Amazon is back with a new version of its large-format e-ink tablet, the Kindle Scribe. Does this new version fix the issues of the first generation Scribe? That's what I'm going to try to figure out in this article.
The Kindle Scribe has always been a device that left me underwhelmed.
With its large screen, it allows for annotating and working on documents, but its closed environment limits this type of use. On the flip side, it's too bulky to fully function as an e-reader.
So, based on this, Amazon has worked to enhance its device and offer a new version to compete with the ever-increasing number of Android models (see my reviews) or the recent ReMarkable Paper Pro with a color screen.
First off, although the new Kindle Scribe is designed for work, the base model only offers 16 GB of storage (which is the same as the entry-level Kindle priced at about $100, reviewed here), which seems odd and disappointing for a device that costs over $400!
Fortunately, the design has been revamped with a better-integrated screen, and Amazon wisely included the premium stylus with the new Kindle Scribe.
You have everything you need to work in good conditions, especially since the Scribe maintains its large 10.2-inch black-and-white e-ink display at 300 DPI.
As for other improvements, the videos I've watched and different reviews indicate a better screen responsiveness (which reacts better and displays text faster) along with a better "feeling."
This last aspect is a bit tricky to define, but we can talk about it as the "touch" the stylus has on the screen. Our brain is wired to respond to this sensation by comparing it to writing with a pen or pencil on paper. It seems that these tactile sensations have been improved.
However, the most awaited novelty is undoubtedly the complete redesign of the note-taking system in this new Kindle Scribe.
The software now includes a system called "active canvas" allowing users to annotate and write on all documents very freely. The software then creates a space on the document for your handwritten or typed notes.
On the downside, the character recognition feature is still not fully developed and, importantly, takes quite a bit of time. However, it’s clear that this feature (which uses Artificial Intelligence) can be useful for extracting information from your texts or by generating summaries of your notes.
In conclusion, it’s clear that this new Kindle Scribe is better than the previous version.
But, once again, it feels more like an enhanced digital notebook than a true all-in-one productivity tool for digitizing your work.
On the reading front, it has everything that makes Kindle e-readers popular, but the screen is really large, making this Kindle Scribe less more practical than the excellent Kindle Paperwhite that I recently reviewed.
Kindle Scribe
10.2" e-reader - 1860 x 2480 pixels e ink screen - Ebook formats supported: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, MOBI unprotected, PRC ; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, EPUB (converted)
