Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Amazon Kindle Scribe (16 GB) - 10.2” 300 ppi Paperwhite display, a Kindle and a notebook all in one, convert notes to text and share, includes Basic Pen

Excellent New Device. Exceeds Expectations.

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2022

Option: Basic PenSetup: 16 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

I struggled with the decision to purchase the new Kindle Scribe. I have had several kindles (going all the way back to the Kindle with a keyboard) and a few Kindle Fires. I currently have a Kindle Paperwhite and Fire 8 plus. I have always valued the reading experience on kindles along with the ability to have access to a library of books, obtain samples of books, and a convenient way to highlight and add sticky notes. I was initially excited to see the Scribe come out, but the price and some negative reviews really gave me pause. At the urging of my spouse as a Christmas present and convincing myself that I would return it if it didn’t meet my expectations I decided to take the plunge. I am so glad I did. It has exceeded my expectations in all three of my must haves. I decided to write this review in hopes of helping others going back and forth about whether to purchase it now or wait for a future update.

As a little background, I am in academia. I decided that I would purchase and keep the Kindle Scribe if it did an excellent job with The following.

1) Able to read textbooks and technical books with tables, charts, graphs, and math.
2) Able to read pdfs.
3) Able to write notes (lecture notes, answer keys, personal research notes, etc.)

Based upon the previous reviews, I was not confident that the Scribe would do a great job with all three of the above must haves. However, it does. I’ll take each one separately with my pros/cons and fixes.

1) With my previous kindles (including my current paperwhite and Fire), I was never able to have that wonderful reading experience when it came to textbooks and/or more technical books which included tables, charts, graphs, and math. The physical size of the previous kindles simply was never going to work well with these types of books, even with the zoom feature. The size, and perfection of the screen, of the Scribe makes reading these types of books just as enjoyable as reading a book of fiction. The technical stuff comes across wonderfully and there’s no funky formatting that the previous kindles would have when it comes to tables, charts, etc. So, the Scribe passed with flying colors when it come to this must have. In response to some other reviews, I will say that I’m actually glad that I cannot write (make notes, underline, circle) on the books themselves. I like writing a sticky note and highlighting because it keeps the pages less cluttered. Looking back at physical books that I’ve had to read many times over the years, I have written so many notes in the margins, underlined, etc. that it makes reading them again a pain. I hope that Amazon will always keep the option of sticky notes even if one day it allows writing directly on the book. Given the price, did I need the Scribe? No. I could’ve just continued to read these types of books as physical books. But, I am so glad that I can do it on the Scribe and have the wonderful kindle reading experience. My only complaint is that a few books purchased in the past don’t recognize the pen. This might just be an issue of needing to reformat all books and hopefully it will be fixed in the future. Even with those few books, I can still type sticky notes and highlight as before so it hasn’t bee a big deal.

2) Given the size of previous Kindles, sending a pdf and reading it just was never going to work well. The Scribe does a near perfect job. Now, having read some reviews, I was really worried about this must have. I read lots of pdfs from my laptop for my job, and as I sit reading look over to my Paperwhite and wish that I could use it instead (the E-ink is just so much better). Here’s my take on pdfs, if the pdf is nicely formatted to begin with then it comes across on the Scribe perfectly. Yes, you can write on it which is nice (kind of wish I could use sticky notes instead though) and easily export it to your email address. On the other hand, if the pdf is not nicely formatted and/or the text is a bit blurry to begin with, then it doesn’t come to the Scribe perfectly either of course. I have played around with preparing these troublesome pdfs by cropping or simply changing the margin size before sending and it seems to help, but the text is not as crisp. Still though, I can read the pdfs on the Scribe just as easily as reading them on my laptop. So, overall, the Scribe exceeded my expectations here. One strange thing I’ve come across is that when initially opening a pdf, it opens to a cover page so you have to actually go to the beginning by opening up the toolbar at the top then you can flip the pages. This is an example of needing to play around a bit with the Scribe to figure out some of the features. The entire focus on the “cover” thing in pdfs and notes seemed to be a big thing with the tech folks, might be a privacy issue they have in mind. I realize that some folks, myself included, use Google drive and other web-based options to store documents, but Amazon has done an excellent job of allowing the user to drag and drop a document into the Send to Kindle page/app (and, I make sure to choose the option to send only to my Scribe rather than clutter up all my devices). I have only tried one Word document so far but it came across perfectly on the Scribe. If you have a book pdf, you can simply write Chapter 1, 2, etc. on the page of each chapter then go to the notes to easily move to where you want to go. So, I have been extremely happy with this feature which would’ve been a deal breaker for me.

3) Others have said that writing on the Scribe feels nearly the same as writing on paper and it does. I plan to write lecture notes, answer keys, and just some notes for myself. Amazon has done a great job in allowing the notebooks to be easily sent to my email address as pdfs, and they come across on my laptop and Fire exactly has I’ve written them. I am really, really pleased with this aspect. In the past, I would scribble an answer key or some notes on a lecture (including Graphs and math) on some scrap paper then a year later when teaching the class again realize that I’d lost the notes and have to redo them. I will be doing all my writing on the Scribe and storing them for latter use. Having read some reviews, it sounded like the current software on the Scribe was not up to the competition. I have to say, however, I am very pleased with the existing software. You don’t get twenty different widths for the pen but rather five. I really don’t want to have to choose from a great many, and what they have now is just fine for my needs. It is true that you don’t have subfolders to create and a large notebook would be difficult to find things in. I get all of those issues. However, instead of writing a 100 page notebook I plan to write lecture notes in 10 notebooks of 10 pages in length saved under one folder. By using appropriate titles for each notebook I think it will actually be better than having one rather lengthy notebook. There’s not a great many templates to choose from, but I have found the ones currently available work just fine for my needs. Again, though, the Kindle Scribe exceeded my expectation for writing notes.

Overall, I am thrilled with the Kindle Scribe. I really enjoy the reading and writing experience. Given the price, did I absolutely need the Scribe? Not really. I could read the physical textbooks/technical books. I could read the pdfs on my laptop. I could write notes on paper then scan them into my computer. Or, of course, I could do these things on a good tablet. However, I have always enjoyed the reading experience on a kindle and the Scribe might be the best yet. The writing experience on the Scribe is the closest digital device to paper that I have used. I am glad to have these things on one device which does not have all the distractions that come with laptops and tablets. I hope this review helps others in making their decisions. Oh, and as others have said, the battery is amazing compared to tablets and phones.

600 people found this helpful

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Nathan B. Carmack

Best e-reader ever

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024

Option: Premium PenSetup: 32 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

I’ve had many different readers from multiple companies (2 models of Oasis, 2 different paperwhites, kindle 4, 4 different nooks, kobo H2O. They all have their good points and bad points. I mostly find them to be hard to hold, too small, poorly lit and lacking functionality. The scribe is amazing and solves many of the issues I’ve had. With the official case there are many comfortable ways to hold it. It has a huge, well lit screen that looks better to read on and is easier to write on than an iPad with Apple Pencil. My only real issue with it is that it can be a bit sluggish at times. It especially doesn’t like switching between note taking and reading and tends to lag sometimes. It’s clearly a weird software thing that could be fixed. I think the highlighting with the pen which requires you to hold the stylus on the screen to select the text is a bit wonky and the iPad Books app with pencil is smoother. Pretty small issue. Otherwise, very solid and I’m quite happy with it.

