Amazon giving away Kindles?

Daithi · 02-12-2010, 08:54 AM

Michael Arrington of TechCrunch is reporting that Amazon is planning on giving away Kindles to members of Amazon Prime. This is the Amazon program where you pay $79 a year and get things like free 2 day shipping.

dsvick · 02-12-2010, 09:02 AM

I guess that makes sense. If they can't use book pricing as loss leaders to generate additional sales then giving away the readers and locking people into their stores is the next best thing. I assume this rules out Amazon ever enabling ePub on the Kindle then.

Daithi · 02-12-2010, 09:27 AM

I really hope this is true. For $79 you get a Kindle 2?! If you wanted a Kindle you'd be an idiot not to sign up for Amazon Prime. Or is Amazon only going to provide the Kindles to existing Amazon Prime customers? Or do you have to purchase a certain amount of books to qualify? Who knows, but I'm really looking forward to hearing the details.

I was hoping to see Amazon fight back against the iPad with a dedicated reader in the $99 price range. Free or $79 is even better.

In regards to DRM. I believe Amazon will allow ePub without DRM at some point. The publishers aren't going to give up DRM anytime soon, so if Amazon supports DRM-free ePub then customers are still locked into Amazon's reader, but can view public domain books that can take advantage of ePub formatting -- like Alice In Wonderland with its illustrations and the text in the form of a mouse's tail.

poohbear_nc · 02-12-2010, 09:30 AM

This would continue Amazon locking customers into their bookstore. They literally blanketed the world at Xmas time - since they had enough K2i's at least in stock to fill all orders.

kjk · 02-12-2010, 09:45 AM

Very smart marketing move. One of Amazon's huge advantages of not just making the device, but having control over distribution of both the hardware and the content.

desertgrandma · 02-12-2010, 10:12 AM

I've been an Amazon Prime member for two years. That $79 gets me free two day shipping on anything I buy from Amazon.....not third parties.

There is no minimum, its its paid for itself many times over.

C'mon Amazon!!! Here I be!!!

Actually.....I have a really really good friend who could use one.

Kevin2960 · 02-12-2010, 10:19 AM

Grandma Can I please be your really good freind ??? PLEASE

desertgrandma · 02-12-2010, 10:25 AM

Nice try.

I'm thinking they'll go thru and pick out the Amazon Prime members that DON"T have kindles first.

That would make sense.

Or.........maybe they'll look for those who only have the K1's......hmmmmm.........

Mr. Goodbar · 02-12-2010, 10:27 AM

Prime really is a good deal. We homeschool our kids and my wife typically has at least one order of books per week coming from Amazon (our kids are voracious readers). Prime has saved us a ton of money on books alone, not to mention on other items such as electronics, etc. I'm not sure I see them rolling this out to all prime members, but maybe ones that hit a certain threshold or maintain a certain threshold of buying, but it's certainly a good tactic to reward their most frequent buyers and lock them in to their model.

pilotbob · 02-12-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Nice try.

I'm thinking they'll go thru and pick out the Amazon Prime members that DON"T have kindles first.

I'm guessing this is going to be offered to NON Prime customers as an incentive to sign up for Prime.

You might want to cancel Prime now.

BOb

Kevin2960 · 02-12-2010, 10:36 AM

Worth a try Grandma

guess your right on them being selective, but if ever you have a spare Kindle .....

desertgrandma · 02-12-2010, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I'm guessing this is going to be offered to NON Prime customers as an incentive to sign up for Prime.

You might want to cancel Prime now.

BOb

dammit!

dsvick · 02-12-2010, 11:21 AM

[Begin cynicism] I've got it - they aren't giving them away, not now, not ever, and they never planned on it... They let it "leak" that they were going to do this to get people to sign up for Prime! [End cynicism]

It actually makes sense though, the easier it is to get them, the more people there will be with Kindles, the more people with Kindles the less people will be inclined to get an iPad, the less iPad users as compared to Kindle users means Amazon gets to keep a lock on the book sales.

Penforhire · 02-12-2010, 11:30 AM

My guess is they'll go after Prime customers who historically ordered a certain minimum number of physical books. But hey, if not, sign me up!

HarryT · 02-12-2010, 11:33 AM

Prime has saved me an absolute fortune. It gets you free next-day shipping here in the UK. Hope this applies to Amazon UK, too

.

02-12-2010, 08:54 AM	#1
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	Amazon giving away Kindles? Michael Arrington of TechCrunch is reporting that Amazon is planning on giving away Kindles to members of Amazon Prime. This is the Amazon program where you pay $79 a year and get things like free 2 day shipping.

