Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Sony, and many others have recently released large color Android tablets/e-book readers out into the wild.  Effectively the third generation of e-book readers, these tablets priced at 150-250$ USD represent the current pinnacle of our e-book world.  But I’m not telling you to go buy them.  Oh no.  The value may be there but the price isn’t right and the technology isn’t optimum for reading books.

I’m telling you to buy a first generation Kindle, Nook, Kobo, or Sony Pocket e-Reader.  Why?  Besides all being based on superior e-ink screens that won’t kill your eyes for reading, they have each and every one reached that oh so sweet 40-50$ price point on eBay.

Yep!  40-50$.  For the same cost of a video game, a night out at the movies, a dinner (a cheap dinner here in Los Angeles), a pair of slacks, or two weeks of Starbucks blended drinks you can have an e-reader.  Many first generation e-readers come with Wifi and some come with free 2g internet.  Heck buy an extra or two to keep in a drawer at home.  Take them on the bus.  Take them to the beach or rock climbing.  Whip them out at the bus stop or in sketchy neighborhoods.  Treat them like a book.  And when they are lost or stolen or drop and crack or die as all electronics invariably do, simply pull another from the drawer and move on.