iPhone 3G
Yes, we know there's a brand-new iPhone on the market, but let's get real — you've got a much better chance of persuading your folks to buy you last year's bargain-priced iPhone 3G than the $199-and-up 3GS. The older 8-GB model still comes with the most recent iPhone firmware, including features such as cut-and-paste, picture-messaging (or at least it will, once AT&T gets around to supporting it) and the ability to search your contacts, e-mail, music, etc., from a single interface. And let's not forget Apple's massive App Store, which includes applications that can help manage your class schedule, graph equations, take notes and doodle in something other than a textbook. True, the iPhone's battery life isn't the greatest — but hey, that's what Kensington's portable power pack is for.
Price: $99 with new two-year AT&T contract