Topic: Amazon u-turn on compulsory Kindle adverts

[Simon]

Amazon has backed down on plans to force buyers of its new Kindle devices to accept adverts.

The latest devices were announced last week, but one of the devices has yet to receive approval from the US Federal Communications Commission and the company has been forced to back-track over plans for compulsory advertising.

Amazon made the u-turn in its pricing policy over the weekend, saying it would allow purchasers of its new Kindle Fire tablets to pay $15 extra to turn off advertisements that are built into the devices.

Amazon had said the tablets would come with ads, known as "special offers", that appear when screens are locked and in the corner of the home screen, helping to keep the price of the device down. But criticism of the company mounted in online forums after reports that Amazon would not allow buyers to pay to block the ads, as it had done with earlier tablets.

Amazon spokesman Kinley Pearsall said only: "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."

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/376813/amazon-u-turn-on-compulsory-kindle-adverts#ixzz266HvOgRu

[Rik]

I've never seen anything about the opt out here, I wonder if it was offered?

[Clive]

There is going to be a huge war between Amazon and Apple over the Kindle Fire HD and the iPad mini.  I will definitely be buying one of those devices but I don't yet know which one to go for.