5 people found this helpful

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Nate

Great product that delivers all that was promised! A truly satisfying experience.

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2022

Option: Premium PenSetup: 32 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

*WARNING* I've seen several reviews that are knocking the product because they think it is unnecessary or is lacking some features that Amazon made clear up front would not be available at launch. I feel that is unfair. Overall, this is a quality-built product that embodies all of the great features we love about Kindle, while adding a beautiful note-taking capability. I purchased this product out of my own pocket and this is my unbiased review of the product. If you're still curiou, read on.

I have always loved the Amazon Kindle. When I heard about the release of the Scribe, I pre-ordered mine right way, and it even arrived a day earlier than the release date! From a Kindle perspective, it embodies all of the great features Kindle-users have grown to love. It has a big, back-lit glare free screen, which is beautiful for reading. The size, weight and layout is similar to the Oasis and it has a premium quality build and feel to it. The back is a smooth metal and it feels very sturdy in-hand. The battery life seems extraordinary, as is the case with most Kindle products. Mine has been in standby mode with the screen illuminated with a book cover for over 12 hours and remains at 100% charge.

They call it the Scribe because users have the ability to write in it as well. Due to copyright issues I'm sure, you can't exactly write on the pages of the book, but you do have the ability to create hand-written notes similar to a sticky-note, which you can access in multiple ways for review. What is cool, is that Amazon includes a "notebook" feature that allows you to create notes or drawings that are separate from the Library/reading portion of the Scribe. The notebook is accessible from the home screen. You have the option for various page styles (i.e. wide-ruled, college-ruled, blank, etc.). In conjunction with the included stylus pen, this is where the Scribe really shines! The note taking capability is phenomenal. It does feel like writing with a pen on a piece of paper. Note-taking is smooth and seamless. The stylus has virtually no delay and was truly a satisfying experience. The fact that I can carry this around with me and use it to take hand-written notes, while still having access to my full Kindle library is awesome. I have the Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus tablet, and regardless of the stylus pen or note-taking app chosen, have not had nearly as satisfying of an experience writing and taking notes.

Now let's talk about the stylus pen itself. There are two versions. I opted for the Premium Pen, which includes an eraser on the top of the pen as well as a programmable shortcut button. The pen is battery free, so you never have to worry about charging it. It feels good in the hand and as already stated, writes phenomenally. I did find that the positioning of the shortcut button on the Premium Pen is a little unfortunate. If your hand favors a lower grip on the pen when writing, the tendency will be to bump the button. Depending on what feature you have programmed as the shortcut (i.e. highlighter for example), it could become a nuisance. I would have preferred to see it a little higher up on the shaft of the pen. Outside of that, the fact that you can switch between pen mode and highlighter with the click of a button is super convenient. The eraser works well, though there is a slight delay between erasing something and it disappearing on the screen. I also found that when using a lined paper notebook for notetaking, the eraser seemed to eliminate the lines along with what I was erasing. Perhaps that will be fixed in a software update. Keep in mind that there is also an "undo" button onscreen that would be better utilized than the eraser for quick eliminations. Overall, the Premium Pen is nice, but probably not necessary. There are enough built-in features on screen to accomplish the same functions, albeit probably not quite as quickly.

One of the biggest questions I had about the Scribe was going to be whether or not it would accommodate left-handed users. Most of the pictures and videos show the Scribe being used by right-handed people, i.e. the unutilized portion of the screen where you hold it is on the left side. Thankfully, like most tablets and phones these days, the Scribe has a built-in gyroscope, so simply rotating the device allows the screen to reorient into the proper position. This means I can hold it with my right hand and write with my left hand without issue. This may be a feature that the newer version of the Kindle possess, but my experience has been with the older version of the paperwhite, which did not have this ability.

Final thoughts. If you love the Kindle and you're looking for something you can read on and take notes, then this is the device for you. Can you accomplish the same thing from a tablet? Yes. Higher end tablets like the iPad are definitely contenders, especially considering the price of the Scribe. That being said, if you don't need or want all of the apps and features that tablets offer, the Scribe is a great alternative. There are no distractions. No temptations. Just pure an uninterrupted reading and notetaking. It's a beautiful reading and writing experience that is only going to improve as Amazon improves its capabilities in the coming months. Remember, the Scribe has been on the market for a solid 24 hours at this point! While it is on the pricier side, Amazon is giving you 20% off with a trade-in of an older Kindle model. That's a pretty unbelievable deal considering the Scribe was just released (and the trade credit worked during pre-order too). Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this product so far. Thanks Amazon for another amazing product!

101 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Good Bones, Needs Some Improvement

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2023

Option: Premium PenSetup: 32 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

Why I bought the Scribe:
I am a college student, and I wanted something minimalist to take class notes/do math on that wasn't an Apple product. I'm a STEM student drawing a lot of chemistry structures, processing charts, and working complicated equations. I started looking for tablets after I used an entire 120 page paper notebook for one class within 8 weeks. I also am a huge reader and likely would've invested in a Kindle eventually, so this worked out well. As of writing this review, I have had the tablet for about a month, and to be completely honest, the only reason I could really afford the Scribe was because I have gotten a significant amount of excess scholarship aid-thank you to my state for buying me this tablet ;). Therefore, I am likely a little biased into really liking it, because I don't want it to be a waste of my scholarship money.

What do I like about the Scribe?
Overall, I have fallen in love with this tablet. Structurally, I like the size for writing (it's pretty close to an actual notebook page) and weight for my backpack, since I am carrying it around all day along with my laptop and rest of my gear. I absolutely LOVE the paper feel of the screen, the variety of notebook templates, and especially the eye comfort as compared to the bright blue light of a laptop. I haven't had any problems with the (premium) pen itself, and the tips are easy to change. I also really like that if you have the mobile Kindle app on your phone, you can view the notebooks you've worked on.

I have mostly used the Scribe for notes, lists, and marking up PDFs (I'm not much of an artist). I have had no problems with sending PDFs back and forth from the tablet to my laptop for the most part. That was also why I went for the 32 GB tablet; I send PDFs for about every class along with some personal stuff, and it's going to add up over time.

What issues have I had?
The most annoying issue I have had (at least, with my specific Scribe) is that there seems to be spots on the screen where the pen acts weird. I will be writing and the letters suddenly don't match on screen where I was writing or they will be super wide or super narrow (it is hard to describe in writing). They're almost in perfect circles, and there are at least three spots I can think of. They aren't on the edges, either, they are in the middle of the page, which is irritating when I'm writing in lines. It is also an issue that is just noticeable enough to be annoying but not so much that I would send the tablet back to get a new one. I have tried changing tips, and it is definitely the screen, not the pen. I've been learning to adapt to them, but definitely super frustrating when the Scribe costs this much. *Edit: see picture for visual representation of where on the screen this affects.

