PRODUCT TEST
WE REVIEW THE KINDLE SCRIBE
Amazon broke the mould with the Kindle Scribe e-reader late last year – it’s the biggest Kindle the company has ever made, but also for the first time,introduced the ability to take notes with a stylus to the system.
After using one over Christmas I was left with a few questions – who is the Scribe for? Who would use it for reading over a standard Kindle? Who would use it for note-taking over a pen and paper or a more sophisticated touch-screen tablet?
It’s a handsome device, and considerably larger than a standard 6in Kindle, sporting a wonderful 10.2in screen with a sharp 300ppi.
The reading element is identical to the standard Kindle, with direct access to the Kindle library of millions of books to buy. The only difference is the size of the screen.
The Scribe would be a superior device for those who like to set their text size a little larger than average.
You can get a lot more words on screen with the Scribe at large text sizes, which makes for a more appealing look overall, and less page turning.
The new notetaking feature has some way to go to make the Scribe a must-buy for that alone. It essentially adds a new Notebooks section to the home screen, where you can keep your handwritten notes. The Scribe comes with a stylus – either a basic pen, or an upgraded one with extra features like a tool-select button and a top tip that acts like an eraser.
The writing and drawing experience is very satisfying, with the textured surface of the Scribe making it feel very paper-like.
You can also use the pen system for annotating PDFs directly, or Kindle books via the insertion of handwritten sticky notes.
Amazon promises the note-taking system will be expanded and advanced over time, and for now the answer to our third question has to be: Someone who just wants to replace a pen and paper notebook with a simple digital version.
Amazon has clearly prioritised hardware over the software here, and that element of it is great. As a first stab at a note-taking ereader it’s more promising than complete. I would expect that to change fast. Kindle Scribe costs £329.99 from amazon.co.uk