If kindle scribe came with a color e-ink display and was 500 dollars, it would be worth it. I think they are getting there and this might be their first step. I really can’t wait to see color e-ink display devices! Note-taking without color isn’t gonna be enough, especially for students.
Good points! One thing, though: annotating directly on a Kindle book wouldn’t make sense. Kindle books don’t have a fixed page layout; they reflow depending on your screen size, font size, spacing, margins and font choice. If you change any of those things, your text is no longer on the same number of pages. At that point, your annotations and stuff would no longer be aligned at all, and the book would be a garbled mess. Maybe they could add a system where you choose to lock the book in a specific layout, and then it could treat it more like a pdf and allow annotations, but that would cause its own set of new problems. I’m not saying you’re wrong for wanting direct annotations, but I thought it was worth pointing out that it’s not a simple oversight; I’m sure they played with the idea. It’s just a more challenging feature to implement than people might realize.
That’s a good point! It would definitely take some tinkering to get it right. I don’t know if it’s the best solution, but I think maybe the easiest way to do it would be to treat hand written notes/annotations as if they were placed in a text box. That way the annotations could be easily resized if you decided to change the font size, margins, etc. I’m sure there would be some drawbacks, and I doubt that the kindle is currently capable of supporting something like that, but for the price I would expect it to. Thanks for sharing! Really appreciate your well thought out comment! 😁
That's not really true. The Kindle is able to keep the notes pinned at a certain text position and the Scribe most probably can do the same (I don't own one myself).
i chose to watch this review over the ones with 200k+ views because of how confident and clearly you speak! you seem like you have a great personality :)
I like my scribe that I have had for 3 weeks. There are definitely work flow differences with annotating books compared with physical books. But the overall note taking experience is pretty good.
I'd get the Scribe just for the screen size alone. The 6.8" display of the other Kindles always felt too cramped for the type of books I read (techie books and text books ... sadly, I don't read any fiction).
I love the size of the scribe. The font is crisp and dark. I Like the larger screen for reading. Writing on the scribe is great. I like the feel of the device when writing, but I don't like the sticky note feature as much. I wish I could use the pen to underline and write on the pages of the book. I am going to play around with it for a few more days. I am sure future upgrades will add better features. It is awkward trying to find a comfortable way to hold while reading in bed. I missed out on the kindle DX, so I was excited to get the scribe for the larger screen. I ordered the denim case, it has a loop to hold the pencil. It is ok, but I will shop around for a better one as more become available.
I’m a longtime fan and user of the Kindle E-Reader. I just recently upgraded to the Paperwhite from a basic model. I love the IDEA of the Kindle Scribe and considered buying it but I will wait for the next version. The features I would like to see added include ones that you mentioned, such as being able to write in the margins of purchased e-books. I would also like to see multiple colors added for highlighting and more importantly, the feature of converting handwritten notes into text fonts. Not asking too much…right?!? 😬 Thanks for your reviews on this and other products. I’m really enjoying your content. 👍🏼
Thank you so much! :) I think that adding the features you mentioned would definitely make the scribe worth it! Hopefully one day these features will be included.
Just to let you know, the Kobo reader/writers have the ability to write in margins on epubs - however, as soon as you resize the font for whatever reason (or by accident, which is way too easy with the Kobo), the note converts into a sticky note much like the Scribe, anyway! Seems to be a limitation on these files that reformat the text on the fly. It needs to be on that original font size to show the written notes. (The writing feel is also pretty terrible on the Kobo so I'm definitely not recommending it.)
Here is the language from the refreshed Amazon scribe webpage that explicitly talks about future updates; they should have led with that!: “Coming Soon: Kindle Scribe provides regular, free software updates that include new features. In the coming months, Kindle Scribe will add more writing tools, including new brush types and copy/paste tools, additional notebook organization options, and the ability to send documents to Kindle Scribe directly from within Microsoft Word.”
