ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Google Ebook Reader

Updated on April 16, 2013

iRiver Story HD Ebook Reader

The iRiver Story HD Ebook Reader

Whenever a new ebook reader is unveiled, if it shows the slightest promise at all, it is generally christened the "Kindle killer" - usually before it even hits the market.

The new Google ebook reader - or the iRiver Story HD, to give it its proper name - may not prove to be a Kindle killer, but it certainly does have the potential to totally transform the ebook and ebook reader market.

It's a collaboration between Google and iRiver. It launches on Sunday 17th July and the reason that it might shake things up in the ebook reader market is because it will be the first ebook reader that's fully integrated with the Google eBookstore.

The Google eBookstore has been reasonably successful - and you can download books to other readers - like the Nook or one of the Sony family (but not the Kindle, never the Kindle). However, it hasn't taken off as it might have done, partly because of the relatively slow uptake of Android powered tablets.

Apple dominate the tablet scene, Amazon dominate the ebook reader sector - with some recently upgraded competition from Barnes and Noble's Nook reader - and it's hard for anyone else to break into these markets. Or so it seems.

Why The Ebook Reader Market Could Be About To Change

At the moment, the ebook reader market seems to have developed into a face off between the Kindle and the Nook. The Kindle is the leader by some way - but the recently upgraded Nook, complete with touch sensitive e-ink technology display - could tip the scales the other way in the Kindle vs Nook struggle and help Barnes and Noble to close the gap.

There is no shortage of alternative readers which, from a technical perspective at least, could more than compete with either the Kindle or the Nook. However, based on the evidence, it does seem as if customers have something of a preference for buying their ereader from the same place that they are used to buying their traditional, printed books. It seems that a strong association with books is, if not exactly a prerequisite, certainly a considerable competitive advantage for anyone who seeks success in the world of ebooks and ebook readers.

Looking at the Kindle, there can't be much doubt that the double pronged attack of Kindle books and the Kindle reader itself has been a major factor in Amazon's success. Sales of the reader boost sales of the ebooks. The huge selection of Kindle books gives customers the confidence to buy the reader. Kindle readers and Kindle books feed off each other in a delicious virtuous circle which drives Amazon's sales ever upwards.

Which brings us, rather neatly I think, back to the Story HD. By integrating with the Google ebookstore, the new iRiver reader could well tap into that association with books which it would not otherwise enjoy. In a similar vein, the Google ebookstore could benefit hugely from the fact that it now has an associated reader. It may turn into a symbiotic relationship that could alter the entire shape of the ebook reader market in the fairly near future.

Which is why the iRiver Story HD - or the Google ereader as it will surely be dubbed - may well be the most important ebook reader launch since... well, since the Kindle itself. It may not kill the Kindle, but it could, aided and abetted by Google, change the entire market.

iRiver Story HD Ebook Reader Technical Specification

At the end of the day, the Story HD is a plastic brick which is pretty similar to most of the other readers on the market. The big deal, is its association with Google. With that being said, it will need to be, technically speaking, up to snuff if it's to make an impact.

In appearance, it looks rather similar to the Kindle - possibly even the Kindle 2.0 - as it incorporates a QWERTY type keypad instead of the touch screen seen in recently released readers like the Nook and the Kobo. However, the e-ink display is XGA, with a resolution of 1024 x 768 compared to the Kindle's 800 x 600.

Whether that will be seen as a big bonus by the great buying public or not remains to be seen. It might open up some additional formatting options for ebook publishers in future, in which case, it may well prove to advantageous.

One further advantage which it may have over the Kindle is the fact that it has a slot for an SD memory card. This means that the capacity can be boosted from 1,500 books to 18,000 books by adding a 32GB SD card. Take you a while to read through that many books of course.

The salient technical points of the Story HD are listed below:

  • 6″ XGA e-ink technology display (1024 x 768 resolution).
  • Display has 16 grayscales and can be adjusted for 8 different font sizes.
  • QWERTY keypad.
  • 2GB internal memory – enough for 1,500 books.
  • Slot for SD card which allows a further 32GB memory to be added – enough for 16,000 books.
  • Fast page turns thanks to ARM ® Cortex™ processor technology.
  • Long battery life – approximately 6 weeks or 14,000 page turns.
  • Portable and lightweight, 7.3 ounces in weight.
  • Dimensions 7.7″ x 5.01″ x 0.37″.
  • Fully integrated with Google eBooks.
  • Collins dictionary included.


working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)