This review is from: iriver Story HD Digital EBook Reader – (1EB07W2G) (Electronics)
Update on Nov. 10, 2011: (1) The new firmware upgrade gives users opportunity to input hidden SSID. (2) USB connection and recognition by the PC seems much smoother than before. (3) The Target store price dropped to $99 since Amazon Kindle touch was announced. (4) There is a backdoor to browse Internet: (a) Select “Brose more at Google ebookstore” (You need a gmail account set up), push Enter (b) Move cursor to the bottom of the screen and select “Help”, push Enter (c) Move cursor and highlight “Google eBooks” at the top of the page, Enter (d) Move the cursor to very bottom, highlight “Google Home”, Enter (e)You are on the Goole home page, from there you can go to any webpage you want by typing target name as you do search regularily. This approach is not meant to replace a fully fucntional browser, just for casual check of internet. To make reading smoothly, suggest to browse mobile internet pages, for example, <…> or other famouse webpages start with “m.”. I have not yet evaluated Kindle Touch. SO far, Iriver Story HD still seems the best eBook reader.
I bought an Iriver Story HD last weekend. I was very impressed by its high resolution, high contrast ratio and fast responsive screen. You can read single lines at very high contrast, not like Nook or Kindle that seem to turn thin stokes into low-contrast gray. Some people complain about its rigid keyboard. I like the keyboard construction which is firm and click is definitive. You feel confident about every key stroke. I especially like its capability of handling PDF files. One can read PDF files with reflow-text or continuous zoom-in without losing graphs between text lines. Story HD also support landscape display mode which makes reading PDF document convenient, often without need for too much magnification. Story HD allows users to place magnified text or graphs within the display center, making reading of PDF documents converted from scan much easier since very often text or graphs are not in the center of the page. In comparison, Kindle is almost useless for reading PDF files since it cannot reflow text and can only magnify a fraction of page in a window at discrete steps (200% or 150% for example). Unfortunately, font size change does not work for PDF files. For most PDF documents, font size is either too small to read or after magnification text lines stretches outside the display window. Then, one has to continuously shift text window sideward back forth to read whole lines. Given slow response of the Kindle screen, it is useless. Nook can enlarge font size or reflow PDF text, but that action makes graphs disappear. Although Nook user does not need to shift text sideward back forth continuously to read whole lines, it does not support landscape display making reading small fonts in original PDF files almost impossible. If a PDF document has no graphs, it is OK with Nook. I also verified that Story HD can open and display all of my PDF or text files with non-Latin characters, such as Japanese and Chinese. In comparison, both Nook and Kindle cannot display many of my Chinese PDF books. Another unique and very desirable capability of Story HD is view of native Microsoft Office document (up to Office 2007 with docx, pptx, xlsx extensions). Kindle tries to claim this function by offering converting office document to Kindle format through email, but everyone knows it is impractical and useless. Nook has no such function at all. For me this function is very useful to review and share data, presentations and reports without need to open a PC. In combination, Story HD’s support of SD card expansion makes this function more practical since I can use same SD card to store document for editing on PC and review on Story HD. With Wi-Fi connection, you can access Google eBook library, but no access of other internet sites. I wish Story HD can support some limited internet access, for example, mobile web pages. I believe, with its excellent capability of reflow text and fast screen response, Story HD can make reading web pages a pleasant experience. In comparison, Kindle’s web browser is useless because it cannot wrap text and screen response is extremely slow. Because of slow screen response plus Kindle’s soft and uncertain key response, moving the cursor around is a nightmare. In this regard, Nook’s touch screen makes browser much useful. I also noticed that Nook’s default web pages are always mobile version which matches its capability very well. Story HD does support library’s ePUB format. I believe, it is a Must-Have function for every eBook reader. Kindle claims it can offer conversion of ePUB files in Kindle format. Again, it is meaningless since most ePUB files have protection which makes conversion impossible. I do have complains about Story HD. First, I could not find the way to input SSID for Wi-Fi…
This review is from: iriver Story HD Digital EBook Reader – (1EB07W2G) (Electronics)
If you want an e-reader with the best screen available, compared with the Kindle and Nook (not sure about Sony), without all the distractions of email, then the iRiver is an excellent option. I have already put lots of journal articles and textbooks on it via the USB cable, and also bought a few books from the Google eBookstore, and everything so far has been seamless. HUGE selection of books there. As far as distractions, this is an eReader, plain and simple, so don’t expect to listen to music or watch movies. Unfortunately, no audiobooks, but I don’t use them anyways.
