This previous Thursday, Amazon revealed a new line of
tablets and e-readers. The company has three new HD tablets including a $499
8.9” 4G tablet to compete with the iPad and two new Paperwhite e-readers. The
company also announced that the tablets “would come with ads known as ‘special
offers’ that appear when screens are locked in the corner of the home screen,
helping keep prices low.” However, “Amazon, in switch, will let Kindle users pay to opt out of ads” by Reuters.com reports online forums revealed criticism
of the ads and disappointment that “the company would not allow buyers to pay
to block the ads as it had done with earlier tablets”. The article reports the
company will be providing an opt-out option for users.
Amazon spokesman Kinley Pearsall responded to Reuters:
“With Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD there will be a special
offers opt-out option for $15. We know from our Kindle reader line that
customers love our special offers and very few people choose to opt out. We’re
happy to offer customers the choice.”
This opt-option fiasco comes after Reuters.com reported
that Amazon has not “received approval for their sale from the Federal
Communications Commission, which requires that products operate safely and
won’t interfere with other signals.” The company responded by saying they would
be ready “to meet its planned shipping date of Nov. 20.”
I own a Kindle Fire. It doesn’t have and has never had
special offers. Thus, it explains the criticism of the planned special offers
for the new tablets. While Pearsall responds by saying the users of the Kindle
reader line “love” special offers, he’s using an e-reader experience to assume
a tablet user experience, which is illogical. Also, it was a stretch for him to
say customers “loved” the offers. “Settling” or “dealing with it” would be a
better description. It’s good that the opt-out option is available - the
company can move on to making sure they can actually the sell the tablets.
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