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Comment by Namari | Hacker News Reader

Well they already got profits on their bookstore, why would they need to make a version where you got ads on top of that. I guess if we follow your logic they could build phones, consoles and TVs with ads too. I can understand free books with ads but not the hardware/software that reads it.

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So that you decide if you want to buy the one with ads (eww, gross!) or the one without ads (woohoo, I beat the system for a tenner!). Meanwhile Amazon are happy you bought one of them rather than deciding to buy one or not.

The ads are the front cover of some other book on the lock screen instead of the one you're reading. I dislike a lot of Amazon's methods but this one scenario is honestly a contender for least invasive advert still in use 2022.

You know, hardware isn't free, right? Each Kindle model requires R&D, design, testing, manufacturing, lots of work to product, beyond the ability to show books. Sure Amazon makes money off the books, too, but those files aren't free to store on a server (and the servers aren't free), or free to send to you over the Internet, and so on. Ads support hardware cost. If you don't want to see ads, buy the one without ads.

Again, if Amazon just said "hey you get £10 off your Kindle purchase if you subscribe to our newsletter", would that be any better?

>>why would they need to make a version where you got ads on top of that

Gee, to make a device cheaper for you.

>>I guess if we follow your logic they could build phones, consoles and TVs with ads too

I mean....yes. I'm just surprised this hasn't happened already.

It has - 5 or so years ago, non-smart TVs were more expensive than the same ones with "smartness".

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