02-12-2010, 11:21 AM	#13
dsvick Wizard Posts: 2,737 Karma: 635747 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Ohio, USA Device: PRS-900	Sneaky, underhanded, low down, dirty marketing tactic [Begin cynicism] I've got it - they aren't giving them away, not now, not ever, and they never planned on it... They let it "leak" that they were going to do this to get people to sign up for Prime! [End cynicism] It actually makes sense though, the easier it is to get them, the more people there will be with Kindles, the more people with Kindles the less people will be inclined to get an iPad, the less iPad users as compared to Kindle users means Amazon gets to keep a lock on the book sales. Last edited by dsvick; 02-12-2010 at 11:24 AM.

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02-12-2010, 09:02 AM	#2
dsvick Wizard Posts: 2,737 Karma: 635747 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Ohio, USA Device: PRS-900	I guess that makes sense. If they can't use book pricing as loss leaders to generate additional sales then giving away the readers and locking people into their stores is the next best thing. I assume this rules out Amazon ever enabling ePub on the Kindle then.

02-12-2010, 09:27 AM	#3
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	I really hope this is true. For $79 you get a Kindle 2?! If you wanted a Kindle you'd be an idiot not to sign up for Amazon Prime. Or is Amazon only going to provide the Kindles to existing Amazon Prime customers? Or do you have to purchase a certain amount of books to qualify? Who knows, but I'm really looking forward to hearing the details. I was hoping to see Amazon fight back against the iPad with a dedicated reader in the $99 price range. Free or $79 is even better. In regards to DRM. I believe Amazon will allow ePub without DRM at some point. The publishers aren't going to give up DRM anytime soon, so if Amazon supports DRM-free ePub then customers are still locked into Amazon's reader, but can view public domain books that can take advantage of ePub formatting -- like Alice In Wonderland with its illustrations and the text in the form of a mouse's tail.

02-12-2010, 09:30 AM	#4
poohbear_nc Bah! Humbug! Posts: 62,776 Karma: 135239851 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	This would continue Amazon locking customers into their bookstore. They literally blanketed the world at Xmas time - since they had enough K2i's at least in stock to fill all orders.

02-12-2010, 09:45 AM	#5
kjk . Posts: 3,408 Karma: 5647231 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: never enough	Very smart marketing move. One of Amazon's huge advantages of not just making the device, but having control over distribution of both the hardware and the content.

02-12-2010, 10:12 AM	#6
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	I've been an Amazon Prime member for two years. That $79 gets me free two day shipping on anything I buy from Amazon.....not third parties. There is no minimum, its its paid for itself many times over. C'mon Amazon!!! Here I be!!! Actually.....I have a really really good friend who could use one.

02-12-2010, 10:19 AM	#7
Kevin2960 YODA's Uglier Twin Posts: 974 Karma: 6295251 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Leicester, UK Device: PRS-600 and 2 Kindle 3's - and now a K4 + HTC Desire HD	Grandma Can I please be your really good freind ??? PLEASE

02-12-2010, 10:25 AM	#8
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Nice try. I'm thinking they'll go thru and pick out the Amazon Prime members that DON"T have kindles first. That would make sense. Or.........maybe they'll look for those who only have the K1's......hmmmmm.........

02-12-2010, 10:27 AM	#9
Mr. Goodbar Wizard Posts: 1,005 Karma: 98078 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Mini 4	Prime really is a good deal. We homeschool our kids and my wife typically has at least one order of books per week coming from Amazon (our kids are voracious readers). Prime has saved us a ton of money on books alone, not to mention on other items such as electronics, etc. I'm not sure I see them rolling this out to all prime members, but maybe ones that hit a certain threshold or maintain a certain threshold of buying, but it's certainly a good tactic to reward their most frequent buyers and lock them in to their model.

02-12-2010, 10:36 AM	#11
Kevin2960 YODA's Uglier Twin Posts: 974 Karma: 6295251 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Leicester, UK Device: PRS-600 and 2 Kindle 3's - and now a K4 + HTC Desire HD	Worth a try Grandma guess your right on them being selective, but if ever you have a spare Kindle .....

02-12-2010, 11:30 AM	#14
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	My guess is they'll go after Prime customers who historically ordered a certain minimum number of physical books. But hey, if not, sign me up!

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02-12-2010, 11:33 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Prime has saved me an absolute fortune. It gets you free next-day shipping here in the UK. Hope this applies to Amazon UK, too .