Ad-backed Kindle topping Amazon charts
updated 01:55 pm EDT, Fri May 13, 2011
Amaonz Kindle ad version leads Amazon bestsellers
Amazon's recently launched ad-supported Kindle is already the store's most popular device of any kind based on its bestseller chart. The device has been on sale for just over a month but is now past both the regular Wi-Fi version and the 3G equivalent. It's not until fourth place that a non-Amazon device, the iPod touch, shows in the list.
The $114 price is near certain to be the primary factor in the popularity but wasn't entirely expected. Suspicions had come up that many would be willing to pay the $25 premium to avoid the ads, which pop up in the screen saver and the home screen. Amazon has had a historical pattern of seeing its cheapest model always selling the best, even when feature advantages come up such as 3G or a larger screen.
Company founder Jeff Bezos has hinted at the possible long-term reason for the price cut. He alluded to an upcoming Amazon tablet this week and may be hoping to create as wide a price gap as possible between the focused Kindle and the future Android device. The tablet is anticipated for the second half of the year. [via SAI]
