Amazon Shipping New Kindle Earlier Than Expected

SAN FRANCISCO -- Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday that it began shipping its newest Kindle e-reader – a lower-priced, ad-supported version called Kindle with Special Offers – ahead of schedule.

Amazon began shipping the device Wednesday, almost a week ahead of the original shipping date of May 3 that the online retailer set when it announced the new Kindle earlier this month.

The Kindle with Special Offers appears identical to the current Kindle. But, at $114, it's $25 cheaper than the lowest-priced Kindle, and it includes advertisements at the bottom of its home page and on its screen savers.

Amazon has steadily lowered the Kindle's price since it released the first version in 2007. It sold for $399.

This is the first time the device includes ads, which help reduce its retail price.

Comments

[Quid Pro]

10:55 PM on 04/30/2011

I don't mind the offers since they will appear on the pages now that I rarely focus on, and not in the books while being read. The previous screensavers were not so great anyway, especially a scary one of Emily Dickinson. So the price finally was low enough to justify a second one to augment my old bigger one. Mine actually arrived today, way ahead of schedule. I am glad they give people a choice. It may make a big difference for those considering extra units to give family members, especially since they can share their Kindle library with every device assigned to the same Amazon account.

In the tradition of Shelly above, I hope you won't mind my hawking some Kindle books. Most are not mine but other professors in history, law, political science and sociology. Our project brings back classic nonfiction to Kindle, such as great books by Selznick, Smelser, Scheingold, Calavita; new books by Etzioni and Auerbach, and new-introduced books by Cardozo, Holmes, and Wilson; and Stanford Law Review. All are collected at http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?node=154606011&p_15=Quid%20Pro&redirect=true . Thanks for allowing me to let you know.

[poyapictures]

10:01 AM on 04/28/2011

Horrible concept for book lovers

[Howard53545]

05:49 AM on 04/28/2011

Make the people pay for the ads.

[Lucille]

05:48 PM on 04/27/2011

I bought the regular one at $139.00, not this one at $114.00. I’d like to view something without advertisements being run on it even if it’s at the bottom of the screen.

[Bright Creature]

05:45 PM on 04/27/2011

I like my Kindle. However, as someone who hates ads in the things she watches/reads I wont be the first to trade in for this. It's worth 25 extra bucks not to have that feature.

[TRichards]

04:57 PM on 04/27/2011

Given the current price, the savings on books alone makes this a self-financing buy. It's also great that one can read the Kindle outside in bright sunlight with no trouble -- which isn't possible with any color display.

The Kindle is to books as the Ipod is to music -- a way to walk around with your entire library at your beck and call.

[Shelly Santiago]

04:19 PM on 04/27/2011

Okay so now this means you can go out and buy my book http://amzn.com/B004XD8EE4 I would really like to be ranked in my home country of the great USA!! It's crazy how I ranked in the UK, but not here. My rant for the day!!!

[Shelly Santiago]

04:25 PM on 04/27/2011

How i'm ranked!! not "how I ranked"