Kindle scribe test: Has Amazon managed to make a real digital notebook

Image: Matthew Miller/Zdnet.

[MàJ] Test Kindle Scribe: Our opinion on Amazon’s large format reader

Long confidential, the e -readers large format intended for the taking of notes are beginning to democratize well. Succeeding Bookeen and Kobo, Amazon in turn embarks on the game with its biggest model to date. Discover our full test of the Kindle Scribe, an ambitious stylus reader, but not yet mature.

• Superb design, light and fine
• An e-ink screen just perfect
• A large format reader ideal for reading manga or PDF documents
• The Amazon user experience, very neat and focused on the simplicity of access
• Titanic autonomy

• Taking handwritten notes, far too chick.
• The Amazon ecosystem, very closed
• Adding impractical third -party documents and books
• High price to obtain storage and premium stylus
• Too aggressive front lighting at night with automatic adjustment

Update of 07/05/2023: Since our test at the end of 2022, Amazon has had time to improve its digital notepad, and it feels use !

If the Kindle Scribe is still far from equaling certain more upscale competitors, it is nonetheless improved on the taking of notes.

Here are in essence what are the most important improvements in recent months:

• Conversion of handwritten notebooks into text format (only via e-mail);
• Adding a Lasso tool;
• Improvements to read PDF sent via Send to Kindle: Margian cropping, layout in portrait or landscape mode, high text, adding notes, etc. ;
• Possibility to send documents .doc and .Docx directly from Microsoft Word;
• New preview feature in notebooks;
• Possibility of increasing or decreasing the contrast of PDF documents imported on the reader;
• Display in one or two columns for e-books in landscape mode;
• New brushes and mines for taking notes in the stylus;
• Adding a function to create sub-folders of notebooks;
• Improvement of navigation in notebooks.

As you can see, the American firm has not been unemployed since the release of its stylus reader !

These new features of the Kindle Scribe make it more suitable for taking notes, making it a digital notebook capable of better competing the Kobo Elipsa 2nd to name that it.

• Kindle Scribe: Technical sheet
• Amazon Kindle Scribe technical sheet
• Design & Finishes
• Screen
• Operating system
• Reading
• Note taking
• Autonomy
• Amazon Kindle Scribe: Clubic opinion

Kindle Scribe: Technical sheet

Amazon Kindle Scribe technical sheet

Main Features

Screen size (in inches)
Memory card reader

Food

Technically, the electronic reader of the American giant aims at the top of the basket. In addition to its aluminum body in a single block, the Kindle Scribe is one of the only on the market to adopt a screen of 10.2 ’’ with a resolution of 300 ppi.

For comparison, the expensive Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus at € 500
remains confined to 227 ppi. Reading should therefore be very pleasant on this Kindle, especially since it incorporates lighting that adapts to ambient light.

But, the biggest novelty lies as you can suspect it in taking notes. Amazon offers the choice of weapons, with two stylics
different :

• Basic: without buttons or eraser (at 369 €).

• Premium: customizable shortcut button (from € 399).

These prices concern the Kindle Scribe with 16 GB of storage. Other configurations with 32 or 64 GB are available, with prices ranging from € 419 to € 449. Note that on these more muscular models, the premium stylus is
Included by default.

For this Kindle Scribe test, we took advantage of the 32 GB model, the one
at 419 € therefore. Now let’s see what this reader is capable of
electronic !

Design & Finishes

We already found the Kindle Paperwhite very qualitative during a previous test. It is clear that Amazon places the bar very high with its scribe reader.

The finishes are of a quality rarely seen, even at this price level. Where the Booken Notea and the Kobo Elipsa favor plastic, the e-commerce giant uses aluminum and glass.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

The result is a large format reader that is both fine and robust. The weight of 433 g remains relatively content given the size of the device. The very wide handle facilitates gripping, avoiding touching the screen during handling.

