A few days ago, Google announced on its official blog the release of the "iriver Story HD," "the first e-reader integrated with the open Google eBooks platform". And while a lot of outlets implied that this was somehow Google's version of the Amazon Kindle, it's not ... not any more than the T-Mobile G1 was Google's version of the iPhone.
But wasn't it?
No. In a nutshell, the e-reader in question wasn't made by Google. It buys books from the Google Books service, but it was made by a company called iriver (lack of capitalization in the original), which uses the "open Google eBooks platform" ... sort of like how the T-Mobile G-1 was a project by HTC and T-Mobile, which used Google's open-source Android operating system.
So, wait. Does that mean Google Books is open-source?
No. "Open" is, unfortunately, a relative term.
"Open-source" means you can look at the programming code. It's implied that you can then take that code and do anything you want with it, but some open-source licenses don't actually let you do this, or else they apply restrictions on what you can do with it. Most of Android is open-source, but you need Google's permission to make a smartphone or tablet that uses the Google apps, like the Android Market.
Google Books is, according to Google, "open to all publishers, retailers and manufacturers." So while a hobbyist can download Android and make a custom version of it for his or her phone, like CyanogenMod, that's not what Google Books is for.
What is it, then?
It's basically the Android Market, except for books. In fact, you can already buy books on the Android Market right now, and then read them on your Android smartphone or tablet using the Google Books app.
Since Google keeps track of what books you have already bought, you can read those books anywhere, on any device that's synced to your Google Books account. That presumably includes the iriver Story HD.
So it's like the Amazon.com bookstore?
Yep. Except that it uses the Google Books app instead of the Amazon Kindle app.
And the iriver Story HD is like a Kindle that reads Google Books.
Exactly. Up 'till now, the only way to read Google Books on the go was to use your Android or Apple device, or a laptop or desktop computer connected to the Internet. Now there's a black-and-white, "e-ink" reader that works with it, too.
So what does that "open" thing mean, again?
It means this won't be the only one, if all goes well. Just like more than one company can make Android smartphones, it seems that any manufacturer can now make these e-reader tablets. So if you don't like the Story HD -- I personally don't care for its styling -- just wait a little while and see what happens.
Doesn't the Nook run Android?
Yes, but it doesn't have Google Books.
Run that by me again.
Remember how I said you need Google's permission to get the Google apps for your Android device? Barnes and Noble just took the open-source code and ran with it. No Android Market for it. And the Nook Color has its own app store now, but it's not nearly as big as the Market.
Why didn't Barnes and Noble get Google's permission?
First, because it wasn't trying to make "an Android tablet." It was trying to make "The Reader's Tablet," a simplified cross between an e-reader and a true tablet. Android "Honeycomb" can be overwhelming, and Barnes and Noble just wanted people to be able to jump in and start reading (and buying) e-books.
And second, I imagine it has something to do with the fact that Barnes and Noble has its own ebook store already.
Ah, gotcha.
Exactly.
Anyway, it looks like a new challenger to the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, and Sony e-readers has arrived. One hopes that it's up to the challenge.
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