The second issue I've had is that it likes to drop WiFi, especially when I am on campus and moving building-to-building, or even room-to-room, which is incredibly frustrating when I am trying to send PDFs to my laptop. I have a lab and classes where I have to provide proof of calculations and notes, so having that capability is vital for me.

Improvements I would Make to the Scribe and My Tips for Use:
**Disclaimer: I am not a programmer, nor am I studying to become one. If I don't know the technical terms for things, please forgive me.**
1. Improve the screen or software so that the "circles" of pen-weirdness end (I'm not entirely sure which would affect it).
2. All the other reviews who say to get a third-party case? Heed them if you buy this tablet. I got the Gray Forest MoKo Case for 10.2" Amazon Kindle Scribe, and I love it. It keeps the tablet in VERY securely (like, there's stitching on one side for the corners and a velcro strap that wraps around the "spine" of the Scribe) and bonus, it's absolutely gorgeous.
3. It would be awesome to be able import JPGs or PNGs into notebooks in order to add to the note-taking experience. Maybe that defeats the purpose of minimalism, I don't know, but right now I'm sending OneNote files or just marking up PDFs that have the images in them. I'll be excited when the full Microsoft suite will be able to be imported in and marked up.
4. Being able to put notebooks and PDFs in the same Collections or folders! I have a Collection for each class and then a Notebook folder for each class, and it would be really nice to have everything in one place.

Whew. I think I covered everything. I might come back and edit my review once the developers have made more updates/changes. As of now I am happy with the product, besides the couple of issues, and I would absolutely buy it again. I've even had iPad users jealous of its simplicity, which feels like a weird flex ;). Way to go Kindle!

Edit: After 8 months of use, here is a quick update. They added the text selection feature, so I took that off my list of improvements. Still having issues with my screen, but I have adapted to writing in those spots (I rely on this too much to send it back or get it replaced). I have included a picture to show the places on screen I have the most trouble. Something else I would really like this Kindle to be able to do would be to go split screen, so I could read a slide and copy notes that way without my laptop or copy existing notes for repetition. Just wishful thinking as the minimalist design is a tough line to tread. I still absolutely love this tablet and am glad to save some trees!

270 people found this helpful

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vandyxam

Affordable Brilliance: Kindle Scribe Delivers Remarkable Features with a Left-Handed Twist

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024

Option: Premium PenSetup: 64 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

Title: "Affordable Brilliance: Kindle Scribe Delivers Remarkable Features with a Left-Handed Twist"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As a left-handed writer, I recently ventured into the world of e-notebooks, initially trying the Remarkable 2, which left me impressed but also slightly disheartened by its high cost. Enter the Kindle Scribe – a game-changer that not only fulfilled my digital notebook needs but did so without breaking the bank.

The Kindle Scribe has proven to be an excellent alternative for those seeking a cost-effective e-notebook solution. Its sleek design and impressive functionality immediately caught my attention. I had grown accustomed to the convenience of a digital notebook, and the Kindle Scribe seamlessly integrated into my daily routine.

One standout feature that catered to my left-handed writing style was the Kindle Scribe's ability to flip the notebook over. This simple yet ingenious design allowed me to have more space on the right side, providing a comfortable area to hold the Kindle with my right hand while I focused on writing with my left. It's a thoughtful touch that made a significant difference in my overall writing experience.

What I appreciated the most was its affordability compared to some other options on the market. The Kindle Scribe offers many of the same tasks and features as the Remarkable 2 but at a significant cost savings. This made it a practical choice for anyone looking to embrace digital note-taking without making a hefty financial commitment.

The writing experience on the Kindle Scribe is smooth and responsive, capturing the essence of pen and paper. The display is clear, making it easy to read and write without straining my eyes. It's a joy to use for both work and personal notes.

While the Kindle Scribe doesn't offer the ability to tag pages like the Remarkable, I found its basic e-notebook functions to be more than sufficient for my needs. The simplicity actually adds to its user-friendly nature, making it accessible for those new to digital note-taking.

In conclusion, the Kindle Scribe is a fantastic investment for anyone seeking an affordable and reliable e-notebook, with the added benefit of accommodating left-handed writers. It provides a remarkable writing experience without the remarkable price tag. If you can live without advanced tagging features, the Kindle Scribe is undoubtedly worth the money. Embrace the future of note-taking without compromising your budget – the Kindle Scribe has my wholehearted recommendation!

25 people found this helpful

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Sean McCauliff

Mostly misses the point of having a pen

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024

Option: Premium PenSetup: 16 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

TLDR: The basic reading functionality is very good. The pen isn't that useful. Software is still pretty limited if you don't want to use reading glasses.

My last kindle device was a kindle DX (yes the giant one that was released more than 10 years ago). I gave up waiting for Amazon to release something that amazing and went with the scribe. The screen is very paper like, the resolution is crisp enough that letters look very good and readable. The page turning speed if very nice. The actual feel of the pen writing on the screen is very much like pencil on paper, this part was very unexpected and pleasant experience. Finally, it's a good weight for hold and reading for extended periods of time.

Here's where all the complaining begins. This device is pretty expensive for what it is and it's not like this is Amazon's first kindle product so I believe these complaints are justified.
1. You can't use the pen to write on most books. None of the books I would want to write on can be written on. Since the pen is kind of the marquee feature of the scribe this is very a surprising limitation. Why would one want to do this and not leave a note:
a. The notes are represented as little dots to tap on and aren't really read in-line with the book.
b. Some books like cook books are basically meant for you to personalize. Like cross out which ingredients you already have when making a shopping list. Notes on taste. Variants you want to try.
c. You have different types of notes you want to make (e.g. TODO vs idea notes) and you won't be able to see this unless you expand the notes.
2. It's 2024 and presumably Amazon still has software engineers in its employ so that they can make small changes like...changing the font size of the non-book part of the display. The most obvious fail in this issue is that the dictionary is still at the default font size regardless of the size chosen for the book. I don't know about most people that use the feature, but it's a big selling point that I don't need to use reading glasses to read books on the Kindle: I can just make the font size larger. This limitation is even more perplexing when you are browsing the kindle store on the device where everything is rendered in a tiny font. It's like they don't want me to be able to discover new books on the device and buy them. Which brings me to.
3. The kindle store is integrated into the home page, but I often don't care about the categories that are displayed. I want to go to the store and shop it like the regular amazon site like as if I want to shop and buy something. In the ancient DX there was a menu item to just do this. Again this is a perplexing move as if amazon is not interested in acquiring more of my money.
4. One side of the device has slightly more bezel than the other side. This should be side side you use to hold the device. It's just the right side for my big thumbs. Great. Oh wait I just shutoff the device. They put the power button in the middle of the side where the device is held for reading. There are three other sides to the device (if you don't count the front and the back) that could be chosen for this functionality. Three sides where this wouldn't matter. Three of them.