Small sympathetic detail: there are four silicone pads on the back of the Kindle Scribe. They provide good stability when taking notes on a table.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

For its part, the stylus perfectly matches the edge of the reader. Magnetic fixing is strong enough to avoid losing the accessory during transport.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

As for connection, it is basic, as on most e-readers. We just have a USB-C port for loading and transferring files. Most of the transfers will be done with Wi-Fi.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

Note that there is also an audible folder at the root of the system. Could it be
that Amazon soon deploys its audio book service on the scribe ? If this were the case, it would be a big asset in the face of competition. We can therefore imagine that there is a bluetooth chip within the machine, but that it is not activated.

Screen

In addition to its exemplary finishes, the Kindle Scribe puts full eyes with its electronic ink screen, 100 % tactile.

As we mentioned above, the e-ink slab of 10.2 ’’ displays a nice resolution of 300 ppi. Reading manga on the scribe is a real treat !

The display is simply magnificent, relegating the competition to oblivion. Whether for reading PDF or taking up notes, the Kindle Scribe has never disappointed us.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

These remarks are also worth for the management of front lighting, almost perfect. Once the slab is lit, we do not notice the slightest gray or badly contrasting zone. It is a real technical feat that Amazon accomplishes with the screen of its large format reader.

There is however a small point that grieves us. Indeed, the automatic lighting remains too strong after dark night. You must either manually lower it or go to dark mode. In comfort, we favored the second solution, more restful for the eyes in low light conditions.

Operating system

Who has already used a Kindle reader will be in known ground. Apart from the part taken of notes, the scribe remains faithful to Amazon’s policy: simplicity of access within a very closed ecosystem.

High -end model obliges, the American reader gives us thanks to “special offers”, these advertisements which adorn the interface of the less expensive models of the brand. Regardless of the chosen version, you will enjoy a system without pubs.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

The grip of the Kindle Scribe is, it could not be simpler. The OS is shared in four main parts, each accessible via a dedicated tab:

• Welcome
• Library
• Notebooks
• More

Unlike Android readers, the approach is simplified to the extreme. The settings are very reduced, as well as the possibilities of import/export of books.

This is the main defect of the Kindle Scribe. It remains very closed, confining the user to the Amazon ecosystem. Personalization possibilities are reduced to sorrow skin ..

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

If you are massively using the Amazon services, you will have no trouble
Adopt this great reader. On the other hand, if you come from another brand, it will be difficult for you to recover your books and transfer them to the Kindle Scribe.

Let us nevertheless note that there is some progress on the management of works
third -party. For a few months, Amazon has been authorizing, in fact, adding EPUB files to its electronic readers. To proceed, you must install the Kindle application on PC or smartphone (Android and iOS), then manually add the files, which will then be transformed in AZW format and visible in the library of your account.

Yes, it’s pretty heavy. No, the reader does not natively manage EPUB files. But, it’s always better than nothing ..

At worst, there is always the good old caliber solution.

Tell yourself that the Kindle Scribe is very swamp. Comfort is at the center of the user experience of this Kindle like no other.

Reading

The American brand has always had a certain talent to ensure good reading comfort. The Kindle Scribe will not tarnish this reputation.

The Great Liseuse Amazon retains what made the success of its ancestors. Not happy to be easy to use, the beautiful offers us enough settings to adapt reading to our needs.

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

We thus find with pleasure the themes, seen during our Kindle test
Paperwhite. People who want to improve in English will also appreciate the presence of Word Wise. As for dyslexic users, they are not forgotten with a dedicated police force.

Margins and lines are also modifiable. Without going very far, the scribe
offer everything you need to quickly immerse yourself in our favorite books.

The big screen is formidable to read manga. It may be
a little small for comics or comics. By the way, let’s add the presence of a very practical gyroscope to change the side handle from time to time, the display automatically tilting when we return the Amazon reader.

If you lend yourself to the game of sharing your data, the Kindle Scribe will be strong to find digital books in connection with your most recent readings. The Amazon store is a real gold mine, with thousands of titles available.

The biggest readers will also benefit from subscribing to a Kindle Unlimited subscription to borrow more digital books.

On the reading side, so it’s all good. Too bad he doesn’t go
Likewise for taking notes ..

Note taking

In addition to reading large format documents, e -readers of 10 inch and more quickly demonstrated a good potential for taking note. After all, what could be more pleasant than writing on a screen whose texture and view recall the good old paper ?

