Bastards.
Today, Sony released a revised version of the Reader product. The PRS-505 adds USB-mass storage mode (so you can drag and drop to it), a better control layout, and different color options. I’ve also heard that the screen is higher contrast, though I don’t see that verified anywhere. On sale nowish for $300. Get one. I love mine.
I’m curious about how people in this age of technological consumerism deal with experiences like this. You haven’t had your reader even a year, and yet here’s a better one that’s less expensive. Isn’t something similar happening in the iPhone universe? I think there must be some psychological mechanism of coping to avoid the anxiety of knowing you’re 6 months behind in technological advance, with money gone that might have been otherwise saved or spent. However, since I’m not in this world, I can’t figure out what the coping mechanism is, nor do I know whether it’s effective or aligned with deeper human values.