Amazon Lowers Price of Kindle...But There's a Catch

[Benjamin Sobieck]

Amazon shaved 25 bucks off the price of its Kindle. The price tag for the standard model is now a cool $114.

 

Here's the but.

 

BUT the lower price is because advertisements will appear in screensavers. It also comes with "special offers" from other companies. Models without ads will stay at $139.

 

So long as there's an option to buy one without ads, I'm all for it. What do you think?

[I. J. Parker]

Yes.  I'd go along with that.  Though it seems to me that the business model suggests that using the item itself is a money maker for Kindle.  Surely the price reduction doesn't reflect their income from those thingies. Perhaps one should make a study of how the advertising profits share out.

[Dana King]

On the surface, maybe. I see it as the camel getting his nose under the tent.

[I. J. Parker]

Colorful image.  What's the camel after?

[Sue Russell]

Not sure it is totally relevant to this discussion, but wanted to say that Amazon has a free Kindle download to your PC, no advertisements so far. I use mine on a notebook, larger that the Kindle itself, but still fits comfortably in my lap.

[I. J. Parker]

What?  Of any book listed for sale?

[Sue Russell]

To the best of my knowledge, yes. My most recent download was a short story by Steve Berry, 99c + tax.

[I. J. Parker]

Still confused.  Surely you have to pay for the story.  Then the download is free?  But I would have expected that anyway.

[Sue Russell]

Ah! I see where I confused you. The download of the Kindle is free and you pay for the stories. So, by using your computer you don't have to pay to buy a handheld Kindle, but you do have to buy the stories.

[I. J. Parker]

Thought so.  Thanks.  That's a relief.  :)

[H. L. Banks]

I'm with you.  We are a society that is bombarbed constantly by ads, reading and book browsing are a couple of my sacred places and I'm not about to allow them to invade my space by saving $25 or so.