© Johan Gautreau for Clubic

Seeing that competition threw itself with a lost body in this sector, Amazon decided to follow the herd. Except that wanting to simplify everything, the American brand is shooting itself in the foot ..

Taking up notes is indeed a big disappointment. Several options are available to you:

• Writing in a notebook: this is the most freedom mode, with a selection of several pencil mines and templates. Perfect for noting appointments or creating a list of things to do.
• Annotate your ebooks: on some files, you can directly scribble your notes, make highs, etc. The basic options are present, such as the choice of a mine.
• Create a note frame: for other documents, the operation is stranger. You can only put a small icon on the text. A frame then opens on a screen third, to enter your info in a handwritten or textual way. It’s boring !

It seems that all works protected by DRM Amazon are limited to the last option, the most minimalist. Some do not even work with notes, which is quite strange.

Kindle scribe test: Has Amazon managed to make a real digital notebook ?

Test: Amazon Kindle Scribe is a first interesting attempt on the digital note notebooks. The device has some faults, but for my needs, it is effective sufficiently.

By Matthew Miller | Thursday December 22, 2022

Liseuses have been part of my life for 15 years. So I was naturally intrigued when my colleague bought a remarkable tablet and showed me the capacities for taking notes offered by this tablet. But, as I was about to go to the checkout, Amazon unveiled the Kindle Scribe, the first Kindle to take care of handwriting and to offer a 10.2 -inch screen.

These last 10 days, I have been able to test the Kindle Scribe and, even if it is not yet perfect, it has, for me, made obsolete the notes on paper.

The tablet takes on, basic, a stylus and 16 GB of storage and costs 369 euros. When you buy it in 32 or 64 GB version (419 or 449 euros), Amazon provides a “premium stylus”.

Features

• Screen : Paperwhite 10.2 inch, 300 ppi, gray scale at 16 levels
• Storage : 16, 32 or 64 GB
• Front lighting: 35 LED
• Autonomy: Reading up to 12 weeks, writing up to 3 weeks
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Formats were loaded: Kindle, TXT, PDF, Docx, Doc, HTML, EPUB, RTF, JPEG, GIF PNG, BMP, Audible
• Battery : 577 Mah
• Dimensions: 196 x 230 x 5.8 mm
• Weight : 433 g

Always a good Kindle for reading

The Kindle Scribe is the largest reader in Amazon. It represents the culmination of 15 years of development of the Kindle range. It allows, like all devices before it, to read digital works purchased on the platform, or to access the Kindle subscription which allows to easily leaf through more than a million titles.

The Kindle Scribe also supports audible, provided you are connected to a Bluetooth helmet. Autonomy will obviously be more limited with this use than with simple reading, but it is pleasant to be able to enjoy the Amazon audio book service.

Image: Matthew Miller/Zdnet.

The screen without reflections, good brightness and management of different white temperatures allow the screen to provide impeccable comfort of use. I only regret that there are no physical buttons to easily turn the pages. It is however an essential feature to have, especially when you handle a tablet of this size. The left lateral edge is a bit wide, but it allows the tablet to be easily holded with one hand and writing from the other.

It is good to note that the scribe does not have a waterproofing certification, unlike other Kindle devices.

A real replacement for your notebooks

I’m going to admit: I have drawers full of notebooks filled with my scribbles and sketches. As each notebook fills up, I put them in one of my drawers and end up throwing them. My desire to find something that does not waste paper and also allows to keep and share my notes was filled by the Amazon Kindle Scribe.

There are a lot of means to transfer content to the Kindle Scribe, create notes or share content with other people. One of the key features is the possibility of quickly and easily erased my handwritten notes by touching them with the gum part of the “premium” stylus. It is an optional accessory for the scribe, but I highly recommend that you buy it if you want to take full advantage of the note taking experience.

If you command the Kindle Scribe without case, you will find that the pen attaches magnetically, and quite solidly, on the side with the narrow edge. I hung the stylus in this position 90 % of the time without problem. The scribe is also quite fine (5.8 mm) and benefits from a good grip.

Image: Matthew Miller/Zdnet.