Thank you for a true, brutally honest review! I traded in my Oasis to get the Scribe, so it cost me about $250 with the basic pen. I'm very happy with my Scribe but I think that's mostly because I already have a Remarkable 2 for my e-ink notebook needs. If I decide to get a basic for my husband, I will come back and use your link for sure!
@@_xAlkalinex_ Hi! Sorry for the late replay - you likely already found this, but if you go to the Kindle item on Amazon, it should give you the option for "20% off with trade-in" right near the price. not sure if this is US only! I sent in my old device (free shipping) and after they inspected it, I received a code to use in checkout.
@@mohamadrashid8931 It's kind of a "this depends" situation. Scribe has the front light, which means you are able to mark up PDFs in all lighting situations. If this doesn't matter to you, i.e. you will be using the device in a business office mostly, the RM2 has the leg up in writing feel. It is also easier (IMO )to send PDFs to RM2 using Connect. Overall, if writing/marking up in an office setting with lighting is your goal, I think RM2 is the better device for ease of use and writing feel.
Thanks for the review. Specifically….the fact you can’t write directly on ebooks. This is a mandatory feature they need for me. I almost bought the thing assuming it did.
If I were in college and took alot of notes? Maybe. It looks kind of overpriced for what it is and its limitations. I love my 2021 Kindle Paperwhite and will be sticking with that. :) It provides everything I need and then some.
For the price, I would want to be able to make notes in the margins, underline passages, highlight in colors and if I lost the pen, be able to use my finger. 🙂👍🐾
I bought my Scribe 2 weeks ago and bought a Kobo Elipsa yesterday. They are almost EXACTLY the same but the Scribe is cheaper @32GB...... BUT The Kobo (32gb)comes with a very solid case so that makes up for it. Kobo is better in the sence you can write on the book, which is what I want, not the post-it-note style . Also Kobo has Overdrive right on the device, no computer needed to rent library books. Overall I prefer the scribe for it has the orange light and more note template and pen options than the kobo Elipsa. I was mad that the elipsa has no orange light for their lower end devices all have them
What I would like to see from these devices is a survey done asking a set number of consumers what they would like to see and use in new devices. But I guess they don’t care enough to do something like that. It might not be cost effective but their high prices are not good for sales either.
Thank you for the review Dylan. After watching all your videos on the Scribe and a few others I agree with your brutally honest review of this one. Did Amazon make a great hardware device? Mostly. Turn page buttons on this behemoth is a must! The note taking experience is ok for a 1st generation product. We have to remember this this is Amazon’s first attempt at notes on an-e-reader so a little grace is warranted. However for the price and currently limited note-taking abilities, people would be better off buying an iPad for their notes and a Kindle Basic for reading if they want to stay in the Amazon ecosystem. Otherwise get a Remarkable 2 if you can’t wait for the Scribe 2 to come out in a few years. Maybe new firmware updates will make this Scribe more appealing accompanied with a drop in price.
Hi Dylan. You didnt seem to dig deep on the LEDs. How do they compare with say an ordinary tablet for blue light and eye strain? I was going to buy one but pulled back when I saw that there was a read-at-night feature. Maybe this can be turned off? The old type large Kindles which were great even though resolution not as crisp seemed to require an external light source to read. This is what I am after. In other words like an ordinary book. Just reflected light. Is this possible with this product? Cheers.
Great question! The kindle does emit some blue light, but it is pretty minimal, especially compared to something like a cellphone or tablet. However, you can turn the brightness all the way down in the kindle and it will emit no light at all! At that point, you could use an external light (like a book light) to illuminate the display!
I actually got the fire and feel like that does a lot of the things I would get this kindle for. It has access to Microsoft products for the spreadsheet access and it is easier to highlight books and seems like the annotation process is about the same. I don’t think this scribe would benefit me in any way but I’m definitely watching Amazon and this space to see what they come up with in the future.