104 people found this helpful

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MM

Love it! Did not make me carsick! Helpful for school. Specifics in review for anyone it might help!

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2023

Option: Premium PenSetup: 16 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

I was hesitant at first because of mixed reviews.
I have to say- I love it!

Addressing Other Reviews
I have to say that a lot of the things people are griping about can be solved by having patience. It is a first-generation device and, while better versions may come, this one is far from basic.

I haven't charged it in a week, in spite of using it multiple times. I think if you use it heavily for a few days, you will need to charge it more often- but are we really to the point where having to charge a device once a week is a chief complaint?

Every single device I have, including a recent phone alleged to be "top of the line," has some loading issues from time to time. It's part of technology and it will never be flawless.

There is a learning curve, but once you start to play around with it, it's pretty user-friendly. Simple Google searches answered most of my questions quickly. I encourage you to form your own opinion.

Cost
I got it on sale and traded in an old device to make it cheaper, then am doing the monthly payments for the rest, so I found it all reasonable. Watch for sales and utilize monthly payments to help with costs.

Reading
The reading on this is stellar. If you love Kindles, you will enjoy it. It feels more like a book than a regular Kindle. I have several gadgets I use to prop items up. The HUANUO portable lap laptop desk (https://tinyurl.com/HUANUO-Laptop-Desk ) is my favorite. I also like laying it flat, like a paper, when I'm reading and writing on PDFs. This might surpass my paperwhite for reading, which is saying a lot since that thing is awesome.

Writing
I love writing on this. I got the premium pen and love using the "fountain pen" setting because it looks beautiful. I've found it really simple to create notebooks and lists. I like using it for brainstorming so I can still handwrite things, but not waste a bunch of paper, and love the undo feature for similar reasons. There's also a function to circle and erase a section, which is neat.

Book Notes
Others have mentioned not being able to write in book margins, but the notes feature is still nothing to scoff at. For most books, I can tap where I want to make a note, then either handwrite or type (with the on-screen keyboard), and it will leave a tiny note icon in that spot (which is easy to access later). This looks cleaner than writing on the book page, while still being functional and simple. A few books still only let you do the old-school Kindle notes, but those aren't bad either. They are creating more books with writing options.

PDFs
Being able to write on and highlight PDFs is a game-changer for grad school, so this is proving to be one of the more helpful features (and part of why I got one). You can adjust the margins of the PDF, depending upon if you want it more for reading or notes. I took notes on a PDF and sent it back to myself, then later pulled it up on my desktop for my research.

Size, Battery, & General Functionality
The size is just right, feeling more like a book or paper, while still being condensed. I was able to repurpose an old planner cover for it. As mentioned above, I feel the battery life is impressive, as it tends to be on all Kindles. I've used it for hours on a multi-day road trip without recharging. It's also the first device I can read and write on in a car without getting carsick! As will be the case with most 2-in-1 technology, you might not get every single facet of each one when you combine them- but I do not feel this to be lacking.

USE YOUR DESKTOP for set-up/adjustments
I emailed some PDFs and that went well. You can also customize your pdf-sending email. Emailing PDFs to your Kindle email will work for most PDFs and is only limited by your email provider's size restrictions. For larger PDFs, I tried a few different things and finally settled on connecting my Surface tablet/desktop with the Kindle Scribe. I used a USB to USB-C cord and was able to drag and drop files from any folder on my desktop right into the Kindle documents folder. This was the fastest and easiest way to send files that were too big for sending via email.

I'm glad I bought it and hope others will form their own opinions and get just as much joy out of it. Like any product that is the first of its kind, there is room for growth, but the updates they send through are great and this is still outstanding.

215 people found this helpful

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J. Thornberg

Almost returned it until I figured out this one problem

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023

Option: Basic PenSetup: 16 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

To start, I've only had this a couple of days, but I wanted to share my experience early because I have figured out several "gotchas" that I thought others might find helpful. The little info tours are definitely not comprehensive and I had to use Google to figure out quite a few things.

Application Errors

I almost returned it after a couple of hours due to nonstop "application errors" that I assumed meant it was a crap device. Thankfully, a forum post I found clued me in to the fact that using emojis in book notes (added when reading on iOS Kindle Apps) cause the entire thing to freak out. Thankfully, I only recently started this practice, so scanning through and removing all the emojis in notes on the iPad was fairly simple. Since then, it works great!

Interacting with other Kindle apps/devices

The other thing I was very interested in and couldn't find much information on is how the Scribe notes interact with other devices, because I switch around where I read a lot.
- Kindle Paperwhite will show you highlights and text notes, but not handwritten notes (I'm also 98% sure it changed the UI on my PW to match the Scribe's menu and highlights/notes display)
- Kindle for iOS will show you all of your notes including handwritten, but you can't edit the handwritten notes, only the text.

Turning off the toolbar in the book margin

The little toolbar that floats in the margin when reading was very distracting to me. The little menu at the bottom of the toolbar lets you move it to either side, but there's no "off" there. You have to go into the three dot menu in the header, and click "Hide Writing Toolbar" from there. Note that this does not hide the toolbar in the Notebook, where you really need it to be there, so that's good!

Premium Pen shortcut button for sticky notes

Pro tip for the Premium Pen users, another thing that was not intuitive to me - the shortcut button! I'm used to the double tap on the Apple Pencil "switching" the function, so when I set my shortcut to sticky note, I long pressed the button to "switch" modes and then tapped. Thanks to a helpful feature review on YouTube, I learned that you must hold the button while tapping. Easy enough once you know!
- Note, if you plan to use this to add sticky notes to your book, definitely go premium option - updating the shortcut button to sticky note lets you easily add notes while still hiding that distracting little tool menu from the book margin.

OK, so on to the rest! The writing is absolutely fantastic, this was the biggest surprise to me. I have an iPad/Apple Pencil so I'm not new to the digital writing thing, but this definitely has a whole new feel, and noise! It's the closest experience to writing on paper I can imagine, and I adore the eraser, brings me back to my childhood lol. Love all the different pen types and thicknesses too.

The big display is just lovely too - the pretty sleep screen displays were an unexpected bonus, I actually switched off the setting to show my book cover so I could enjoy them! I adore the e-ink display because it's so easy on the eyes, and the bigger real estate is similar to the experience of reading a hardcover book, whereas I'd consider my Paperwhite like reading a paperback. I appreciate that it does the warm setting like my PW, as it makes a big difference to me when reading after dark. It's a little heavy for one-handed reading, but that's why I kept my Paperwhite. I usually either hold it with both hands or prop it up on the cover stand or a tablet pillow.

Speaking of cover, I went for the Amazon brand denim fabric cover. I know, expensive, but in my experience the Amazon cases are the ones I prefer. My favorite feature is that the Scribe is held in magnetically, so it's easy to pop out and read without the cover - in a device this size, I think that is important. The stand is also nice for reading at a desk or table, although when writing i prefer it laying fully flat. It's not going to protect much in a drop scenario I don't think, but it will serve nicely to protect it when tossed in a bag.

