Amazon Drops The Kindle By $25 In Exchange For Ads
Ads are all the rage (thanks Google) and the latest device to get ads is the Kindle. Honestly, I didn’t see that coming since it doesn’t strike me as the right model but they’re being cautious in how the ads are displayed. Essentially the ads will only come at two times – as full screen screensavers and on the bottom of the home screen, but never during the reading experience itself. And to kick things off, some of the early promos will be things like a $20 Amazon gift card for just $10. I’ll give you the release in full, but while the initial thought of a $115 Kindle seemed pretty nice, I’m a bit mixed about it. To start off, if you’ve never used a Kindle you should. Incredible device and for a dedicated e-reader it’s stellar in all respects. But I’m sort of mixed on how I feel about a $25 discount in exchange for ads. It could be a page out of Apple’s book. You know, you have a cheaper version of your product not to sell that cheaper version, but to attract people and help them justify the small premium for the upgrade and before you know it, they’re thinking that the premium priced product is a deal. On the other hand, the ads are coming at times when you shouldn’t mind seeing them and ads are everywhere from tv, radio, the web. I mean, why not before and after our reading experience. Anyway, sound off on your thoughts about ads on a dedicate e-reader and if you would take the $25 discount in exchange for ads. There’s no right answer…
Dear Customers
Kindle is the bestsellmg e-reader in the world. It’s also the bestselling, the most wished for the most gifted and has the most 5 star reviews of any product on Amazon. We created Kindle for reading — it weighs less than a paperback (only 8.5 ounces) reads like real paper with no glare even in bright sunlight, wirelessly downloads books in under 60 seconds and has one month battery life. And it’s only $139.
How are we doing thus? We took our bestselling Kindle and made a version with special offers and sponsored screensavers Companies sponsor the screensavers you pay less for your Kindle Plus you receive offers directly on your Kindle that can save you more money such as a S20 Amazon Gift Card for S10 6 Audible Books for $6 and an album from the Amazon MP3 Store for $1.
Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen they don’t interrupt reading.
Our goal is to display screensavers that customers want to see That’s why
we’ve created an app called AdMash Anyone who’s interested can download AdMash and help pick future screensavers. Two prospective screensavers show up side by-side and you pick the one you find most attractive The ones preferred most by customers qualify to become sponsored screensavers.
You can also set your personal Kindle Screensaver Preferences to give us hints on the style and types of sponsored screensavers you’d like to see on your Kindle. For example you can indicate that you’d like to see more or fewer screensavers that include elements such as landscapes and scenery architecture travel images photography and illustrations. Together AdMash voting and Kindle Screensaver Preferences help us select the most attractive and engaging sponsored screensavers to display on your Kindle.
We’re working hard to make sure that anyone who wants a Kindle can afford one. We want to thank our launch sponsors Buick Chase Olay and Visa – for helping us make Kindle more affordable than ever for our customers
You can pre order Kindle with Special Offers for S114 today Kindle for $139 and Kindle 3G for $189 (includes free 3G wireless) also continue to be available, without special offers and sponsored screensavers.
Thank you for being a customer and happy reading,
Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
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They might as well just give them out for free, no?
When I’m in the subway and see these things, I am quite taken by the screen. According to PCWorld these things last four days with the screen and wireless left on.
My screen accounts for the majority of a typical battery discharge and if I could bring myself to live without the girly pictures of these RSS feeds I found yesterday I might get such a phone, a Nexus with a Kindle screen.
@Doug Simmons: not sure about wireless being on all the time (there’s no real use or need for it) but the battery life is a month. That’s a real month. The screen is e-ink. There’s no difference when it’s off or on. It’s like an ethca-sketch so even when it’s off it has a black on white image. There’s no backlight to it. So it’s just like a book. In direct sun it has no issues. At night you need to bring your own light.
I think it’s a really good idea for them to do that but $25 isn’t that much difference so I might just pony up the $25. But I am not much of a reader (of books) but if I had one, I might start reading more. However, the Kindle app on my Surround gets no love but it is a rather small screen.
I think Simmons might be on to something by giving them out for free but from the sounds of the add placement, they probably won’t get much love. But I am kind of curious to see how much money they actually make on e-book sales. From the little looking around I did, the titles seem pretty cheap and there are tons of free e-books as well.
“…if I could bring myself to live without the girly pictures…”
Considering what you put in your posts, I’d be surprised you could ever live without girly pictures.
*Grin*