Something I didn’t see from your review is talking about the reading experience, which is ridiculous. Wanting a larger screen is about a lot more than “poor eyesight.” Since getting the Scribe I’ve tried going back to the Paperwhite 11th Gen for comparison and found it much more cramped and less comfortable. I read a lot of nonfiction that can include images in the text lately, and having the images displayed alongside text in an attractive way is such a game changer. I’ve also found that I read significantly faster on the Scribe, likely because there’s less page turning and my eyes can scan the page faster. At this point even if Amazon were to release a colour Scribe in a couple years I’d likely upgrade again at that time. No regrets on my purchase.
I really like my Oasis but although the idea of a bigger display is attractive I am not tempted to shell out all that money for mediocre note functions.
Mine has been laying around now for almost two weeks while I watch videos like yours hoping to be convinced to set it up. I just read or draw but later I might want something for note taking. Hence, I’m waiting for lenovo to bring their new lenovo smart to the market. It’s taking too long 😅
Great review! how about an upgrade of my Oasis? I am passionate about comics and manga but due to the small size of my reader I have to give up many of them. Would it be worth switching to the larger screen of the Scribe? Maybe the 64 giga version?
Thank you! :) Comics and manga look fantastic on the scribe so I think it would be worth switching for sure! The 64GB version would hold a pretty impressive collection of comics and manga!
I would expect that there's a way to OCR the handwritten notes and then export them like the Kindle does. As it is it seems that Amazon just added some basic paint capabilities to add images to the text (whereby the images happen to show written text). Kinda looks like cheating to me.
I bought it. I am very sorry I did. I hate it. Nobody is mentioning an importatnt thing: everytime I turn the page, the screen takes a long time (thinking?) then it flashes and goes completely black, and only then does it show the next page. You can't search inside the book or flip through it. It's a near complete disaster.
I gotta say I'm very disappointed in the lack of annotation ability. From the start I wondered why I would buy this thing instead of an iPad. An iPad is more expensive but if I'm already going to drop $500 on everything mentioned in the video, an iPad AIR is only $99 more and that gives you a full blown general purpose computer that also runs the Kindle software, that you can highlight and take notes, etc.
Very well said! At this price point, the iPad is a much butter value as it is significantly more versatile. However, I do think that the reading experience is much better on the kindle. Thanks for watching! :)
Dylan, I'm a bestselling author who writes under the name Randall Arthur. If I sent you a complimentary copy of one of my books, would you be willing to review it? Thanks. Randall
If kindle scribe came with a color e-ink display and was 500 dollars, it would be worth it. I think they are getting there and this might be their first step. I really can’t wait to see color e-ink display devices! Note-taking without color isn’t gonna be enough, especially for students.
Very well said! I'm sure a full color display will be available in the not-too-distant future!
but sadly nowadays e-ink color screen is far from a good experience ... I think we will have to wait
Good points! One thing, though: annotating directly on a Kindle book wouldn’t make sense. Kindle books don’t have a fixed page layout; they reflow depending on your screen size, font size, spacing, margins and font choice. If you change any of those things, your text is no longer on the same number of pages.
At that point, your annotations and stuff would no longer be aligned at all, and the book would be a garbled mess.
Maybe they could add a system where you choose to lock the book in a specific layout, and then it could treat it more like a pdf and allow annotations, but that would cause its own set of new problems.
I’m not saying you’re wrong for wanting direct annotations, but I thought it was worth pointing out that it’s not a simple oversight; I’m sure they played with the idea. It’s just a more challenging feature to implement than people might realize.
That’s a good point! It would definitely take some tinkering to get it right.
I don’t know if it’s the best solution, but I think maybe the easiest way to do it would be to treat hand written notes/annotations as if they were placed in a text box. That way the annotations could be easily resized if you decided to change the font size, margins, etc. I’m sure there would be some drawbacks, and I doubt that the kindle is currently capable of supporting something like that, but for the price I would expect it to.
Thanks for sharing! Really appreciate your well thought out comment! 😁
That's not really true. The Kindle is able to keep the notes pinned at a certain text position and the Scribe most probably can do the same (I don't own one myself).
i chose to watch this review over the ones with 200k+ views because of how confident and clearly you speak! you seem like you have a great personality :)
Wow, that is so kind! Thank you so much :) I hope the video was helpful!