All in all, while I was so ready to send the thing back, I'm glad I persevered and figured out all the little quirks. I hope that my tips help you too :)

98 people found this helpful

Helpful

heather d.

OBSESSED BUT WISH FOR A FEW MORE THINGS, HOPE THEY COME WITH AN UPDATE?! UPDATE!!!SEE BELOW...

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2022

Option: Premium PenSetup: 64 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

Although this is pretty long, please read until the end for more helpful items i found to use with your SCRIBE or even other devices, ive mentioned extra protection and the perks of using 360 degree rotating magnetic charging cords and heads in ALL your devices! This review will go over regular tablets and 2 other brands of eink note taking devices. I touch on storage, pens, the paper templates, DRAWING...its a lot but def worth looking over. Might as well scroll down to the see more for my review and pull it all up now before you continue any further lol...i really hope this helps somebody on one of the things i mention.

Ok I'm going to hit a few topics that I've noticed nobody has really hit on yet, and its something I had tried to find out myself before I bought mine, and I couldn't get that info so I just bought it! I should start by saying I currently have these other devices as well: 10in Samsung tablet, 10in IPad, fire tablet, almost every paperwhite, likebook ares eink tablet, onyx boox nova color eink tablet....and now the wonderful Kindle scribe! Now, let's talk business.

I love to read, and the paperwhite has been my go to device all the time hands down for my reading...waterproof, lots of storage at 32 GB and great battery life! Reading comics however is a pain. To small, have to pinch and zoom....just to much hassle. It's the same thing on my other two eink devices, there is still no glare on these other 2 (likebook and boox), you get the min storage but can add micro SD cards, and those are not waterproof and the batteries run down so quickly even when in airplane mode. Now let's talk actual tablets (Samsung, Ipad, fire, etc)... obviously bigger screens, bright vivid colors. Have to install kindle app to read your books (except for on fire tablets), and now you can no longer purchase any new books on these devices unless you are using an actual Amazon brand device when buying them! Comics are much easier to read...and again in color. You won't be able to read on your screens outside though, the sun will just bounce off device making it more useful for a mirror!! All of these devices will let you surf the web, shop, play games, listen to music or books, read...you name it. Books won't eat up too much of your storage since it's just words but comics sure will. And I don't know about you all, but my batteries on these devices drain faster then say a paperwhite.

Here's what I wanted to know-
Not only do I read a lot, but I'm an artist. I love to just be able to pull something out of my bag and draw if the mood hits. I noticed people only touched on the "note taking" abilities on the scribe...but I wanted to know MORE!! I wanted to see the pen line thickness for each option, see if when you did the highlighter over the pen if the black would fade, what other pens could be used on it, if we could install more paper options for free directly into notebook paper options!!

Let's talk tablets first for drawing and doodling. Fire tablets don't offer to many great drawing apps for people who like to draw. There's sketch guru and sketchbook abd a few just bare min basic apps. But I'm not overly impressed with how they run on these devices and what they offer. Samsung which is android has a bunch due to playstore (I'd list them all but I'd be here all day) art rage, sketch guru, ibis paint, sketch book...a lot. And Ipad, do I even have to say it lol, one word... Procreate! The great things about creating art on these tablets is that you have unlimited color options, shading abilities, tools like shapes and rulers, layer of pages, pens, pencils and brushes etc. I however, and this is me personally lol, don't like drawing on them ( I have, but not since I got my first eink reader and note device) my lines are all over the place, if I have to pick my pen up it's time consuming to get back on the same line I left off its just a flat out pain and it annoyed me! To some they found tricks and have mastered it...not me though lol...give me pen and paper and some color and im good!

As for the eink devices. My ares likebook was my first with the ability to write on it. Sure I download my kindle app (but I never really read on it, used paperwhite everytime for that). I was able to access Google playstore, install all the same apps I had on Samsung tablet, could surf web, and do all the stuff I could on Samsung, fire and Ipad. Drawing on apps installed from playstore was horrible on this device. It lagged and I'd have to wait for my line or what I just drew to appear to continue to even draw. Now in the notebook section though it was amazing! Just like pencil or pen to paper, and it's pressure sensitive. The likebook only has 2 pen options, a ballpoint pen and a calligraphy pen. It gives you a few thicknesses to use however the thickest option isn't even as thick as say for example, a Crayola marker tip. The eraser function has the ability to erase entire area, each individual line by just tapping a line to erase, circling an item to erase. It also has gray, red and blue scale options when using pen but those are a joke because I never even noticed a difference, it was still just well, black!! Next device was my boox nova color eink device, all the above for likebook is exactly the same except for when I was in the notebook area, the options are 100% different and better. As far as pen option, you can pick between ballpoint pen, marker, pencil, highlighter, calligraphy pen, and a paintbrush! Yeah I know awesome right?! You can convert your written notes to text, move and drag items, layer, change templates, it has shapes like circle, square, line, etc. Honestly, it does a lot and it's in COLOR!!! Mine has 18 colors. I was so excited for this BUT I'm not overly impressed. I can't shade or blend using any said brushes or any of the colors. It literally just changes to color selected and thats it. If I draw a picture say like a caricature in black and then fill it in with colors, my black Baseline just disappears, even when using the highlighter, so then I have to go back in and redraw my lines which is a pain. And yes, I know, these devices are more so for taking notes not necessarily for drawing. I get it lol, but do you realize how sweet it is to have 1 device that does it all; day or night, inside or out?! It allows me to carry a lot less in my purse just bust something out because I want draw suddenly lol! The one really neat thing about both the ares and the boox, they have several different types of paper patterns and themes to pick from pre installed but they also allow you to download other ones too and add them right to your notebook. Like budget trackers, or savings tracker, shopping list or booklist, planners, goal setting worksheets, blank comic book pages!! It's endless, you want it, you can get and get it for free!! And you can make each page a different paper in your notebook! Believe me when I say this, but that is a huge convenience!