I also love being able to highlight text, take notes and even sign documents. Amazon specifies that it will soon be possible to send documents to the scribe directly from Microsoft Word. For the moment, you can simply consult your notebooks created with the scribe on other tablets, smartphones and computers via the Amazon Kindle application. On the other hand, they are not modifiable.

Although I have other tablets, I never took the fold or found the right opportunity to use the stylus supplied. The scribe makes this use much more natural and easy.

Should you buy the case ?

The folio case that Amazon provides for the scribe protect the front and the back of the tablet, while putting it in standby when the cover is closed. If you are not comfortable with the idea of ​​attaching your magnetically stylus, the case is supplied with a loop to fix it and I must say that it clearly reduces the risk of losing the accessory.

In general, I would recommend the case if you want to protect the scribe screen and have a safer location for your stylus. Otherwise, I would wait for other third -party cases to appear on the market so that you can find your foot.

Image: Matthew Miller/Zdnet.

What is still missing at the Kindle Scribe

The Amazon Kindle Scribe allows you to easily replace the pen and the paper, but Amazon could go even further. Some of the suggestions below can materialize with existing Kindle Scribe software updates, while others will require a new version, but here are the improvements I would like to see on this tablet.

• Quickly switch between reading books and taking up notes: It is quick and easy to add notes in the books you read, but sometimes comes to me a thought that I want to note in one of my notebooks. Currently, to switch between the two modes, you must leave the reading application and open the notebooks section to note anything. With a simple shortcut, it would be more practical to switch between the two modes.
• A finer management of files: Unfortunately, you cannot currently reorganize the notes on the scribe, which is useful if you accumulate documents over time. It would also be interesting to be able to cut and paste, insert pages and share pieces of your notes with other people.
• Export notes in other formats: Currently, you can quickly and easily send your handwritten notes in the form of a PDF in an email. I would like to have the possibility of sending them in the form of text file, onenote file or word document in order to be able to better use my notes.
• Handwritten writing in text: The remakeable 2 supports the conversion of your handwritten writing into text, which makes the notes easily viewable. This function is not available on the scribe.
• Import content into notes: It would be pleasant to be able to import other texts, images and content in a note. For the moment, the notes only allow you to scribble the stylus.
• Shapes : Although millimeter paper is one of the models of notes offered, it is always difficult to draw straight lines to the stylus. Being able to insert basic geometric shapes would be interesting to quickly create sketches.
• Color pens: Even if the color ink is not displayed on the screen, it would be pleasant to have access to different colors of highlighting so that, when the notes are exported, the receiver can better visualize your data.

Conclusion

When I planned to buy the remarkable 2, I was not looking for a tablet for multimedia consumption, I just wanted a good tablet capable of replying the note on paper.

With the Amazon Kindle Scribe, I benefit from the best features of the remakeable 2 while taking advantage of the Amazon digital service ecosystem. This is a very successful first product from Amazon which is more practical than the note -taking function on certain smartphones.

In its current form, the scribe meets my need to have a digital notebook, but I hope that future iterations will bring some of the improvements listed above.

Amazon Kindle Scribe test: Exceptional reader and Perfectible digital notebook

The Amazon Scribe is not only a large 10.2 inch reader in 300 ppi. It is also a real digital notebook to engrave your least thoughts in electronic ink. Here is our test.

Where to buy the
Amazon Kindle Scribe at the best price ?
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Our full opinion
Amazon Kindle Scribe

April 17, 2023 04/17/2023 • 09:47

So far, the Kindle did not exceed 7 inches of screen diagonal. With its Kindle Scribe, Amazon returns to this state of affairs by offering a 10.2 inch product, while promising a display as fine as that of the Kindle Paperwithe. The American takes the opportunity to draw inspiration from competition like the remakeable 2 or the Kobo Elipsa, readers capable of acting as a digital notebook.

Thus, the Amazon Scribe is delivered with a stylus and therefore allows you to take notes, draw or make sketches in electronic ink, then consult or share them as you wish. Is it really a good reader ? Are we really going to abandon our paper notebooks ? The answers to his questions are in this test which, given the tester fly legs, will not be displayed in a manuscript ..