I like my scribe that I have had for 3 weeks. There are definitely work flow differences with annotating books compared with physical books. But the overall note taking experience is pretty good.
It could certainly be worse!
Im glad you’re liking your Scribe! 😁
I'd get the Scribe just for the screen size alone. The 6.8" display of the other Kindles always felt too cramped for the type of books I read (techie books and text books ... sadly, I don't read any fiction).
The larger screen size is without a doubt the best thing the Scribe has going for it! Reading on the paperwhite vs the scribe is like night and day.
I love the size of the scribe. The font is crisp and dark. I Like the larger screen for reading. Writing on the scribe is great. I like the feel of the device when writing, but I don't like the sticky note feature as much. I wish I could use the pen to underline and write on the pages of the book. I am going to play around with it for a few more days. I am sure future upgrades will add better features. It is awkward trying to find a comfortable way to hold while reading in bed. I missed out on the kindle DX, so I was excited to get the scribe for the larger screen. I ordered the denim case, it has a loop to hold the pencil. It is ok, but I will shop around for a better one as more become available.
Completely agree!
I’m a longtime fan and user of the Kindle E-Reader. I just recently upgraded to the Paperwhite from a basic model. I love the IDEA of the Kindle Scribe and considered buying it but I will wait for the next version. The features I would like to see added include ones that you mentioned, such as being able to write in the margins of purchased e-books. I would also like to see multiple colors added for highlighting and more importantly, the feature of converting handwritten notes into text fonts. Not asking too much…right?!? 😬 Thanks for your reviews on this and other products. I’m really enjoying your content. 👍🏼
Thank you so much! :)
I think that adding the features you mentioned would definitely make the scribe worth it! Hopefully one day these features will be included.
Just to let you know, the Kobo reader/writers have the ability to write in margins on epubs - however, as soon as you resize the font for whatever reason (or by accident, which is way too easy with the Kobo), the note converts into a sticky note much like the Scribe, anyway! Seems to be a limitation on these files that reformat the text on the fly. It needs to be on that original font size to show the written notes. (The writing feel is also pretty terrible on the Kobo so I'm definitely not recommending it.)
Here is the language from the refreshed Amazon scribe webpage that explicitly talks about future updates; they should have led with that!:
“Coming Soon: Kindle Scribe provides regular, free software updates that include new features. In the coming months, Kindle Scribe will add more writing tools, including new brush types and copy/paste tools, additional notebook organization options, and the ability to send documents to Kindle Scribe directly from within Microsoft Word.”
Thank you for sharing this! :)
Thank you for a true, brutally honest review! I traded in my Oasis to get the Scribe, so it cost me about $250 with the basic pen. I'm very happy with my Scribe but I think that's mostly because I already have a Remarkable 2 for my e-ink notebook needs. If I decide to get a basic for my husband, I will come back and use your link for sure!
That is very kind, thank you! :) I'm glad you're enjoying the scribe!
Can I ask how you traded it in?
Could you please give me your opinion which is better in reading PDF files and adding mark ups, RM2 or kindle Scribe?
@@_xAlkalinex_ Hi! Sorry for the late replay - you likely already found this, but if you go to the Kindle item on Amazon, it should give you the option for "20% off with trade-in" right near the price. not sure if this is US only! I sent in my old device (free shipping) and after they inspected it, I received a code to use in checkout.
@@mohamadrashid8931 It's kind of a "this depends" situation. Scribe has the front light, which means you are able to mark up PDFs in all lighting situations. If this doesn't matter to you, i.e. you will be using the device in a business office mostly, the RM2 has the leg up in writing feel. It is also easier (IMO )to send PDFs to RM2 using Connect. Overall, if writing/marking up in an office setting with lighting is your goal, I think RM2 is the better device for ease of use and writing feel.
Thanks for the review. Specifically….the fact you can’t write directly on ebooks. This is a mandatory feature they need for me. I almost bought the thing assuming it did.