Now onto the scribe. I enjoy reading in this which is surprising because I'm so used to the size of my paperwhite, which since getting my scribe, has been retired 😅. If you're familiar with the paperwhite then you'll notice it's pretty much the same just a much bigger screen. As far as comics go, they are incredibly clear and very easy to read without any eyestrain (you'll just have to make do with the Grayslake colors, but you'll be OK I promise)! I went for the 64GB because I plan to draw, a lot, on this bad boy. I have 32 GB on my paperwhite and have over 4,000 (closer to 5,000 with no signs of stopping) books on that and a chunk of them are comics (like the walking dead com. sets) and I haven't even used so much as half of my 32GB on that. So it didn't even put a dent in my scribe storage of 64GB! Just like all of Amazon's ereaders this is a distraction free device...no apps, no emails or games or whatnot. I'm fine with that in fact i actually prefer that. After I install any new books I tend to keep all my devices in airplane mode (stretches out my battery life even longer). Ok so let's talk about drawing on the scribe. You get one pen with 5 thicknesses to pick from, a highlighter with 5 thicknesses, and an ereaser with 5 thicknesses to pick from plus an option to erease page or an option to circle what you want to erase for it to erase. That's is folks. No extra fancy tools or other pens, no write to text or layering or dragging and moving items or resizing or copy and paste...yet. Maybe one day. You get like either 12 or 15 styles of paper to pick from, however that one notebook will be that style of paper throughout. Page 1 can be lined but then so will every other page in that notebook until you create another notebook. It's annoying, but I just pick a paper I want for a drawing like say I need gragh or dot, select do my drawing, then go in and change it to blank so the next page is blank as well as the paper under what i just drew. I do wish they had a planner (free lol), savings tracker, shopping list, a booklist...cmon at least a book wishlist its a kindle haha! I also really wish that like my other 2 note taking eink devices you could install other paper options into the notebook paper selections...but you can't. You get what you get unless you buy a planner through keys2success starting at $25 and going up to $150! Anyways, back to drawing, sorry. So this is exactly like drawing on paper!!! Unlike my other 2 eink devices it is NOT pressure sensitive. If you pick up your pen you can very easily pick up right where you left off which I always had a hard time doing on Samsung, ipad and fire. So the the thicknesses of pen options: heavy is just like using a Crayola marker, nice thick bold line. Thick is like a sharpie. Medium would be like a felt tip pen and is less bold then previous two. Then the last two would be like a ballpoint pen or a calligraphy pen, and you last option would be like a very fine tip micro pen. I use these last two pens for all my fine detail and some of my "ink shading" if you will. It works amazingly and I'm really picky about pens on these devices and how they preform. Im quite surprised since in videos i watched it seemed bare min compared to my boox. Amazon has not let me down! Pressure isn't an issue because of the sizes they offer in pen options, you just have to use them properly. The highlighter, ok, I AM IMPRESSED! If I highlight over anything I've drawn with it...my black baseline remains, I can't believe it. I'm sold lol! So yeah you won't lose any of your work when you highlight. So it has roughly the same thicknesses available it just doesn't get as fine as the pen options. Think of the thinnest highlighter you've seen and we'll that's the smallest it'll go. If you, say color in something in with the highlighter, and then say use it again in just one area you've colored already to try and make it a little darker, it won't. The eraser thickness options are just like the highlighter, you can't erase just one thing because it may wipe out a larger area but the undo and redo buttons are great for quick mess ups. I tried using the eraser at its finest tip for highlights in hair and well...that didn't work out so well, it erased big areas. Kind of wish they had a micro eraser available for that. The eraser does have the circle to erase option, so I guess you could circle say like and eye or part of the eye to erase that way. They also have an erase page option. I use the undo and redo buttons a lot lol. I really enjoy drawing on this even though I don't have all the features I have at my fingertips with boox notebook. Do I wish scribe had these features, absolutely! It'd knock those big ticket items right out of the park. I have no issues using the smaller pens to shade and detail and then use the highlighter to really pop those features in my drawings I want to stand out. I'm not gonna address the note taking other than by saying it's crisp, clear, and your letters are all connected and not cutoff and hands down the BEST note taking device I have when it comes to handwriting. The size is absolutely perfect for everything I use it for. I can't wait to see what features and pens they have on future updates for my scribe, and I really hope that they add more paper options (FREE paper options lol) to our notebooks. You can however send pdfs of different paper to your scribe, but its a pain and not convenient. It gets added to your library and its just 1 sheet when you may need several so it kind of stinks that way. And I don't know about anyone else but I want all my notes and drawings located in one spot, not mixed in with my books and in my library. That would make my Scribe the ultimate all in one tool! I'm fine without color because sadly eink color isn't quite there yet for me. I do own several EMR pens (of course lol) as well. I have the ones that came with my boox and ares, I have the lammy pen, the Norris steadlier jumbo pencil, wacom pens, the heart of metal pen (has a ceramic nib that never needs to be replaced) and the premium pen for the Scribe. Here's what I've found out, all of these pens/stylus work on the Scribe thankfully. I will not use my heart of metal on my Scribe but I'm sure it will work. I'm just nervous because the nib is hard and I don't want to scratch or ruin my screen ( if you're crazy enough to try it ha ha let me know how you make out!). And Although some of these nibs are different sizes it does not effect the size or width of the lines you draw or write with on the Scribe.

I'm sorry this review is so long. I just couldn't get this info myself when looking into to purchasing it and no one said anything about drawing on it, pens, or did side by side comparisons. I watched a lot of YouTube reviews and read all the comments and still didn't find what all I wanted to know lol so I really hope.this helps someone else.

I am obsessed with my Scribe, between reading and drawing...it's the only one I'm carrying on me at all times and using at home. My other expensive over priced eink note taking tablets are now sitting on a shelf in my room. I think with new updates they launch its just gonna get better and better and it's pretty damn awesome already. Great battery life (nothing i own can ever beat amazons paperwhite and now scribe battery life), lots of storage and I mean lots, great clear clean writing and drawing experience and EVERYTHING is crisp on the screen. If you're on the fence just jump off and buy it already, you won't beat the price and I'm honestly surprised it doesn't cost more...you won't regret your choice. And if one of the other devices I mentioned sounds better for your needs do that (boox does have non colored eink devices that have same features and everything as the colored eink device. Incase anyone wondered lol). Happy reading, drawing and writing...hope this helps someone!

One more bonus side note, I have the kindle fabric case for my Scribe. I was nervous to just toss it into my purse and keep it there on a daily basis just in it's kindle case. I did a lot of searching for an additional measure of safety and found this nifty universal bag/case on Amazon. Type in FINPAC tablet case in search bar. This case is extremely useful and just excellent! It has a front pouch which I store an extra battery charger, my cords, all my stylus', my magnetic head attacents for cords (another Amazon buy...and if you don't have these kinds of cords yet you seriously should check them out. I have a combo pack so my cords are from 3 ft up to 10ft, got several sets of each kind of head...micro, c type, apple...and my cords where heads attach actually rotate 360 degrees so ny cord wont bend and break. Best of all, i leave the actual head nib in my devices and it saves all my devices charging ports because over time they tend to get loose and then your device wont charge. Its a life/device saver. Check them out, trust me lol!) and replacement nibs, a wallet, chapstick and my keys lol...just in the front pouch,the only pouch! The large tablet portion has reinforced corners so it's extra protection for your device, it has a soft velvet type material inside over a thick foam type material. The gray fabric also has a diamond type stitching, which one wouldn't think a big deal but, that actually helps to eliminate even more pressure that may be put on your device! It also comes with a shoulder strap so you can just take this as your bag and go, but the strap can also be removed. It has a handle on the back of case if you'd prefer to just carry it that way as well. Right this minute I'm using it as my actual purse since it has exactly what I want and need anyways ha ha, but if needed to I can just remove the straps and still toss it then in an actual purse and go! My Scribe still fits in this bag nice and secure with the case on and the stylus in the loop! Like I said, looked into an extra layer of protection for my device, many were going to be too big and my device would slide around which I didnt want, or else it'd be way too tight in there. Many cases I saw, the protection of padding either just has foam with mesh looking more like a sponge, or just that soft velvety lining, this one had that stitching which just helps even more to absorb any shock or to distribute pressure evenly or eliminate it all. I did see just another case, it was a case sleeve only, it was black with the inside having the padding with black small circles which would also do really well for our device (sorry forgot the name🤦‍♀️) but I just overall love the functionality of this particular bag/sleeve. I am soooooo pleased with this, and it does the job great. The outter material is scratch resistant, and waterproof and the zippers work and are made with great quality material. If you're looking for an extra great layer of added protection or just an easier way to take it with you, check it out. FINPAC 11in tablet case, it was a prime item, and Amazon's choice, and i got mine the very next day after ordering! I want to say it was $23.99. Great buy and a must have if you're like me and plan to take it everywhere with you!

