iRiver Story HD Review: Google eBooks, PDFs, Web Browser, Comics, Kindle and Nook Comparisons

[shaider77]

1). It has DJVU file format support. Some of the best rare books you can find are on the Internet archive and they usually load/render much faster than PDF files due to their much smaller files size. Microsoft sponsored library scans are way better than Google's PDFs.

2). Cost of ownership & battery life compared to tablets is obviously a no brainer.

3). This thing has screws on the back and the battery has a board connector which allow for easier upgrade/replacement when it dies out.

[cynicalnihilist]

why would you buy an ereader when you can get a tablet? sounds pretty stupid to me.

[TheColourNoir]

@cynicalnihilist ereader screens looks like actual paper. I suppose that's the selling point. I prefer reading on my kindle over, say, a galaxy tab. Your eyes won't strain as much due to brightness etc.

[cynicalnihilist]

@TheColourNoir right, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. for example with eink the pages flickr between transitions, you can't really have color so forget about rich multimedia. also you can adjust brightness on your tablet. i read on my ipad all the time and its awesome.

if you are reading just plain text then granted ereaders are superior. but the books of future are going to go beyond text.

[DangerousJames0]

@cynicalnihilist

An ereader such as the one being reviewed is worlds cheaper, and it's also a lot smaller than a tablet (actually about the size of a book). As for color, it doesn't really matter unless you're trying to read a childrens book or a text book. I'm not sure what the last part of your post means, I don't see books really changing any time soon.

[cynicalnihilist]

@DangerousJames0 tablets are only going to get cheaper. kindle fire is under $200.

"I don't see books really changing any time soon" - depends on what you are reading. If you are reading informational books like textbooks they are already changing. Pure fiction is a different story. I think there will always be room for pure text only books. But lof of new books will merge other multimedia inside it - providing better experiences for the reader.

[cmadison93]

@cynicalnihilist

Too bad this experience will end after a few hours of use when using a tablet.

eReaders and eInk in general are already starting to adjust for a more friendly textbook interface (i.e. bigger screens, color, less 'flicker', etc.) And with an eReader, the battery life lasts significantly longer than that of a.tablet.

In schools, and in particular where the use of technology is required, laptops are being provided, with much better specs than a tablet.

[cmadison93]

@cynicalnihilist

Nothing is worse than reading a textbook with the backlight straining your eyes and draining the battery.

[theseriousaccount]

@cynicalnihilist it's all about the e-ink display.

[haloman800]

What's your favorite eReader?

[TrinhThanhTrung]

I have an iRiver Story and I really love its PDF reading functionality, which you can crop the margin by choosing a top left and bottom right corners. Along with the reflow feature, I personally think that the iRiver Story is superior to the Amazon Kindle in terms of reading PDF files.

I'm planning to get the HD, I just want to ask: Can you do the same margin crop thing with this iRiver HD?

[wigwambam]

woooooot

[systemikal]

Thanks for a vry good review!

[loversinjapan3]

good review...love google but definitely not my top choice for a ereader...at least not yet!!

[MrBulletproof87]

Too many buttons, touch is the way of future readers, also triton technology of course.

[mresteves73]

@MrBulletproof87 many companies like amazon decide not to make touch screens because the plastic layer on top of the e-ink screen ads glare. To minimize the glare, the companies which sell those products don't add touch sreen, although barnes and noble made a great improvement on the new nook touch. I will buy a kindle 3 even if many reviews say the new nook is better.

[MrBulletproof87]

@mresteves73 I've seen the reviews of nook and kobo touch and haven't noticed any particular glare.

[mresteves73]

@MrBulletproof87 it's not really noticeable, but several reviewers on youtube and also written reviews say that the text looks sharper on kindle, although they are both great. Another thing that made me choose kindle over nook touch is the better pdf support.

[Epifrin]

Neat looking reading device and all from Google. But aside from the slightly noticeable resolution improvement, I don't really see it achieving huge sales numbers.

There's audio support, handier dictionary functionality, featured 3G connectivity on the (and lower pricing if you go with the ad-infested) Kindle. Tactile on-screen navigation, reduced dimensions and countless apps on a rooted Nook Touch. Think I'll pass on the iRiver Story no matter HD it is.

[ek9202]

Great review!

I am looking to buy an ebook reader, and I have been comparing Kindle, Nook, and this one.

I think I will go with Nook. (Touch screen, smaller size, Google eBooks)

[LatinYoung20]

Good one! =)