Amazon Will Allow Opting Out of Ads on Kindle Fire for $15
Amazon last week enjoyed some time in the spotlight when it announced a mess of new Kindle devices. This included a brand new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, a revamped Kindle Fire, a 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD and a new backlit Paperwhite Kindle. Not long after the new devices were announced, it emerged that the entire Kindle Fire line would be ad supported. Instead of specifying in the product title that users would be buying ad-supported devices, Amazon listed special offers and deals as a feature on the tablet. However, if you don't like this ad-supported Kindle model, the etailer will let you opt out. For a fee, of course.
According to TechCrunch Amazon will allow Kindle Fire owners to opt-out of the advertisements and special offers for a one-time fee of $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," a spokesperson is quoted as saying.
This isn't the first time Amazon has allowed customers to turn off advertisements on an ad-supported device. Last year, after the release of the $79 Kindle, the etail giant started to allow users to unsubscribe from Special Offers under the 'Manage My Devices' tab on Amazon. The fee to remove the subscription was $30.
While some folk don't mind seeing ads or special offers in the form of a screen saver, many are happier with a totally ad-free experience. When the pre-order pages for the new Kindle Fires hit the web, it looked like ad-free wasn't an option. We're sure a lot of people will be happy to know they can get rid of the offers for just $15 extra.

No, you buy a discounted product that in exchange for said discount, displays ads when you're not using it "actively"
In other words, someone is paying those 15 usd with the condition to put their brand in it
Right?
What's next? Dell or Microsoft will charge us if we want to uninstall all those 'free samples' that come pre-installed ?
No, you buy a discounted product that in exchange for said discount, displays ads when you're not using it "actively"
In other words, someone is paying those 15 usd with the condition to put their brand in it
What is the world coming to? Money is the ultimate destroyer of our world!
Nobody's forcing you to buy the product, they're offering a product below cost, and having others subsidise the product through advertising, i doubt the sponsors are gonna just willy nilly spend money on you to not view their ads. It's fair.
Extortion would be someone putting a gun to your head and saying buy this or die.
Not, pay us a little bit more money for a product you freely choice to buy.
When is the last time you have seen an advertisement in a physical copy of a book? I have never seen one.
Partially right. You are also getting a better price because of the subsidization of the ads than you would buying one without the ad support.
Not me. The adds don't bother me at all. The adds are only visible when the device is turned off. So I really don't mind the adds being there. The adds have zero effect on me when I am using the device. It is basically as if your computer put an add up on the screen when you turn the computer off. It has no effect on the operation of the device.
Honestly I don't think that I have ever actually even looked at one of the adds. I am aware that the add is there, but I haven't actually focused on it and certainly have not purchased a product because of the adds (maybe if they advertised guns or video games then I would look at the adds, but they don't and I don't).
Anyway I'd rather have the adds and save 15 bucks. But I roll like that.
Why do people like you have to lie? People like you lied when the ad supported Kindle reader was released a couple of years ago. Hate to break it to you, but no ads ever appear in the books. If they appear in the apps, it's because of the app, not because of the tablet, and those ads in apps will appear regardless of what version of the Kindle, or any tablet, is purchased.
This is not extortion either, it's win/win for the consumer. You don't want ads? Fine, here's your version ad free. Yes, it's more expensive, because you alone need to pay to cover the cost of the tablet. Want to pay less and don't mind having a non obtrusive ad on your screen? Well, here's your version, below the cost of making it. Don't want a tablet with either ads or a higher price? Fine, you are free to choose not to buy one at all. See, no extortion exists and those calling it so are absolute fools.
So giving more choice is a bad business model? Going to have to explain that one. If anything, the ad supported Kindle reader that's been out for a couple of years proves you dead wrong on that.