange for viewing ads is a good deal- they could have just started pushing ads to everyone's kindles without the price cut...

bZkindle · 04-12-2011, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Rehorst

Every time I pick up a magazine there are ads throughout the text I am reading. The back cover is usually one big ad, as is the inside of the front cover. I don't hear anyone complaining about the ads in magazines. Think of the ads on the screensavers like the back cover or inside front cover of a magazine. The small ad on the home-page isn't a big deal either- not much different from all those ads google puts on web pages. I think the price cut in exchange for viewing ads is a good deal- they could have just started pushing ads to everyone's kindles without the price cut...

Not a single one of the books I have read contain ads, on the front/back cover or anywhere in between.
If amazon started pushing ads to peoples kindles, there would be hell to pay!
Which is to say: that's not gonna happen.

coolbreeze · 04-12-2011, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Rehorst

Every time I pick up a magazine there are ads throughout the text I am reading. The back cover is usually one big ad, as is the inside of the front cover. I don't hear anyone complaining about the ads in magazines. Think of the ads on the screensavers like the back cover or inside front cover of a magazine. The small ad on the home-page isn't a big deal either- not much different from all those ads google puts on web pages. I think the price cut in exchange for viewing ads is a good deal- they could have just started pushing ads to everyone's kindles without the price cut...

You have to admit, the way these ads are presented (i.e. we'll give you a discount if you are ok with us forcing ads on you) is different than magazines. Heck, I don't mind magazine ads. They are in beautiful full color, usually have some attractive people in them, and/or are interesting.

The Visa banner bolted to the bottom of the Kindle's home screen is not the same thing.

wyndslash · 04-12-2011, 01:57 AM

but i thought the ads would only be on the screensaver and home screen? it won't be while you're reading, yes? or no? :P

bhartman36 · 04-12-2011, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

but i thought the ads would only be on the screensaver and home screen? it won't be while you're reading, yes? or no? :P

No, it's not while you're reading. That's the good part.

Given how they seem to be doing it, I don't think it's an awful plan. I just don't think they priced it right. I don't think there's enough of a price difference to make people flock to the ad-subsidized one. And in fact, I think putting the ads on the screensavers may very well be ineffective.

How many people outside of MobileRead have any idea how to change the screensaver? Probably very few. So the screensaver, for most people, isn't interesting. It's something they barely notice. They flip the switch on the Kindle and it goes away. If putting ads in screensavers was effective, wouldn't PCs already have them? If they were effective, I could easily see releasing a useful piece of freeware for only the price of forcing someone to see an ad on their screensaver. The fact that it hasn't been done (to my knowledge, anyway) probably demonstrates that it's not effective.

The ads at the bottom of the Home screen make more sense to me. That's no more obtrusive than a regular banner ad, and, if the prevalence of banner ads is any indication, those are at least somewhat effective.

wyndslash · 04-12-2011, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhartman36

No, it's not while you're reading. That's the good part.

then i don't see why this is such a big deal

. i guess the price just isn't low enough for most people :P i think it's a sort of introductory price; marketing strategy, i suppose.

the ads wouldn't bother me that much. i think all human beings are adaptive :P

bhartman36 · 04-12-2011, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

then i don't see why this is such a big deal

. i guess the price just isn't low enough for most people :P i think it's a sort of introductory price; marketing strategy, i suppose.

I don't think it's an awful plan. I just don't think it'll be that effective. It's not priced aggressively enough. It would be like pricing the Kindle 3 Wifi at $165 and offering coupons. I mean, sure it's a little less, but I don't think it's low enough to convince people who were sitting on the fence.

I may be proven wrong, but I think they could've done much better by pricing the ad-supported Kindle at $99 and making the ads more obtrusive (e.g., larger on the Home screen). Or even just going to $99 but not doing the "special offers" and just going for straight ads. What seems odd to me about this is that the discount is so small and the ads are (seemingly) so easily ignored. It seems like a token effort, in some ways.

JeremyR · 04-12-2011, 04:00 AM

I've actually seen a lot of old paperbacks with inserts in the middle that were ads. Usually for cigarettes or book club deals.

But this is every time you turn off the reader. Or it turns off. One of the things that drives me crazy is how you set it down for a minute and boom, when you pick it up, screensaver screen.

OTOH, it means no Emily Dickinson. It's amazing how creepy people find her. I was reading a thread on a site about video games and people were mentioning that (complete with photoshops of her...)

Bani · 04-12-2011, 04:15 AM

A $25 discount doesn't make a lifetime of ads worthwhile. I imagined that someday there would be free ad-supported Kindles. But then there's the matter of how easy it is to hack the devices.. As others said, it wouldn't be so bad at $75 or so with ads. I'd consider a purchase then.

wyndslash · 04-12-2011, 06:13 AM

[boo]

bZkindle · 04-12-2011, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyR

OTOH, it means no Emily Dickinson.

Don't be so sure. They may just get her shilling for Chrysler yet.
You may want to remove all Dickinsonian type poems from your kindles now as a preemptive measure.

bhartman36 · 04-12-2011, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bani

A $25 discount doesn't make a lifetime of ads worthwhile.

Realistically, it's not a lifetime of ads. I imagine that most people will move on from the Kindle they buy today within three years or so -- either to another version of Kindle or to the next, best e-reader.

tubemonkey · 04-12-2011, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

i know, right? i saw that too. wonder if it would only be exclusive to those with $114 kindles o:. probably...

I'm sure the offers will be exlusive to this model; otherwise, what's the point?

04-12-2011, 06:13 AM	#42
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	[boo] Last edited by wyndslash; 04-12-2011 at 06:22 AM.

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04-11-2011, 10:59 PM	#31
bZkindle Fanatic Posts: 510 Karma: 1025024 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada City, Soviet Canuckistan Device: k2, k3G, kindle DXG, Sony T-1, iPad, iPhone, stone tablet	that's absurd. I don't want any ads. and for a measly 25 dollar discount, forget it!

04-11-2011, 11:26 PM	#32
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Count me out. I am happy with my K3 and DXG not showing ads.

04-11-2011, 11:42 PM	#33
Mark Rehorst was engr, now dentist Posts: 143 Karma: 18558 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Riverside, Ca Device: Kindle DXG	Every time I pick up a magazine there are ads throughout the text I am reading. The back cover is usually one big ad, as is the inside of the front cover. I don't hear anyone complaining about the ads in magazines. Think of the ads on the screensavers like the back cover or inside front cover of a magazine. The small ad on the home-page isn't a big deal either- not much different from all those ads google puts on web pages. I think the price cut in exchange for viewing ads is a good deal- they could have just started pushing ads to everyone's kindles without the price cut...

04-12-2011, 01:57 AM	#36
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	but i thought the ads would only be on the screensaver and home screen? it won't be while you're reading, yes? or no? :P

04-12-2011, 04:00 AM	#40
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	I've actually seen a lot of old paperbacks with inserts in the middle that were ads. Usually for cigarettes or book club deals. But this is every time you turn off the reader. Or it turns off. One of the things that drives me crazy is how you set it down for a minute and boom, when you pick it up, screensaver screen. OTOH, it means no Emily Dickinson. It's amazing how creepy people find her. I was reading a thread on a site about video games and people were mentioning that (complete with photoshops of her...)

04-12-2011, 04:15 AM	#41
Bani Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: USA Device: Kindle DX	A $25 discount doesn't make a lifetime of ads worthwhile. I imagined that someday there would be free ad-supported Kindles. But then there's the matter of how easy it is to hack the devices.. As others said, it wouldn't be so bad at $75 or so with ads. I'd consider a purchase then.