Ad-Supported Kindle?

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I have a big problem with the time factor. Amazon will provide some good deals now, but they have no obligation to keep providing them;

Sure they do. If they stop offering them, people will stop buying this Kindle. If people stop buying this Kindle, the advertisers won't pay Amazon's placement rates anymore.

And why does everyone seem to assume that because they started it at $114 that they can never lower it to $99 later on?

Remember, the original Kindle was $399 not too many years ago.

[RockdaMan]

First...Tubes, thanks for pointing out that Roku deal. I almost missed that. Thats a huge win for me.

Second...why are people who don't like the idea of it so emotional about it? It's as if the very idea offends them, and the thought that others would go for it harms them. Why is that?

[elemenoP]

I am curious if the deals themselves will actually be restricted to owners of the "deal-Kindle." Do you have to check out on the Kindle in order to get the deal? Because deals typically have either a URL or an offer code associated with them. Plenty of people will repost the url or offer code to bargain sites. Then it's up to Amazon and the sponsors if they actually want to restrict the deal to certain users (the kindle owners) or not.

eP

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Second...why are people who don't like the idea of it so emotional about it? It's as if the very idea offends them, and the thought that others would go for it harms them. Why is that?

I haven't seen any outpouring of emotion; I've seen a lot of skepticism, which I share.

And $25 is just not enough of a discount for a lifetime of ads.

[wodin]

It's better than email spam, I have to make a conscience effort to keep my spam folder cleaned out. With Kindle spam, I can just ignore it.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

why are people who don't like the idea of it so emotional about it?

My guess is they're concerned that if it takes off, the "no-ad ebook" concept will be threatened.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I haven't seen any outpouring of emotion;

Agreed. I do wonder why people got/are getting emotional about it, though.

Perhaps it is as Kali posted -- they see a threat.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I want the special offers ... but I don't want them on my ebook reader.

TINSTAAFL!

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Second...why are people who don't like the idea of it so emotional about it? It's as if the very idea offends them, and the thought that others would go for it harms them. Why is that?

Because Amazon is eee-vile!

If anybody else (say, Apple or Google) had introduced a deal delivery service built off an ebook reader they'd be falling all over themselves applauding.

Remember all the hoopla over Apple's not-even-vaporware layered display?
Or how Google getting into ebooks was supposed to banish Amazon back to the nether realms?

Some folks take their tech choices waaayyy too personal as if the mere existence of a competitive product were an offense against nature.

Just because a product doesn't appeal to you doesn't necessarilly mean it won't appeal to somebody else.
(Unless we're talking about the Sony eVilla. That one, even the name was stupid. )

The value of competitive markets is that they offer choices.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

I am curious if the deals themselves will actually be restricted to owners of the "deal-Kindle."
eP

Depends on how they want to do it.
It is trivial to send out a personalized claim number with each offer so they'll know who is using which offers and who isn't. And to make sure each offer is used only once. *If* that is the way they want to do it.

Of course, if they wanted to make it all-comers they wouldn't have to go through a walled-garden deal network, would they?

[elcreative]

Is TANSTAAFL courtesy Larry Niven as in "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch"

Originally Posted by fjtorres

TINSTAAFL!

[carpetmojo]

Ads intrude everywhere, increasingly.

I wouldn't touch an ereader with ads if they paid me.
Bit like living with a cold-caller............

Course, I've already got one that doesn't - perfect.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Is TANSTAAFL courtesy Larry Niven as in "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch"

Niven was quoting Heinlein (THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS) or whoever else had it first.

There
Is
No
Such
Thing
As
A
Free
Lunch

Alternately:
"The world goes as it wills, not as you want it."

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Depends on how they want to do it.
It is trivial to send out a personalized claim number with each offer so they'll know who is using which offers and who isn't. And to make sure each offer is used only once. *If* that is the way they want to do it.

Of course, if they wanted to make it all-comers they wouldn't have to go through a walled-garden deal network, would they?

Where do you see any indication that any of the deals Amazon will offer are going to be exclusive? If they were, wouldn't Amazon tout that? Yet they only say "special offers."

[Piper_]

Originally Posted by 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'.

+2 on the series info. I've been hoping the publishers would add those in themselves for discounts on the ebooks.

Re the screensaver, it wouldn't bother me. I only get a brief glimpse of mine, if I see it at all; I often slide the on switch before I open my case.

I doubt anything would bother me more than seeing Poor Emily Dickinson. Especially since they let us pick our ads.

The only thing that could be a hindrance is the shortened screen space on the "home" page. If it's on only the first page, it wouldn't be too bad, but shortening the items on every page would annoy me.

I'm not in the market for another Kindle, and I've already bought several for friends and family, so can't think of anyone to get this for. But I expect plenty of people will take them up on this offer. I agree with the Monkey that the real draw is in the deals.