Google’s first Kindle clone: No sign of ads

Google’s e-books store platform has its first Kindle clone: The iRiver Story HD, which will go on sale at Target this month for $140.

But it seems like iRiver and Google — the biggest online ad company in the world — skipped the chance to copy the Kindle’s best-selling feature: An ad-subsidized discount.

There are zero mentions of ads or special offers in Google’s post promoting the new gadget. And the price tag is only competitive with Amazon’s second-cheapest Kindle.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s $115 Kindle with “Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers” remains its best-selling electronics gadget, ahead of the $140 version that doesn’t have ads.