iRiver's Story eReader has taken its sweet time making a stateside appearance, and as of today, it's still not here. But it's coming! Sometime in January, to be "specific." But will it be as comically expensive as its European counterpart?

Hopefully, no. But probably? Yes. The Story has reviewed fairly well, with testers citing attractive (if obviously derivative) industrial design, ePub support and a decent screen among its strengths, but with a sky-high price tag—the equivalent to $320—more or less pulling it out of the running, especially when cheaper reader like the Kindle and Nook come with 3G and Wi-Fi, the former being excluded on the Story, and the latter not making an appearance until "early Q2," possibly at a premium.

In other words, iRiver: you need to make this thing cheaper, or else it will drown. Ok! [iRiver]