Newegg had a good deal on a digital photo frame today, which was the idea that lead me to an e-reader in the first place, so I went with that. He'll probably "get it" and appreciate it more right off the bat than an e-reader anyway, though he would probably come to appreciate an e-reader more over time. I'm just thinking of ways to give him access to stuff the rest of us have on Facebook or PCs, without him having to learn to use a computer.
Of the readers I considered, the Aluratek Libre Pro would probably have been the best bet @$50. For someone who doesn't have the money to be buying books or any use for (or knowledge of) the internet, it would have been the simplest for him to use and easy for me to load up. A lot of folks on this forum who have variants of that device actually prefer the "e-paper" screen to e-ink or normal LCD, too.
It's sad that simple e-readers like that (which could probably now be produced at considerably less cost than the Kindles, Kobos and Nooks) are all but entirely giving way to hand-held storefronts.
If anyone's looking for a deal on a digital frame (which also happens to be Aluratek):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882728019
$32.99 w/ promo code EMCYTZT966, free 3-day shipping. Good through midnight tomorrow.