Hands on Kindle Paperwhite 4

[issybird]

I don't like the ads. I'm enjoying the Fire HD 8 I got on Thanksgiving especially since I've got the Google Play Store installed, but I just can't justify spending $15 to remove the ads from a device that cost me $27.50. That's kooky talk.

I think the ads would annoy me more on a Kindle, but unless I had splashed out on the Oasis I'd find the $20 premium to be way too big a percentage of the sale price of the Paperwhite (and of course it would have been bought on sale). For that matter, it's still too big a percentage of the non-sale price, at a 17% increase.

I also think OEM covers cost way too much as a percentage of the device price, but that's a different rant. Obviously MMV in both situations.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by issybird

I think the ads would annoy me more on a Kindle, but unless I had splashed out on the Oasis I'd find the $20 premium to be way too big a percentage of the sale price of the Paperwhite (and of course it would have been bought on sale). For that matter, it's still too big a percentage of the non-sale price, at a 17% increase.

That's good, surely, that you are offered a large discount if you choose to accept advertising? For some people the discount will be worth taking. I always choose to buy my Kindles ad-free.

[Wearever]

I don't mind the ads as much as I thought I would when I got my first kindle. I do click on a book every once in a while that is an ad on the bottom of the screen. Even if wifi is off I can still get info on that book. If I want to order it I'll need to turn on. It saves me the time it would take to look it up otherwise. Usually it's a book that I wouldn't have looked for on my own.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's good, surely, that you are offered a large discount if you choose to accept advertising? For some people the discount will be worth taking. I always choose to buy my Kindles ad-free.

I (obviously) like the discount, but I don't like it that Amazon has it both ways when it comes to Kindles. Comparison pricing almost always cites the special offers price rather than the ad-free price, even though the Kindle is being compared to ad-free devices. If someone doesn't care, then that's valid enough as it's just another feature, like waterproofing or comfort light, but it still seems disingenuous to me. If the comparison were with the ad-free price, or even if the ad-free price were mentioned more prominently, then I would just value it as a feature. But with no Kindle, I'm commenting from the sidelines anyway.

Doesn't apply to the Fires, as there's no direct comparison tablet out there.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's good, surely, that you are offered a large discount if you choose to accept advertising?

Is it really a discount if the Kindle with ads costs the same as the competition without ads? What makes it a discount, aside from Jeff Bezos deciding to call it one?

For it to be a discount, it seems like the MSRP of a Kindle with ads should be $20 less than the competition.

The by far largest ereader seller on the planet can't find a way to sell a Kindle Paperwhite at the same exact cost as the Glowlight 3 and Clara HD, aside from displaying ads? Surely that can't be true.

If you are willing to call the surcharge a discount, shouldn't you also refer to the advertising as special offers?

[HarryT]

“Special Offers”, whatever. It all amounts to the same thing. Advertising.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by HarryT

“Special Offers”, whatever. It all amounts to the same thing. Advertising.

Exactly, just like paying $20 to remove ads is a surcharge, not a discount.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The by far largest ereader seller on the planet can't find a way to sell a Kindle Paperwhite at the same exact cost as the Glowlight 3 and Clara HD, aside from displaying ads? Surely that can't be true.

Why should Amazon be forced to have their devices priced the same as competitors? If they can charge more for the ad free version and still keep their market share, why should they take a loss on profit? Apparently the ads are not that bad, or the Kindle is easily worth $20 more.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Is it really a discount if the Kindle with ads costs the same as the competition without ads? What makes it a discount, aside from Jeff Bezos deciding to call it one?

For it to be a discount, it seems like the MSRP of a Kindle with ads should be $20 less than the competition.

The by far largest ereader seller on the planet can't find a way to sell a Kindle Paperwhite at the same exact cost as the Glowlight 3 and Clara HD, aside from displaying ads? Surely that can't be true.

If you are willing to call the surcharge a discount, shouldn't you also refer to the advertising as special offers?

When you get a reduced price it's a discount. The price points for other devices is irrelevant. You are free to buy one of the others and not worry about the discount. Perhaps for you it's not a discount but rather a fee you're paying to complain. I buy my Kindles without a discount and have no complaints.

Zodwallop: "Exactly, just like paying $20 to remove ads is a surcharge, not a discount."

I remove ads and pay nothing because I did not choose, as in a free choice, to not include the ads in the first place. You chose, as in free choice, and then complain. How strange.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Is it really a discount if the Kindle with ads costs the same as the competition without ads? What makes it a discount, aside from Jeff Bezos deciding to call it one?

For it to be a discount, it seems like the MSRP of a Kindle with ads should be $20 less than the competition.

The by far largest ereader seller on the planet can't find a way to sell a Kindle Paperwhite at the same exact cost as the Glowlight 3 and Clara HD, aside from displaying ads? Surely that can't be true.

If you are willing to call the surcharge a discount, shouldn't you also refer to the advertising as special offers?

I agree with you. They used to be able to say this, and have it sound credible, when they came out with the Fires as market tablets for cheap rates. Now that's not the case, especially with the e-inks.

[barryem]

I suspect the $20 to get rid of ads on the Kindles has more to do with hoping people will let them advertise than any thought of discount or surcharge. They want to advertise and being able to do so probably makes them more than $20 over the life of the device. But they know some people don't like it so they give us a way to opt out.

I don't like ads and I'm happy to pay the $20 to get rid of them. I also have a Premium Youtube account so I don't have to put up with ads on Youtube. That's well worth the $10 a month I pay.

For what it's worth I haven't had a TV most of my life because I don't like ads. I do like TV and I watch shows and movies on Youtube, Amazon and Netflix and get no ads. If they had ads I'd cancel them.

Barry

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Why should Amazon be forced to have their devices priced the same as competitors?

Nobody is forcing anybody to do anything. Where did I say otherwise?

Amazon saying they give a discount by placing special offers on their readers sets of my BS detector. That's all.

Originally Posted by patrickt

I remove ads and pay nothing because I did not choose, as in a free choice, to not include the ads in the first place. You chose, as in free choice, and then complain. How strange.

Whatever makes you feel superior, buddy

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by barryem

I do like TV and I watch shows and movies on Youtube, Amazon and Netflix and get no ads. If they had ads I'd cancel them.

Netflix was experimenting with ads just recently. Hopefully the pending loss of Disney content and possible upcoming crisis will make them smarten up.

Or I guess they could offer a new ad-free tier at double the cost and talk about how the current tier with new ads is a discount

[disconnected]

Amazon is launching some sort of ad-supported free streaming service with IMDB. I'm assuming you won't be able to fast-forward through the ads. I've gotten spoiled by DVRs and ad-free streaming. About the only thing we watch live now is sports programming.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/10/imdb...v-devices.html

[disconnected]

Originally Posted by issybird

I don't like the ads. I'm enjoying the Fire HD 8 I got on Thanksgiving especially since I've got the Google Play Store installed, but I just can't justify spending $15 to remove the ads from a device that cost me $27.50. That's kooky talk.

That's what I thought when I bought the last-generation PW from Staples for thirty or thirty-five dollars. After I'd had it for about ten minutes I was happy to be able to pay the 20.00 to get rid of the ads. The 1.45 tax did annoy me though.