Ad-Supported Kindle?

[JeremyR]

What's annoying though is that Amazon finds it too problematic to let Kindle owners pick their own screensavers on normal Kindle, but has no problem changing them regularly with different ads

[fjtorres]

I'm not sure the $25 is the sole (or even main) inducement.
Depending on the nature of the ads (and note the product is *not* named ad-supported Kindle) this new feature might be a value-add (to some/enough people) instead of a penalty.
People love deals and Kindle already delivers newspapers and magazines so why not coupon books?
I'll reserve judgment until we learn more about the ads and deals but there may be more here than meets the eye.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

What's annoying though is that Amazon finds it too problematic to let Kindle owners pick their own screensavers on normal Kindle,

This is really not an issue at all.

[tomsem]

Amazon will not care when people figure out how to hack the ads out of it. They will be a tiny minority of the people buying this model. A Kindle in hand is worth two in the warehouse, as the saying goes.

The rest will be eagerly anticipating all the great deals exclusive to owners of the (unhacked) model, and the $25 of savings up front. Amazon will give them just enough of these deals to make them happy they bought it, and meanwhile they have created a new revenue stream by selling ads. How annoying can ads be when there's no color or animation or sound, and the requirement that the ads be family friendly?

$25 does not seem 'enough' from the perspective of people who would not buy an ad-spewing device in the first place, but by the same token Amazon does not want to give such a large discount that people feel they are paying too much of a premium for an ad-free device.

[OtterBooks]

I would go back to paper books before allowing Amazon to pimp me out to advertisers like a $25 prostitute. My dignity is worth at least $30.

[greencat]

I reckon this'll be under $100/£100 before the year is out. If they manage that it'll be massive. If it goes well, the next step might be to send actual books they want you to read eg catalogues or Living social offers to the device (they have your zip and buying habits right?).

[Catlady]

I'm with those who think $25 is not nearly enough of a discount to be bombarded with ads for the life of the device.

And obviously Amazon is going to start out by saying, Oh look, you'll get all these great offers!--but how long will that last?

And if the ads are click-through--who'd put that Kindle in the hands of a kid who might sign up for all kinds of offers and spend pots of money?

[crich70]

I'm betting there is more software than hardware change between # 3 and # 4 since the one you show looks pretty much like my K3. It would be nice if they would enable my mobipocket ebooks to be able to be read on it. Amazon bought Mobipocket.com way back in 2005 and yet the DRM books I bought there can't be opened on the K3. The last thing I want is to be bombarded by ads in the future while trying to read my ebooks. I mean they're even putting ads up in the mirror of public bathrooms now in some areas I understand. Enough is enough. I can see it now. One minute I'm reading Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and the next my screen saver flashes and I'm looking at a toothpaste ad.

Originally Posted by Hoyt Clagwell

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

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by crich70

I'm betting there is more software than hardware change between # 3 and # 4 since the one you show looks pretty much like my K3. It would be nice if they would enable my mobipocket ebooks to be able to be read on it. Amazon bought Mobipocket.com way back in 2005 and yet the DRM books I bought there can't be opened on the K3. The last thing I want is to be bombarded by ads in the future while trying to read my ebooks. I mean they're even putting ads up in the mirror of public bathrooms now in some areas I understand. Enough is enough. I can see it now. One minute I'm reading Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and the next my screen saver flashes and I'm looking at a toothpaste ad.

commercial breaks? after every fifty pages or so, you have to sit through a few ads of various items

[Batman Jr.]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

I would go back to paper books before allowing Amazon to pimp me out to advertisers like a $25 prostitute. My dignity is worth at least $30.

[Wordeater]

To save $25??? Some people are just so cheap. I've just never understood it, never will.

WE

[crich70]

And you really wouldn't save that much if you think about it. Unless you're an Amazon Prime member you spend part of that $25 in the s/h costs. And to save that s/h costs (unless you are doing the free trial period) you pay an annual fee of almost $80.00 so where is the real savings?

Originally Posted by Wordeater

To save $25??? Some people are just so cheap. I've just never understood it, never will.

WE

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by 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.

I have an iPad, get push email and have yet to see an ad. Oh wait... that was just another sniping comment at Apple.

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

I would go back to paper books before allowing Amazon to pimp me out to advertisers like a $25 prostitute. My dignity is worth at least $30.

How much is tickerfactory.com pimping you out for?

[emellaich]

I'm not sure what the concern is about ad-supported stuff. As precedents consider:
- Network TV
- Comic Books (as mentioned)
- Radio
- Paperbacks (I remember those louis l'amour westerns had card stock ads for collectors editions)

And in this case they said there wouldn't be any ads in the books themselves. Just in the screensavers and the bottom of the home screen.

And I am really looking forward to one type of in-book ad. Right now I buy the first book in a series, and I have to go to wikipedia to find the series list, and the order of the remaining books. Then I head to Amazon to buy the next book. I would love it, if the back of the book had an ad/link to 'click here to download the next book in the series'.

[russellmz00]

Originally Posted by crich70

And you really wouldn't save that much if you think about it. Unless you're an Amazon Prime member you spend part of that $25 in the s/h costs. And to save that s/h costs (unless you are doing the free trial period) you pay an annual fee of almost $80.00 so where is the real savings?

huh?

"Price: $114.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping."


last year i paid around $115 from woot for a sony pocket reader (refurb). so this deal doesn't sound too bad, especially if i can get a $20 gift card for $10 later on. and like mentioned above, how bad can the ads be if it's eink? no seizure-inducing flashy ads in eye blinding colors possible. the worst case would be commercial interruptions, but the product page reads: "Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don't interrupt reading."