Google Books gets its own eReader

Posted on 12 Jul 2011 at 09:50, by Gareth Halfacree

Google's Books digital bookstore might not have come to the UK yet, but the company's commitment has been demonstrated with the news that it has partnered with hardware specialist iriver to launch a Story HD eReader with integrated Google Books support.

Designed to compete head-on with the popular Amazon Kindle, the iriver Story HD features a 6-inch XGA-resolution electrophoretic display providing paper-like contrast levels and excellent outdoor readability combined with a low power draw that allows the device to run for a reputed six weeks between charges.

The Story HD also includes an SD card slot for expanded storage and Wi-Fi for connectivity to the Internet - and it's this latter feature that could spell trouble for the Kindle.

Just like Amazon's eReader has in-built access to the Kindle Store and the 'WhisperSync' technology for synchronising bookmarks and annotations between Kindle-enabled devices, so too does the Story HD - except it's Google's bookstore, rather than Amazon's, that powers the device.

With a dedicated device now available, Google Books looks set to take off in the US. Sadly, there's still a major flaw in Google's plans for domination of the e-book market: Google Books is still only available in the US, with the company remaining tight-lipped on when - or even if - the service will come to Europe.

The iriver Story HD is due to be sold from Sunday in Target stores across the US for $139.99 (around £88).