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Best eBook reader, especially for PDF and office documents,
Update on Nov. 10, 2011:
(1) The new firmware upgrade gives users opportunity to input hidden SSID.
(2) USB connection and recognition by the PC seems much smoother than before.
(3) The Target store price dropped to $99 since Amazon Kindle touch was announced.
(4) There is a backdoor to browse Internet:
(a) Select “Brose more at Google ebookstore” (You need a gmail account set up), push Enter
(b) Move cursor to the bottom of the screen and select “Help”, push Enter
(c) Move cursor and highlight “Google eBooks” at the top of the page, Enter
(d) Move the cursor to very bottom, highlight “Google Home”, Enter
(e)You are on the Goole home page, from there you can go to any webpage you want by typing target name as you do search regularily.
This approach is not meant to replace a fully fucntional browser, just for casual check of internet. To make reading smoothly, suggest to browse mobile internet pages, for example, <…> or other famouse webpages start with “m.”.
I have not yet evaluated Kindle Touch. SO far, Iriver Story HD still seems the best eBook reader.
I bought an Iriver Story HD last weekend. I was very impressed by its high resolution, high contrast ratio and fast responsive screen. You can read single lines at very high contrast, not like Nook or Kindle that seem to turn thin stokes into low-contrast gray.
Some people complain about its rigid keyboard. I like the keyboard construction which is firm and click is definitive. You feel confident about every key stroke.
I especially like its capability of handling PDF files. One can read PDF files with reflow-text or continuous zoom-in without losing graphs between text lines. Story HD also support landscape display mode which makes reading PDF document convenient, often without need for too much magnification. Story HD allows users to place magnified text or graphs within the display center, making reading of PDF documents converted from scan much easier since very often text or graphs are not in the center of the page.
In comparison, Kindle is almost useless for reading PDF files since it cannot reflow text and can only magnify a fraction of page in a window at discrete steps (200% or 150% for example). Unfortunately, font size change does not work for PDF files. For most PDF documents, font size is either too small to read or after magnification text lines stretches outside the display window. Then, one has to continuously shift text window sideward back forth to read whole lines. Given slow response of the Kindle screen, it is useless.
Nook can enlarge font size or reflow PDF text, but that action makes graphs disappear. Although Nook user does not need to shift text sideward back forth continuously to read whole lines, it does not support landscape display making reading small fonts in original PDF files almost impossible. If a PDF document has no graphs, it is OK with Nook.
I also verified that Story HD can open and display all of my PDF or text files with non-Latin characters, such as Japanese and Chinese. In comparison, both Nook and Kindle cannot display many of my Chinese PDF books.
Another unique and very desirable capability of Story HD is view of native Microsoft Office document (up to Office 2007 with docx, pptx, xlsx extensions). Kindle tries to claim this function by offering converting office document to Kindle format through email, but everyone knows it is impractical and useless. Nook has no such function at all. For me this function is very useful to review and share data, presentations and reports without need to open a PC. In combination, Story HD’s support of SD card expansion makes this function more practical since I can use same SD card to store document for editing on PC and review on Story HD.
With Wi-Fi connection, you can access Google eBook library, but no access of other internet sites. I wish Story HD can support some limited internet access, for example, mobile web pages. I believe, with its excellent capability of reflow text and fast screen response, Story HD can make reading web pages a pleasant experience. In comparison, Kindle’s web browser is useless because it cannot wrap text and screen response is extremely slow. Because of slow screen response plus Kindle’s soft and uncertain key response, moving the cursor around is a nightmare. In this regard, Nook’s touch screen makes browser much useful. I also noticed that Nook’s default web pages are always mobile version which matches its capability very well.
Story HD does support library’s ePUB format. I believe, it is a Must-Have function for every eBook reader. Kindle claims it can offer conversion of ePUB files in Kindle format. Again, it is meaningless since most ePUB files have protection which makes conversion impossible.
I do have complains about Story HD.
First, I could not find the way to input SSID for Wi-Fi…
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If you want an e-reader with the best screen available, compared with the Kindle and Nook (not sure about Sony), without all the distractions of email, then the iRiver is an excellent option. I have already put lots of journal articles and textbooks on it via the USB cable, and also bought a few books from the Google eBookstore, and everything so far has been seamless. HUGE selection of books there. As far as distractions, this is an eReader, plain and simple, so don’t expect to listen to music or watch movies. Unfortunately, no audiobooks, but I don’t use them anyways.
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