Kindle

Mr. Early Adopter gets burned again:

Kindle is our #1 bestselling item for two years running. It's also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon. Now it's even better.

Well, of course it's better now, and cheaper, too. I paid almost $500 for mine. The new version is going for $139, and has 50 percent better contrast; new and improved fonts; a smaller, lighter design that still keeps the reading area the same size; a one-month (as opposed to a couple of weeks) battery life; double the storage (up to 3,500 books) . . . well, you get the idea.

On the other hand, the iPad hasn't killed the Kindle, as many feared it would, so I should be able to read my e-books for a long time, whether I keep the old one or spring for the new one. There are a lot of advantages to the Kindle for the serious reader, but the main ones are the free, easy, almost instantaneous access to books and the technology that makes the type readable even in sunlight. Anybody want to buy a slightly used Kindle? I can let you have it for, oh, $139. You'll be saving $361 -- better hurry on this deal before it goes away!