Sony Pocket AM/FM Radio – $13 and no service contract!

It doesn't have stereo reception or digital tuning or even a darn clock, but my little Sony Pocket Radio has been going strong for a decade. A pair of AA batteries supplies me with months of music, news, and sports broadcasts. Its reception is strong and steady, the volume is more than adequate, I've dropped it a few times without harming it, and it's about the price of a sandwich. Sure, I wish it came it cute colors. Yes, it tends to tip over on occasion. And it's so easy to carry from place to place that my biggest complaint is that I sometimes don't know where I left it. But in the age of HD and wireless and internet media, this pocket radio proves that stuff doesn't have to fancy in order to be great. — Jeremy Jackson