The iriver Story HD is one of the latest eReaders to enter the market. This eReader boasts an HD display and a very powerful eReader processor. iriver also has a partnership with Google Books, similar to the partnerships between the Kindle and Amazon and Barnes and Noble and the Nook. This way there is a clear medium through which books can be purchased onto the Story HD, which is not the case with a few other eReaders on the market.
Aesthetically, the Story HD actually seems as if it was created about ten years in the past. The device is similar in looks to the first generation Kindle, and the appearance is not helped by a mini USB port on the side. In terms of the High Definition aspect, the iriver Story HD does not play HD video or anything the sort, it just has a superbly crisp and bright six inch screen for reading books. The resolution is 768 x 1024, which is far higher than the Kindle or the Nook that both support 600 x 800 resolutions. This resolution results in much sharper images and text, which may be a plus to some users. Since this eReader is used mostly to read books, however, some users may feel the HD capability is not as important.
There are many positive aspects to the Story HD. Google has a wide selection of books and most are available at relatively low prices, meaning that once you buy the Story HD, you will not have to spend very much on individual books. This eReader is priced at about the same level as the Kindle and the Nook, which is unfortunate as they have features that the Story HD is lacking, such as a web browser.
Need to Know Facts: iriver Story HD
1. Bright, sharp display. (The Good)
2. Google Books integration. (The Good)
3. Poor industrial design. (The Bad)
4. Slightly heavy. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Barry de la Rosa, Expert ReviewsThe Story HD has some interesting features and a refreshingly clear interface, but the lack of Wi-Fi and built-in store puts it at a disadvantage. Its keyboard seems wasted, and it's not as good value as the Kobo Wireless eReader or the Amazon Kindle, both of which cost about £20 less.
- Nathan, The eBook ReaderIt is a decent device with plenty of potential but it leaves much to be desired. The higher definition screen is nice, and so is having Google eBooks onboard, but that's not enough to counter the competition. Hopefully iriver will continue to develop the firmware to add to the functionality of the d...
- David Carnoy, CnetNow, if the Iriver Story HD cost $99, things would get a lot more interesting. But it doesn't (not yet, anyway), so it's hard to recommend. That doesn't mean it's not a relatively well-designed e-reader that we actually liked in a lot of ways. But the competition has become pretty fierce in the e-re...
- Laura June, The VergeStill, given the very simple interface of the Story HD and the sometimes disappointing Google ebookstore, the Story HD presents a fairly satisfactory overall experience, and while it's not able to compete point-for-point with the Nook or Kindle, it also doesn’t completely lose against those co...
- K.T. Bradford, Laptop MagAt first glance, the $139 iRiver Story HD seems like a solid eReader contender. The HD display differentiates this device from the Kindle and Nook, as does the wide document support. However, these features don't balance out the uncomfortable design or the inability to make notes and highlights. The...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Ask the Community
No questions for the moment.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- iriver Story HD Manual (PDF)
Maybe one of your friends will find this review helpful? Please help us spread the word.