In order to make sure that the maximum number of people are able to get their new Kindle purchases in time for Christmas, Amazon has decided to offer Free Two Day Shipping to anybody who completes their transaction before 8pm Pacific Time (UTC-8) on December 21st. This offer extends to every model currently available, from the $79 Kindle 4 to the $199 Kindle Fire tablet, and will cover shipping to any location in the continental United States.
The Kindle line, and eReaders in general at this point really, make excellent gifts. The price has come down to the point of being practically large-scale impulse purchases, and the fact that you can expect ongoing support and content updates for the indefinite future makes a strong case or the practicality of ownership. Owning a Kindle eReader provides access to practically any title on the market today at the touch of a button with no need to worry about shipping, travel, or retail crowds. This last one is likely to be a welcome benefit for people doing their holiday shopping this late in the year.
Additionally, according to Amazon the Kindle Fire is the most gifted, most wished for, bestselling item on the entire site and has been since before it was even released. Like the eReader counterparts, it provides users with access to a huge library of content. In addition to eBooks, you can also draw on a large App Store, all of Amazon Instant Video, and basically any digital content Amazon handles. Top that off with access to services like Netflix, Pandora, Hulu Plus, and other content streaming services and you have a media consumption experience it is hard to argue against. Keep in mind that each Kindle Fire comes with a month of free Amazon Prime membership and the access to all the benefits that that entails (free Instant Video selections, free 2-Day Shipping, etc), which means that anybody who gets one as a gift will have a chance to most of its more enjoyable features even without any post-purchase investment.
Keep in mind when considering Kindles as gifts that you can also include eBooks to go with them. At present, all US customers have the option of choosing to gift a Kindle Edition eBook to anybody with an email address. This will work as a cheaper gift option for anybody who might already be using a Kindle app for iOS or Android, incidentally. Also, while I have no personal experience with the feature, you can also apparently also schedule your purchase’s delivery for exactly when you want them to get it. This could help a lot when it comes to scheduling since, even with instant delivery and a smartphone, it is annoying to be making last second gift acquisitions.
If you’re interested in taking advantage of Amazon’s offer, keep an eye on the clock. This will certainly not be extended, given their lack of direct control over shipping matters.
Enjoy your holidays!