professionals and cons Execs Giant high-resolution show Incredible writing floor Wonderful e book reader Lengthy battery life Premium pen is just not as dear as opponents’ Cons No handwriting to textual content recognition Restricted pocket book sharing No bodily buttons
extra shopping for decisions
This assessment was initially revealed on December 12, 2022, and was up to date on July 7, 2023.
Book readers have been part of my life since 2007. At one level, I even thought-about the Kindle DX to get that big-screen studying expertise. Naturally, I used to be intrigued when my coworker purchased a ReMarkable 2 and confirmed me all of the studying and note-taking prospects of the pill.
With the Amazon Kindle Scribe, I get the perfect of the ReMarkable 2 together with Amazon’s strong ecosystem of digital companies.
However proper as I used to be about to take a look at, Amazon unveiled the Kindle Scribe, the primary of its variety to assist in-display writing with an enormous 10.2-inch show.
Additionally: The 25 finest early Amazon Prime Day offers
Seven months have handed and the Kindle Scribe stays as my on-the-go note-taking pill. After I first reviewed the machine, I listed seven enhancements I needed to see on the Scribe, which we’ll revisit later on this article. Since then, Amazon has rolled out three firmware updates this yr. So the query now’s, “How a lot better has the Kindle Scribe gotten?” This is the decision.
Specs
Show 10.2-inch Paperwhite, 300 ppi, 16-level grey scaleStorage 16GB/32GB, or 64GBFront gentle 35 LEDsBattery life Studying as much as 12 weeks, writing for as much as 3 weeksConnectivity WiFi and BluetoothSupported codecs Kindle, TXT, PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML, EPUB, RTF, JPEG, GIF PNG, BMP, AudibleBattery 577mAhDimensions 196 x 230 x 5.8mmWeight 433 grams
Nonetheless a Kindle for e-reading
The Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s greatest e book reader and is the end result of all of the optimizations and capabilities added to the Kindle e book studying expertise over the previous 15 years. Like most Kindles, shopping for certainly one of Amazon’s new tablets comes with a free trial of its Limitless service, which lets you borrow digital books to learn at your leisure. I’ve discovered this service sensible sufficient to decide to even after the trial ends.
Additionally: The right way to get free e-books on Kindle
The Kindle Scribe helps Audible, too, so long as you are linked to a Bluetooth headset for audio playback. Battery life will clearly be impacted with Audible books greater than with normal e-ink experiences, however it’s good to have the ability to get pleasure from Amazon’s audio service even on the a lot bigger Scribe.
The Kindle Scribe (left) is far bigger than the Oasis (proper)
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
The upper brightness ranges, glare-free Paperwhite show, heat controls, and 10.2-inch display make for an superior studying expertise. I solely want there have been {hardware} buttons like I’ve on my Oasis to simply flip pages. It is an important function to have, particularly when dealing with a pill this huge.
Assessment: Google Pixel Pill: What Android tablets ought to have been all alongside
The left aspect bezel is a bit vast, for my part, nevertheless it does make it simpler to carry the pill with my left hand and write with my proper. The humorous half is you can rotate the Scribe 180 levels and have the vast bezel on the proper aspect with a pen in your left hand, making it an ambidextrous pill.
It is price noting that the Scribe doesn’t have an IP ranking for water resistance. Over time, I’ve used my Kindle Oasis on the seaside, by the pool, and even within the bathtub as a result of that reader has IPX8 water resistance, so it is unlucky that Amazon’s dearer and trendy providing would not.
How the Scribe replaces pen and paper
I am going to confess: I’ve drawers filled with notebooks stuffed with my scribbling and sketches all through the years. As every e book will get stuffed up, I retailer them in certainly one of my storage drawers, and ultimately take away them for recycling. My need to seek out one thing that does not waste paper and likewise gives the power to protect and share my notes has been met with the Amazon Kindle Scribe.
Extra: Finest e-readers you should purchase proper now
A key perform that I am going to add is how I can rapidly and simply erase my handwritten notes by ‘brushing’ the eraser portion of the $59 Premium Pen. It is an non-compulsory accent for the Scribe, however one which I extremely suggest choosing up if you’d like the complete note-taking expertise. In the event you order the Kindle Scribe with out a case, you will see that that the pen magnetically attaches to the aspect with the narrower bezels — and it does so pretty securely.
The Kindle Scribe has changed my normal pocket book and pens.
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
If you end up utilizing your Kindle Scribe each day like me, ensure that to regulate the pen ideas for optimum efficiency. Amazon consists of 5 alternative ideas and the instrument within the bundle. It is fast and simple to exchange a tip, and I’ve gone by way of a pair after noticing the tip deforms a bit after in depth use. Ten further alternative ideas are additionally obtainable for $14.99.
Assessment: Amazon Fireplace Max 11: Simply the perfect Fireplace pill but
Whereas I’ve varied different tablets, I’ve but to discover a pairing that feels pure, each in {hardware} and software program and infrequently find yourself not often ever utilizing the stylus that they assist. An e-ink pill just like the Kindle Scribe solves that situation.
What’s new after the updates?
As I discussed within the introduction, once I first reviewed the Kindle Scribe, I had seven areas of enchancment that I needed to see. Since then, Amazon’s rolled out three main firmware updates to the pill that handle some, however not all, of my pointers.
What’s been addressed:
Fundamental file administration: Amazon has improved file administration and the power to rapidly and simply navigate and set up the pages of your notebooks. The primary of the three updates offered subfolders, web page navigation, and extra brush varieties.Handwriting to textual content: The Scribe now helps handwriting to textual content, which permits customers to raised leverage the non-compulsory stylus.Import content material into notes: One other replace offered customers with the power to ship paperwork from Microsoft Phrase to their Kindle.
What hasn’t been addressed:
Shapes: Whereas graph paper is likely one of the observe templates provided, it’s nonetheless powerful to make straight traces in ink. I’d like to see assist for fundamental shapes reminiscent of squares, rectangles, circles, and even traces for once I must sketch up designs and engineering mock-ups. Coloured pens: Even when shade e-ink is just not used on the show, it could be good to have entry to completely different colours and highlighters in order that when they’re exported, the receiver can higher visualize your enter.Export notes in different codecs: Right now, you may rapidly and simply ship your handwritten notes as a PDF to an electronic mail. I’d like to have the choice to ship it as a textual content file, OneNote file, or Phrase doc in order that I might then do extra with the notes.Fast toggle between e book studying and notebooks: It’s fast and simple so as to add notes inside books you might be studying, however typically I’ve a thought I need to write down in certainly one of my notebooks as a substitute. At present, customers have again out of the studying expertise and navigate to the Notebooks part to be able to jot down a phrase or two.
I’d additionally like to see some integration with OneNote. The truth that Microsoft Phrase assist is offered provides me hope for that to occur. Sadly, Amazon is much less open in terms of its plans and commitments for function updates, so I will be preserving an eye fixed out each few months for when new updates are launched.
Backside line
After I first thought-about the Kindle Scribe, I wasn’t on the lookout for a pill for media consumption, graphic designing, or the slew of different features which might be finest carried out by an iPad, Floor Professional, or Samsung Galaxy pill. I used to be merely on the lookout for a superb digital pill that mimicked my conventional pen-and-paper expertise.
Right this moment, I take advantage of my Kindle Scribe each day as my major note-taking machine, and the behavior of carrying it has additionally resulted in me studying extra books than I’ve in years. It is a superb e book machine whereas additionally serving as a succesful working pill.