Analysis of Amazon Kindle Featuring Special Offers
Jump on Board the Ad-Supported Kindle 3rd Gen!
Get ready, folks! Amazon has tossed a game-changer into the e-reader market with the latest Kindle 3rd gen model. This bad boy dishes out advertisements to keep the costs down, and we're here to give you the lowdown on this intriguing new device.
The Hardware
Meet the sleek Amazon Kindle WIFI with Special Offers and Sponsored Screensavers, a sweet addition to Amazon's e-reader family. It sports a six-inch e-ink Pearl display boasting 600 x 800 pixels and a sharp 167 ppi. The Freescale i.MX353 processor ensures quick performance, and a full QWERTY keyboard makes navigation a breeze. Storage-wise, you've got a decent 4 GB of data, though no way to expand it.
This latest Kindle model is slimmer, lighter, and boasts improved battery life, offering up to a solid month if you switch off the WIFI. It also features a Micro USB port for connecting to your computer, two speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for music and audio book listening. You can pick between a WIFI and a 3G version, with both options costing less than their ad-free counterparts.
The Software
So, you may wonder how those ads play out. fear not! The ads only pop up when you're on the home screen or screensaver – they don't swear at you during reading sessions or when browsing settings. When you first set up your device, you'll encounter ads, but they'll change over time as part of Amazon's advertising network. These ads aren't just random junk – they offer weekly deals, like discounts on Audible books, Amazon gift cards, and more.
Amazon will soon reveal AdMash, which allows users to choose the most attractive screensaver ads that'll eventually become Kindle's sponsored screensavers. Kindle's sponsored screensavers are specially designed to take advantage of the device's high-contrast, glare-free e-ink display. Before ads get shown to users, they're previewed by the AdMash community to ensure they are well-received.
The Kindle Ecosystem
When you snag a Kindle with Special Offers, you're diving headfirst into Amazon's closed ecosystem. That means you're limited to purchasing books from Amazon, as the device reads proprietary AZW formats and a new encryption system called TOPAZ. However, you can still download DRM-free books and convert them to PRC or MOBI, formats that the Kindle can read. We've got tutorial videos to guide you through that process.
Amazon's bookstore houses over 600,000 books, many of them bestsellers, and is easy to navigate. Prices range from .99 to 12.99, and there's an independent publishing program to discover new indie authors. Reading books on the Kindle is a pleasure – text is vibrant, font sizes are adjustable to suit your needs, and you can switch between landscape and portrait mode. Regrettably, there's no way to alter margins on this unit.
Our Take on the Ad-Supported Kindle
The Kindle line continues to dominate the e-reader landscape, thanks to its widespread availability in various countries. As high-quality touchscreen e-readers pop up from Kobo and Barnes and Noble, the Kindle holds strong.
The advertisements that the Kindle serves are less intrusive than one might think. Since they're only limited to the homescreen and screensaver, it's easy to shoo them away. Most ads are relevant for Amazon-locked users, offering opportunities to save on audiobooks and ebooks.
We recommend the Kindle with Special Offers to anyone eying a new e-reader. Pages turn swiftly, the browser is refined, and buying books is a breeze. It retails for roughly $114 in the U.S., but it's not available online outside the U.S. To get your hands on this baby, head over to our retail partner www.shopereaders.com.
Michael Kozlowski
michael@our website Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. His articles have been featured in renowned publications like the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post, and the New York Times. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- The Kindle 3rd gen, with its digital rights management system, continues to dominate the e-reader market, offering a 6-inch e-ink Pearl display and a proprietary AZW format for reading books purchased from Amazon.
- Enhancing user engagement, the battery life of the e-reader extends up to a month, while the device offers various gadget features like Wi-Fi, touchscreen, Micro USB port, and speakers.
- In the realm of technology, the Kindle features AdMash, allowing users to curate their screensaver ads and library lending, ensuring a user-friendly experience even with sponsors ads on the home screen and screensaver.
- When selecting books, the Kindle ecosystem facilitates a catalog of over 600,000 options, from bestsellers to independent authors, available at competitive prices and even equipped with adjustable font sizes for optimal reading.
