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Amazon releases ad-supported Kindle

by Michael Grothaus Apr 11th 2011 at 11:00PM

The e-book wars are heating up, and Amazon is doing everything it can to make sure it takes the top spot. Today the internet giant announced that it will sell an ad-supported version of the Kindle for a price of US$114.00. Thankfully, Amazon is being rather tactful with the ads. They will not appear within the e-books themselves but will be relegated to the Kindle home screen and screensavers. Still, the $114 price point seems a little silly; $99 would be a much better psychological buy-in point.

While an ad-supported iPad is unlikely, it would be interesting to see Apple offer ad-supported e-books in the iBookstore. Apple does hold quite a few patents on advertising options related to video advertising and hardware subsidization through ads, as well as its iAd platform. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to think that Apple could offer publishers iAds support for their books, which would allow them to sell e-books more cheaply, yet still bring in sufficient (and recurring) revenues.



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The e-book wars are heating up, and Amazon is doing everything it can to make sure it takes the top spot. Today the internet giant...
 

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warreno

"[I]t would be interesting to see Apple offer ad-supported e-books in the iBookstore."

Why?

Seriously.

What possible use could this be for iPad purchasers and users, and in what way would ad-supported iBook titles be even remotely interesting or desirable?

April 12 2011 at 5:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
unteins

I would never trade $25 for a lifetime of annoying ads. That's insulting. Free? Maybe I'd consider it then. $99 is still too much to be assaulted by advertising for the years I will use it. Reselling the thing will be rather difficult too.

I think this is a major misstep by Amazon making the Kindle more of a joke than a serious device.

April 12 2011 at 11:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gates2010

$139 without ads....and $114 with ads, doesn't make sense...
if I am going to see ads and be buying books from them, then I wouldn't be interesting in paying anything more than $50 for it...

April 12 2011 at 11:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
glad

I've tried one many times in store and its as slow as treacle and I hate the way the page sort of flashes before its turns over the page. also too many buttons for something with such a limited function!

April 12 2011 at 6:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
A.

Amazon definitely needs to become more aggressive with Kindle pricing, and this probably means there will be a while until the next version.

April 12 2011 at 6:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
send4ash

"with special offers"

April 12 2011 at 12:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shaun

So how long until someone hacks it with a regular, ad-free firmware?

April 12 2011 at 12:07 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Greg

Honestly, this thing is a glorified calculator, I will never pay more than I payed in High School for a scientific calculator—$20, for an eInk reader. They make money on the books, that should be enough.

April 11 2011 at 11:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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