Kindle

Ezra Klein's take on the Kindle. I'll say this. I love gadgets and I like books and I don't really like carrying books around or go in for nostalgic reveries about the scent of paper on my fingertips. So basically, I'd like a Kindle. But at $399 it seems a bit pricey. Or, rather, at $399 the books should be cheaper. After all, distributing a digital text is way, way, way cheaper than than manufacturing, storing, and shipping a hardcover book.

But Amazon's selling a physical copy of Great American Hypocrites for $16.47 so you're only saving six bucks by buying the Kindle version. But at its best, the transition to digital media is all about volume -- subscription services like emusic (and of course illegal downloads) are what makes the iPod good.