Detailed Analysis of the iRiver Story HD Digital Book Reader
Hey there! Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. We've finally got our hands on the Target exclusive iRiver Story HD, the world's first e-reader to tap into the Google Books ecosystem! But does it stack up against the competition? Let's find out.
The Hardware
This bad boy boasts a six-inch E Ink display, packing a punch with a resolution of 1024×768 pixels. Picture quality and comic books are vibrant, outperforming many other e-readers.
Janet, one of our tech enthusiasts, notes that the Story HD's screen uses the latest generation e-ink PEARL technology, a feature also found in well-known models such as the Amazon Kindle 3rd generation, Sony PRS-650, and Nook Simple Touch. The device also features a Freescale i.MX508 800 MHz CPU, but despite the speedy promise, it falls short, lagging behind in page turn speeds and other tasks.
Memory-wise, it offers 2GB, although only 1.5GB is truly usable. You can further expand with an SD card up to 32GB.
Sporting a full QWERTY keyboard, it skips the D-PAD found in most devices, instead opting for a slider bar to scroll up/down/right/left. This keyboard takes some getting used to, especially when dealing with complex passwords.
In terms of design, the Story HD is minimalist, with a white front and brown back. It's a sleek device, although not without its quirks - it constantly reminds you that it's looking for a Wi-Fi connection, even when connected.
While the Story HD doesn't support audio or video playback, it's all about the reading experience, making it a pure, focused device for bookworms.
The Software
Using a Linux-based operating system, the Story HD provides a stable platform, although it does lack some modern features. It doesn't have a dedicated picture viewer or any other extra functions beyond the eBook experience.
Book lovers will appreciate the seamless, speedy eBook reading experience, on par with the Amazon Kindle in terms of page turn speeds. E-books load slowly, which could be frustrating, but a wide range of formats are supported, including PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOC, PPT, XLS, HWP, DJVU, FB2, CBZ, and Adobe Digital Editions EPUB and PDF.
One major downside is the lack of customization options, such as adjusting line spacing, margins, or fonts. Only the font size can be adjusted, and changing orientation is only possible when reading books, not other documents.
The Google Bookstore Catch
The Google Bookstore is only accessible to US-based customers, selling the device in Target for a reason. Non-USA residents can't even download free books, and paid books are off the table. Instead, they're prompted to visit the Google Book Store on their PC with the same email account used for the iRiver Story HD.
Pros and Cons
Pros:- Tremendous resolution- Solid keyboard- Google Books ecosystem (USA based readers)- Can read CBZ comics and graphic novels- Easy to use
Cons:- Limited outside of the US- No customization of eBooks- No extended features- Internet experience is slow- Web browser loading time is poor
Verdict
If you're in the US, this e-reader provides a solid reading experience and access to millions of free books. It's perfect for budget-conscious readers and e-book enthusiasts.
If you're outside of the US, it might not be worth the investment. With less functionality and fewer book options, other options like the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Sony, or Kobo might offer a better experience.
Rating: 4/10
Michael Kozlowski, our editor-in-chief, has spent over fifteen years writing about audiobooks and e-readers for publications such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post, and the New York Times. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Competing e-reader gadgets, such as the Amazon Kindle 3rd generation, Sony PRS-650, and Nook Simple Touch, also employ the latest generation e-ink PEARL technology, just like the iRiver Story HD.
- For tech-savvy readers who prefer e-ink gadgets, the iRiver Story HD could be an appealing choice, thanks to its high-resolution E Ink display and access to the Google Books ecosystem, despite a few setbacks in software customization and performance.
