I think this makes perfect sense, although they could have made the announcements better.

This isn't building in "inferiority" in a product, it is getting companies to help pay for a product to end up in your home. I think (as a consumer) that this is a step forward, not back.

What if they sold computer games in the future, one version with ads and another without? I'd be game for that, if there was full disclosure on how the ads appear and it didn't change after the purchase. I could do with a 10 usd reduction on a game I don't play much anyway, and buy an extra 10 buck code to have ads disappear if I do. If I only spend 10-20 hours on a 40 usd game, that's different than watching ads on a game I pour a thousand hours into. F2P game devs should pay attention to that.

I don't understand the complaint. THe option is there to remove the ads. It's only $15. If $15 isn't in the budget for your tablet maybe you shouldn't be buying a tablet? Or you can just accept that you're selling your eyeballs to subsidize your purchase. When you consider the level of product you're getting to $200/$300 there's really no room to complain IMO.

It just seems a bit petty for them to charge to take ads off of something you purchase. Seems like everyone wants to nickel and dime us to death anymore, ever notice how much shipping and handling they get out of you?

That's what I mean about presenting it wrong. Instead of doing it like this with an opt-out, they should have done something like this:

"Product costs 315, or buy the subsidized* version for 299."

Exactly how they did it the first time around. Wonder why they went the other route this time, foolish mistake.

Probably should be looking at it the 'right' way.

[allowing] Advertising subsidises your purchase so the Kindle is cheaper.

If you pay the normal/full price you don't get the ads.

Not only does it sound better that way...it sounds quite FAIR ....

Bottom line?

Bottom line...

They can promote the LOWER price....

"The advertising opt-out helps the Kindle Fire better compete with the Google Nexus 7, another highly-recommended $199, 7-inch tablet, which lacks advertising. The two tablets are still very different, though, with the Kindle Fire much more focused on letting owners consume Amazon's library of content (although it also has Amazon's app store) and the Nexus 7 more tuned towards Google's mobile services and running all the apps available from Google Play."

Looks like the Kindle is pumping its profit margin vs. Nexus 7 with that advertising... 

$15 is an interesting figure compared to $299, I would say they don't want punters to pay the 15 dollars. Making up an advertising package for their site and on the Kindle for a business, could be (or is) a good income stream into the future.

Don't think they are doing it right ... cut the cost of the Kindle by around a half.  This would increase users, more awareness of their product, greater usage (and awareness) of businesses to their product, generate a larger income from an advertising revenue.

Short term pain for long term gain ...

I'm surprised Google haven't jumped at the chance.

Yeah, that was my point, when I bought the Kindle Touch 3G last year, they clearly marketed both prices, was wondering why they went this weird route this time to end at the same result, but look somewhat bad doing it.

Funny thing about that Nexus 7, it's great for what it does but what it doesn't do is blindingly obvious.  The marketplace still needs to mature a LOT for tablet devices and general content (as far as books and music and whatnot.)

With Amazons marketplace (even, yes, installed on the Nexus 7) you can get practically everything.

Honestly, to me this just makes Google look like they aren't even trying.  It's fantastic hardware and OS and...seriously?  What the hell.

Anyway, I sold my Nexus 7 to a friend.  I'll look into it again when things have matured.

That is exactly what they do.  Both prices are clearly shown when you buy the Kindle and the less expensive version clearly states that there will be ads.  They strongly encourage you to buy the less expensive version with the ads which Amazon claims are fairly unobtrusive.  That IS true in a sense as the ads never appear in your reading materials or on the menu but I found them very annoying.  Others may not mind them as much as I did. 

Had the ads been limited to Kindle related products, it would have been fine but the ads are based on every single search you do on Amazon so be careful what you search for.  I got ads for routers, video cards, hair products and all sorts of things.  The ads were pointless as I had already purchased those items elsewhere.  Rather than pursuade me to buy those products, they made me NOT want to buy them.  I felt as though Amazon was invading my life and the ads kept coming.  They may only appear on the wallpapers but I found them very obtrusive so I coughed up the extra $50.00 to make them stop.  Still $50.00 is a lot of money to "unsubscribe" from unwanted ads. 

Amazon wants to become our sole source for online shopping so they are planning to build additional distribution centers in various states to get their inventory into our hands quickly.  Their goal is to provide same day delivery.  I wonder if the same day delivery option will have two prices - one with ads and one without?  Your package will remain firmly locked until you watch the embedded video!  Any attempt to force the package open, could result in permanent damage to your Amazon purchase which will void the manufacturer's warranty.  In addition, Amazon will not accept returns for products damaged as a result of package tampering.     JK, of course. 

Oh my, a company expecting you to pay for a product. Whatever next

Charging NOT to have ads?

Amazon can go suck diarrhea through a dirty old tramp's sweaty sock before I'd subscribe to that kind of racketeering.  I hate ads at the best of times [don't get me started on the worst], so being they track everything you once a customer, it's pretty obvious I'll not be doing business with Amazon at any time during this lifetime or the next

As for a Kindle, eReader, whatever, they can shove it.  If I want to read a book I'll go to the public library... and if they haven't got it, I'll wait until they do.  That's right, I'm as tight as a fish's arse... and that's watertight.  I buy only what I want or need... when I want or need it, not when some pumped up salaried ponce in retail or advertising says so.

Yup, the big companies know how to drive people away... well anyone with half a brain, that is.... meaning people with a mind of their own who can't be swayed by advertising and retail pressure to buy shit they don't need.  It never ceases to amaze me... the ads say come in and buy this and this and this and save... next day there's a freaking queue outside the door just itching to spend its money.  And there was me thinking that to save money you didn't spend it. Silly f**king me!  Anyhow, I digress... wanted to talk about the big stores driving people away.

So, I was recently told about a couple of major department stores here in Australia that now have facial recognition technology and can gain access to your 'smart' phone to target you with ads and products via text messages, email and in person when in-store. Well they just lost an entire family as customers, not that I often went to either company's stores too often.  Now that they've got that kind of crap going on I most certainly won't be returning to a store near me at any time in this lifetime... or the next.

I might not have a smart phone they can get me on [got one of those simple effers that makes/receives calls/text], but that facial recognition crap definitely goes way beyond it for me. Nope, it's not on! Took four coppers an Olympic shot putter and an ex-professional wrestler to hold me down for a mug shot once, so no freaking store is getting pics of me for free... and certainly not for the purpose of targeting me with damned unwelcome ads I neither want or need. 

Bastards!!!  And when those store that don't have facial recognition, get it, that's when I wear the mask.  Yup, I think I still got that Ronald Reagan mask here someplace.  If not, I know where I can pick up a cheap one of Bill Clinton... just hope nobody expects me to hand me old feller out when I see an intern.

Anyhow, Doc, thanks for the open door [mentioning advertising] so's I could vent a bit.  Orright, vent a lot, but hey, it's quiet around here without mrs s and I needed some occupational therapy to stop the insanity setting in. Okay, so I'm somewhat late [yeah, I know what you're all thinking] but Shaunna gets home on Sunday and I'll be just fine after that... well maybe.