****UPDATE ABOUT KINDLES LATEST SCRIBE BRUSHES UPDATE***

OMG!!! Amazon hit it out the park with the brushes!!! This is my ONLY let me stress this fact ***ONLY *** eink device that actually let's you use the pencil feature like a real a pencil, meaning you can even use the sides of your stylus to shade. You now even have pressure abilities as well!! The 5 pencil options are like almost going from like an h to an 8b type pencil (which is just a fancy term for hardness in lead and darkness lol for the non artist out there) but man they did such and incredible job with the pencil feature. I'm stunned!!! Wasn't expecting that! I'm also loving the fountain pen as well, it's insane. My boox color has all of these BUT for some reason when I compare them my scribe is sooooo much h better. And like I said whennit comes to the pencil none of my eink devices have the ability to use the side of the stylus of the abilities to shade as well as it does on the scribe even though they too are pressure sensitive. Amazon nailed it with the brushes on this update! Now hopefully they add some tools, shapes like lines, circles, etc.; layering, copy and paste, lasso to resize and move and image around on page, being able to change paper selections in notebooks would be HUGE too! This is truly become my all in 1 go to device and Amazon has and the kindle have become and huge part of my life and I haven't strayed...when I have I haven't been to pleased and always seem to come back lol only to place the others on a shelf to sit and collect dust. My battery is still going off of only a 2nd charge and I got at xmas and use it everyday for about 6hrs a day (I know a bit extreme ) sometimes I am on wifi but I try to keep it on airplane mode a lot to save my battery. It's a GREAT device and I am obsessed even more now with the update lmao!

1,651 people found this helpful

Helpful

IvySantaFe

QUIRKY CUBBY FOR KINDLE READERS WHO WRITE

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2022

Option: Premium PenSetup: 64 GBOffer Type: Without Kindle UnlimitedVerified Purchase

Ah, the joys of a new Kindle! Turn it on and the familiar typeset, newsprint, fountain pen and ink screensavers evoke the days of analog living. I could almost smell the inked paper when I powered up my Kindle Scribe for the first time. Sound familiar? Read on, this quirky new Kindle may be for you.

Like many avid Kindle users, I embrace the hints of atmosphere, elegance, and craftsmanship of days gone by, without having to give up the ease modern technology affords. Amazon has always positioned Kindle to beckon to this target market, crafting a distraction-free enclave into which to retreat for the joys of reading. Now if only we could capture the thoughts, ideas, and emotions that reading kindles in our minds (see what I did there?), without having to leave this delightful inner nook!

Enter the Kindle Scribe. Not only a portable library of books personally curated to suit your tastes, the Scribe also offers up a clean stack of notebooks, blank pages brimming with potential, spines labeled by content, bottomless sticky notes, and a hardy pen nestled beside them on your virtual bookshelf.

And that’s it. The Kindle Scribe is not a tablet, smartphone, or smart anything else. It is a minimalist digital analogue for paper—now not only for reading, but for writing as well.

Reviews from users and “experts” I read before my Scribe arrived typically faulted the Scribe largely on the grounds that it is not an iPad or this or that digital notetaking competitor. If you want that kind of comparison, this review is not for you. There are plenty of those already, and I don’t know anything about any of those devices. When I want tablet functionality, I use my tablet. I'm zany like that.

Folks seem to miss the point that this is a “KINDLE/Scribe.” It aligns with the Kindle ethos of providing a distraction-free, electronic experience akin to analog that favors simplicity over clutter. Piling the Scribe with excess features would morph it into something else entirely, destroying the Kindle hallmark of cozy enclosure. If you get this, you will likely enjoy the Scribe’s style. If not, you won’t.

Here are the top ten things I am enjoying about the Scribe, right out of the box.

1. READING EXPERIENCE is flawless, with most Kindle reading features, such as customizing the view by font, size, alignment, reading progress, Word Wise, and the like. Scribe retains 300ppi resolution despite the increased screen space. Landscape and portrait options are available either manually or via gyroscope, depending on content. Magazines, journals, technical books, and those with hefty footnotes are far more pleasing to take in than a Kindle. Pages turn by a touch or swipe with finger or pen (I use the eraser side to avoid wear on the tip).

2. INDUSTRIAL DESIGN is masterful. Aluminum case, pleasing to look at as well as slim and a joy to hold, despite the larger size. The sleek case made by Amazon is unintrusive and complements the hardware. The cover wakes and sleeps the Scribe. Origami folds have high and low vertical easel positions.

3. KINDLEVERSE. Seamless continuity with my Kindle library, without the need to use an app or third-party software with limited functionality. Borrowed ebooks from library, same. Last page read and non-handwritten content syncs between Kindle devices and apps as usual.

4. BATTERY LIFE is Olympic, given the size and functionality. Mine came charged to 61%, and it is still going despite much testing, syncing, reading, markup, and notebook creation. Too early yet for me to gauge how long one charge lasts with normal use. USB-C port for charging is handy.

5. WRITING EXPERIENCE is outstanding, and feels very much like paper. The pen scritches satisfyingly as it travels across the page, um, I mean, screen. It is smooth, with no noticeable latency and a few options for a nib thickness, highlighting, and erasing. My handwriting looks like my handwriting. The customizable shortcut button on the premium pen allows easy access to the feature you use most. It does not need a battery and clips magnetically to the side of the Scribe. Any Wacom pen works on the Scribe, and vice versa. You can move the writing toolbar to the left or right, or remove it altogether whenever you prefer an unencumbered space. I have tried the Scribe twice now to take notes continuously during a two hour live translation session. It is a dream, and cost me about 15% battery with lights and all features blazing.

6. NOTEBOOKS. So much chatter about dazzling e-note features other, differently positioned devices have and Scribe lacks obscures what is on offer. Eighteen templates: narrow, college, and wide horizontal ruled, each with or without a vertical margin line; vertical ruled with and without header line; blank; square and dot grid; checklist; daily, weekly, and monthly calendars; tracker; storyboard; and sheet music. Naming, storing, and accessing notebooks is easy, and email sharing is a breeze.

