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Ad supported Kindle coming to Amazon - $114

By | April 12, 2011, 6:24am PDT

Book giant Amazon.com has unveiled a new, lower-priced version of the Kindle ebook reader that exchanges ads for a lower upfront cost.

The new device, called rather oddly ‘Kindle With Special Offers,’ is priced at $25 less than the cheapest WiFi model. The lower price is subsidized by ads that are displayed on the screen saver and on the bottom of the user’s home page. Amazon promises that the ads won’t interfere with the reading experience.

OK, so what’s the deal with the ‘With Special Offers’ bit? Well, owners will get special offers piped direct to their Kindle. Amazon offers up the following examples:

  • $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
  • $6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68)
  • $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums)
  • $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop

Alongside its own promotions, Amazon will also run ads by Visa, General Motors and Proctor & Gamble. In order so that owners only see the ads they want, Amazon is creating a free app and website (coming soon) called AdMash that users can user to pick future screensavers.

What do you think? An interesting way to save a few bucks, or would you prefer the ad-free experience?

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Topics

Amazon.com Inc., Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Advertising, Advertising & Promotion, Marketing

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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I can't think of a more stupid thing...
Zorched 13th Apr 2011
They say no in-book ads, but what happens if it catches on, or they aren't making enough money from the ads? Then that changes and suddenly where before your ad-free book how has ads every few pages. Or worse, like many magazines do now, every other page.

For me, this would fall not under 'no' but rather 'oh, h-e-double-hockeysticks no'.
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Brilliant, Amazon!
rangerover411@... 12th Apr 2011
It's the perfect gift for someone you hate - the SPAMPAD. Surely there's nothing more annoying than books interrupted by pop up ads for Viagra.
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No ads while reading.
Bruce Lang 12th Apr 2011
@rangerover411@... I understand no ads will display while reading. Amazon allowing "in-book" ads would be a HUGE mistake!!
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Ad free for me
oncall 12th Apr 2011
But I can see this as a decent development. The discount of only $25 seems low right now but that's probably because advertisers, and Amazon, were not willing to risk more than small amounts at the start. If it does well that discount will probably be increased.
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RE: Ad supported Kindle coming to Amazon - $114
swp1 12th Apr 2011
Kindle is in desperate need of a multi-touch screen. Navigating with that little set of arrows is a miserable experience after working with an iPad. I see the current incarnation of ereaders as an endangered species.

We just did an infographic on those lines: http://icrsng.com/e16TcT
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RE: Ad supported Kindle coming to Amazon - $114
dave95. Updated - 12th Apr 2011
Only $25 less? I expected it to be free being ad supported.

Anyway this move just seem like a desperate attempt to keep Kindle relevant with everyone discussing iPads and tablets. I say desperate because they're willing to taint the whole "Kindle reading" experience with ads.
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RE: Ad supported Kindle coming to Amazon - $114
Pete "athynz" Athens 12th Apr 2011
Even at that price I would not get the Kindle and that has nothing to do with the ads (although that is a point against it as well). I tried one out and I honestly did not like it at all - the hardware seemed counter-intuitive and the UI wasn't all that exciting. As far as e-readers go I'm looking at the Nook Color because it is a much better user experience IMHO and it can be rooted to run Android OS which makes it an inexpensive Android-Based tablet which I could then run the Nook app as well as the Kindle app.
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RE: Ad supported Kindle coming to Amazon - $114
Rama.NET 12th Apr 2011
@athynz
Nook Color beats crap out of Kindle and you are totally right about it.
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I can't think of a more stupid thing...
Zorched 13th Apr 2011
They say no in-book ads, but what happens if it catches on, or they aren't making enough money from the ads? Then that changes and suddenly where before your ad-free book how has ads every few pages. Or worse, like many magazines do now, every other page.

For me, this would fall not under 'no' but rather 'oh, h-e-double-hockeysticks no'.

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