Amazon has a new Kindle Scribe on offer for its customers. The e-book reader impresses with a large, sharp display, successful writing functions and an uncomplicated stylus. The price is high, but the significantly cheaper predecessor is practically as good.
There are two main reasons for Amazon customers to buy a Kindle Scribe: Firstly, it is the provider's only e-book reader with a 10.2-inch display, and secondly, it is the only one that offers the option of taking notes and annotations to do with a stylus. After two years, there is now a new edition of the Scribe that costs at least 420 euros, and ntv.de took a close look at it.
Almost exactly the same
Visually, the only difference between the new e-book reader is that the screen has a white instead of black border. In addition, the newcomer is not only available in anthracite, but also in a pretty jade green metallic.
With an optionally available folding cover you can also set up the e-book reader.
(Photo: kwe)
The workmanship is high quality, but the device is not waterproof like the Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Colorsoft. You can protect the good piece from scratches and bumps with an optionally available cover, which Amazon offers in different versions. Made of fabric, it costs 33 euros; for the attractive leather flip cover of the test device you have to shell out a whopping 110 euros.
The display edge is wider on one side so that you can hold the scribe more comfortably with one hand. That's a good thing, because the e-book reader with its high-quality aluminum housing is relatively heavy in the long run (433 grams). If the pen sticks magnetically to the side, it weighs 448 grams.
The display is great. With 300 pixels per inch (ppi), it is very sharp and evenly lit. The brightness can be adjusted manually or reliably adjusted automatically. The color temperature can also be controlled using a slider or a schedule. The screen accepts touch inputs almost without delay; there are no manual buttons for turning pages or a fingerprint scanner in the new edition of the Scribe.
Openness is not his strength
Otherwise, the largest Kindle can do everything that its smaller colleagues can do. Above all, this means displaying Amazon content that can be downloaded directly from the provider's shop. The device also supports open EPUB and other formats. However, you can still only get files from other sources onto the e-book reader by transferring them via cable to the USB port or sending them to your email address. You can also take the detour via the Kindle app or Amazon's website.
If you accept these limitations, the Scribe, like all Kindle readers, is extremely easy to use; you only have to remember a few gestures and functions. The dictionaries that explain or translate highlighted terms are particularly useful – even offline.
Almost natural writing
The new Scribe basically comes with a premium stylus, whereas with its predecessor you can also choose a simple stylus version. Premium primarily means that you can use one of eight available tool tips, including a highlighter, via a shortcut key. At the other end of the pen is an “eraser” that now has a rubberized surface that feels more natural to use.
There are numerous templates for notebooks.
(Photo: kwe)
The same goes for writing on the screen, which is very close to writing with pencil on paper. This also means that the tip wears out. Five replacement attachments are therefore included in the scope of delivery; ten replacement tips currently cost 13 euros.
Writing with the stylus also feels so natural because it works precisely and there is no noticeable delay when you draw your lines with it. In addition, the pen has a velvety coating on the aluminum casing and is very comfortable and secure in the hand.
Extensive note options
With the stylus you can, among other things, mark text in e-books or PDFs or make and place notes by hand. They can then be accessed and edited at any time using a small icon. The menu with tool tips is located either on the left or right and can be minimized to a small circle.
Active Canvas notes cannot be minimized to an icon.
(Photo: kwe)
What’s new is “Active Canvas”. With this function it is possible to simply write anywhere in the book. If you confirm your entry, a text field with the note will be created where you started. It stays open and in place even if you change the font size. The field is inserted between the lines and you can later change the size and edit the text, but it cannot be moved.
Just a little bit of AI
You can also keep notebooks on the Kindle Scribe and organize them in folders. When it comes to new notebooks, you can choose from numerous templates, including different lined or squared designs or as daily and weekly planners.
If you share a handwritten note and email, you can have it converted to text via Amazon's server. This also works well if you don't know how to write. Further AI features could follow, including the ability to summarize text.
However, all of the functions mentioned are not reserved for the new Scribe; the predecessor also receives them via updates. This makes it an almost equivalent alternative that can be purchased with the simple pen version from just 275 euros.
Conclusion
If you want a large Amazon e-book reader or are looking for a Kindle with writing functions, you can't avoid the Scribe. But you don't have to spend 420 euros, the first generation is practically as good. And if it doesn't have to be a Kindle, you can also take a look at the competition. The Kobo Elipsa 2E, for example, performed almost as well at Stiftung Warentest with an even better display. However, the device is also similarly expensive. This also applies to the Onyx Boox Note Air3 C, which is particularly diverse and can display colors.