7. IT’S LIT! Ambient light sensor, warmth settings, and dark mode foster a pleasant, unobtrusively customized experience—akin to having Jeeves hovering in the wings, silently adjusting lamps or lighting candles for your reading comfort.

8. AUDIBLE AND TEXT TO SPEECH. I love audiobooks and still miss the text to speech functions of older Kindles. The Scribe offers both, via Bluetooth.

9. STICKY NOTES. This feature, used to annotate ebooks, has limitations, but is far more pleasant than keying in notes on a regular Kindle. Notes from one book or document can be exported into a single file.

10. LIMITED DISTRACTIONS. No apps. No videos. Barebones internet browser. Basic notebook functionality means it is easy to learn.

Just as my first Kindle gave me ready access to a curated library everywhere, the Scribe keeps my notes at my fingertips, even when I am too far—or too lazy—to access my (many, many) notebooks. I’ve even started using storyboards and mind maps because of the available templates. In short, the Kindle Scribe enhances my reading experience through modest writing features that mimic analog usage.

Call me crazy, but I think that is implicit in what a “KINDLE/Scribe” is meant to do. I look forward to improvements to make the interface even better.

For example, there is no way to customize the Home screen, which devotes far more space to purchase recommendations than my ebooks—Amazon will be Amazon. Some glitches could use attention, like using a back arrow in some areas and a close box in others to move out of a particular function. Landscape orientation activates by gyroscope for some interfaces, and manual selection in others. Moveing the writing toolbar happens within the shortcut, but you have to go to the general dropdown menu to remove it. It is cumbersome to move between ebook to notebook, and impossible to use notebooks while listening to Audible audiobooks. It would be great to send audiobooks borrowed from my public library to the Scribe, like ebooks (a feature that depends on collaboration with library software providers). Amazon Customer Service agents I contacted with questions seemed even less knowledgeable about Kindle Scribe than I am.

In addition, I think Amazon would have done well to premiere the Scribe with features that snuggle well with the Kindle spirit. Here is my top five wish list in that regard:

1. STICKY NOTES. Currently, sticky notes that happen in Scribe, stay in Scribe. This is the most egregious omission, to my mind. Syncing notes, highlights, bookmarks, etc. across devices is a cornerstone of Kindleness. Yet non-Scribe devices or Kindle apps cannot edit sticky notes. They cannot view them. In fact, they give no indication they even exist. You have to wonder who thought this was okay. Sticky notes need to be accessible across Kindle devices and apps in some way.

2. NOTEBOOKS. The notebook system should be robust, with nesting subfolders, using different templates within a single notebook, inserting and moving pages within notebooks, default cover page selection, custom templates, and easy switching between notebook and ebook, audiobook, or PDF/document view. Kindle apps can view notebooks, but I have not find a way to access them on Kindle devices. Add text recognition with search, sort, share, and related functions.

3. WRITING. Give me scribble, markup, and highlight options in ebooks, not just sticky notes. Lavish me with pen nib styles, thicknesses, and sensitivity options. Basic drawing too.

4. FILES. Let “Send to Kindle” be an option rather than a requirement for e-note functionality in PDFs and documents other than Kindle books.

5. WATERPROOF. I often write with coffee, tea, or water beside me. Enough said.

Had I paid less, these missing pieces would be less troublesome. At this price point, I don’t want to have to repurchase a new generation in a year’s time. Even with the trade-in discount, the Scribe is twice the price of the Oasis. Apparently, the days when Amazon underpriced its devices to snag a big chunk of the market, or even carve out a new niche, are behind us. I’m not sure how wise this is in a field already populated by similar and successful devices (I’m looking at you, Fire Phone). It seems Amazon took the Scribe market for granted and went lazy on the software. Or perhaps the plan was to release a supersized Oasis and at the last minute, they figured they toss in some writing features, despite being half-baked. Nevertheless, Amazon certainly has the heft to polish an already lovely device into a spectacular one in harmony with the Kindle aesthetic.

Interestingly, the sleek climate-pledge packaging features an image of a handwritten note on a Scribe that reads: “Transformation => small consistent changes.” A harbinger of things to come? I like to think so. For now, the Scribe is a delight to use and a welcome addition to my bookish toy box. Don’t let the naysayers with a bone to pick or undue eagerness to gather likes and followers sway you.

This is a quirky little cubby for Kindle readers who write. No other device serves this niche this well.

Since I have a penchant for naming items that I use often, my Scribe is called Edith, after the “ugly duckling” middle sister of Downton Abbey who blooms into the swan she always was as time softens her rough edges and reveals her many undiscovered merits. Time will tell whether Scribe imitates art …

TWO WEEK UPDATE: Endearing is not a word I typically associate with electronics, but without a doubt, I find the Scribe to be precisely that. Despite the lacunae on the enote side of things, the Scribe is such a joy to use that I find new ways to incorporate it daily. Even without welcome upgrades to the software, I already cannot imagine being without the comfortable screen for reading and the surprisingly useful enote functionality. It complements my Voyage nicely and then some. If you are on the fence about the Kindle Scribe, it is well worth giving it a try.

ONE MONTH UPDATE: Still enjoying it, though it definitely feels like Amazon was planning to supersize the Oasis and then tacked on the writing features at the last minute and changed the name to Scribe. Enough to get out of the gate, but it could be a truly stellar product with a few adjustments. For Kindle readers who love the feel of pen and paper though, or those who benefit from the larger reading surface, it is hard to beat.

On another note, watch for price reductions. On January 6, 2023, barely a month after releasing the Scribe with no discount, Amazon offered about 15% off the various options, including bundles, refusing to credit original purchasers who paid full price. Odd choice for "Earth's most customer-centric company," but there it is. If you are willing to take the chance that Amazon will not undercut the price at your expense shortly after you purchase, go ahead and pay full price. Otherwise, consider a competitor's product or wait until Amazon issues another promotion, nearly guaranteed on Prime Day, if not sooner.

NEARLY ONE YEAR WITH THIS LITTLE GEM. The many updates that Amazon has made to the Scrib, including virutal pen nibs (fountain pens! art brushes!), pdf usage, notebook organization, and more, resolve most of the issues I mention in my original review. Still no way to see handwritten notes in Kindles other than the phone app, or even know they are there, or ability to write directly on a page (instead of a note) in Kindle books. But it is less of an issue for me, after the great functionality possible with the Scribe. I use it in ways I never imagined, and have found workarounds for the features that I continue to want.

I do hope that Amazon continues to improve it through software upgrades, but I do not regret the (full price!) purchase in the least. Facrot in the substantial savings during Prime Day, Big Deal Days, and upcoming Black Friday sales, and it would be a no branier for me if I had it to do again. Competition from other eink devices does not sway me. This is a Kindle. I am a heavy Kindle user. And a writer. The Scribe gives me the little cubby to make myself comfy in for my reading and writing.

So, all in all, if you have a healthy Kindle library, prefer the larger format, and/or enjoy writing with a pen and being able to save your work, this is the eink doodad for you. If you have the budget for it, buy it. I am delighted that I did.