Amazon Kindle Scribe Design and Handing: Finesse Sleaze

Amazon offers us an exemplary product here, with a Kindle Scribe with design inspired by the excellent Kindle Oasis. The lines are very soft and we have a very wide left border for a more comfortable grip.

The scribe looks very much like the oasis, outside the format and the absence of navigation buttons // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

With dimensions of 23 x 19.6 x 5.8 cm for 433 g, this reader is as thin as light. However, if the display surface is its strength, it is also one of its main weaknesses when you transport it. Investing in a cover or case to ensure its sustainability and your peace of mind is more than advised.

Unlike competition that tends to promote plastic for its large products, the Kindle Scribe is recycled aluminum and glass. The finish is impeccable, but unlike the Kindle Oasis, the scribe is not certified IP68. If you are used to reading in your bath, be all the more careful. We really liked the four small rubber pads on the back of the product. They ensure its stability when we take notes on the reader placed on a table.

The scribe has only one button, the interaction with the reader is done via the screen // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

We have only one button on the left edge and it is used for the waking exit. Just below, we have the USB3-C port. As for the stylus, it displays dimensions of 16.2 x 0.88 x 0.88 cm for 14 g. It is also light that it offers a nice grip and displays a single button about 3 cm from the tip. Finally, it is magnetically attached to the right edge.

Amazon Kindle Scribe screen: a very nice display finesse and readable in any situation

The e-ink screen displays a 10.2 inch diagonal in 2480 x 1860 pixels, or 300 ppi. Which makes it the large size reader with the greatest display finesse. It is already very appreciable for text and becomes even more so when reading a manga or comics.

Reading a manga on the scribe is a real pleasure for the eyes // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

The screen benefits from powerful and above all very uniform front lighting (35 LEDs against 24 for paperwhite). Which ensures a comfortable reading, both in broad daylight or in the dark. The Kindle Scribe also offers a dark mode for a night reading without attacking too much and tiring your eyes.

Classic display mode // Source: Yazid Amer – Frandroid

Night // Source mode: Yazid Amer – Fundroid

This Kindle can also automatically adapt the brightness according to your bright environment and it must be admitted that the result is often good.

The display is really very fine // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

Even reading very close // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

It is possible to play on color temperature, from hot sepia to a much colder bluish via a preselection of 24 shades.

The touch screen is very responsive, the Kindle Scribe has a 2 GHz Mediatek processor which allows it to stay fluid in all uses.

Amazon Kindle Scribe Ergonomics and Reading: Pleasant, but we miss navigation buttons

We find everything that makes the pleasure of using a Kindle // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

For all those who are already used to the Kindle ecosystem, they will be on known ground. It must be admitted that Amazon offers a very clear and simple interface to understand. We are entitled to a whole series of settings to customize the display and obtain the best reading comfort. Margin, line up, font size … everything can be adjusted quite finely. Amazon even offers a font dedicated to dyslexics !

Source: Yazid Amer – Frandroid

Source: Yazid Amer – Frandroid

Reading comfort is really optimal and the widest border allows a comfortable and natural grip. However, the 433 g can be felt after a good half hour. It is then enough to turn it over, the display will rock automatically, to change hands. Usage with both hands remains more appropriate for long reading sessions. Some have noted that there are no more buttons to change page, you have to interact with the screen for that. Ergonomic backtracking that is difficult to explain.

The Kindle interface is enriched by a new notebooks tab // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid

The Kindle home page displays your library of ebooks, direct access to the Amazon Kindle catalog and a new notebooks of note notebooks. To read electronic books from other sources, you will need to go through conversion software like caliber.

Finally, note that the autonomy is about 22 weeks, which we could not test.

Amazon Kindle scribe taking notes: natural, effective, but incomplete

Finally get to the heart of the matter, taking notes. First, the stylus is very precise and the contact with the pleasant screen. It’s not yet to write on a paper notebook, but it is starting to get closer. Especially that you can play on the cutting -edge type (pen, feather pen, marker and pencil), with, for each, five thicknesses of lines. Ditto for the marker and eraser parts, five different thicknesses are available. Let’s start by annotating a book.