I completely agree! I expect that this feature will be added in a future update, but as of now, it is quite a bummer!
I’ll wait for a few years for colour, conversion of notes to text, direct writing and highlighting on book
Yes! Those features would change things completely!
Thank you, I feel much better for not being able to afford one at the moment. :)
haha well said!
If I were in college and took alot of notes? Maybe. It looks kind of overpriced for what it is and its limitations. I love my 2021 Kindle Paperwhite and will be sticking with that. :) It provides everything I need and then some.
I completely agree!
I feel the same. I hope kindle add a new feature that enable to draw high lights by the pencil directly. I want a real book made of an e-book.
Hopefully soon! 😁
For the price, I would want to be able to make notes in the margins, underline passages, highlight in colors and if I lost the pen, be able to use my finger. 🙂👍🐾
I completely agree!
I bought my Scribe 2 weeks ago and bought a Kobo Elipsa yesterday. They are almost EXACTLY the same but the Scribe is cheaper @32GB...... BUT The Kobo (32gb)comes with a very solid case so that makes up for it. Kobo is better in the sence you can write on the book, which is what I want, not the post-it-note style . Also Kobo has Overdrive right on the device, no computer needed to rent library books. Overall I prefer the scribe for it has the orange light and more note template and pen options than the kobo Elipsa. I was mad that the elipsa has no orange light for their lower end devices all have them
That is a nice tool for note taking for kids in highschool and elementary.
What I would like to see from these devices is a survey done asking a set number of consumers what they would like to see and use in new devices. But I guess they don’t care enough to do something like that. It might not be cost effective but their high prices are not good for sales either.
You would think it could be that simple!
@@dylancanread yep and I’m not even that smart!!!
Thank you for the review Dylan. After watching all your videos on the Scribe and a few others I agree with your brutally honest review of this one. Did Amazon make a great hardware device? Mostly. Turn page buttons on this behemoth is a must! The note taking experience is ok for a 1st generation product. We have to remember this this is Amazon’s first attempt at notes on an-e-reader so a little grace is warranted. However for the price and currently limited note-taking abilities, people would be better off buying an iPad for their notes and a Kindle Basic for reading if they want to stay in the Amazon ecosystem. Otherwise get a Remarkable 2 if you can’t wait for the Scribe 2 to come out in a few years.
Maybe new firmware updates will make this Scribe more appealing accompanied with a drop in price.
You've hit the nail perfectly on the head!
Hi Dylan. You didnt seem to dig deep on the LEDs. How do they compare with say an ordinary tablet for blue light and eye strain? I was going to buy one but pulled back when I saw that there was a read-at-night feature. Maybe this can be turned off? The old type large Kindles which were great even though resolution not as crisp seemed to require an external light source to read. This is what I am after. In other words like an ordinary book. Just reflected light. Is this possible with this product? Cheers.
Great question! The kindle does emit some blue light, but it is pretty minimal, especially compared to something like a cellphone or tablet. However, you can turn the brightness all the way down in the kindle and it will emit no light at all! At that point, you could use an external light (like a book light) to illuminate the display!
I actually got the fire and feel like that does a lot of the things I would get this kindle for. It has access to Microsoft products for the spreadsheet access and it is easier to highlight books and seems like the annotation process is about the same. I don’t think this scribe would benefit me in any way but I’m definitely watching Amazon and this space to see what they come up with in the future.
Great point! And yes, I am interested to see how to scribe and/or fire evolve in the future!
Something I didn’t see from your review is talking about the reading experience, which is ridiculous. Wanting a larger screen is about a lot more than “poor eyesight.” Since getting the Scribe I’ve tried going back to the Paperwhite 11th Gen for comparison and found it much more cramped and less comfortable. I read a lot of nonfiction that can include images in the text lately, and having the images displayed alongside text in an attractive way is such a game changer. I’ve also found that I read significantly faster on the Scribe, likely because there’s less page turning and my eyes can scan the page faster. At this point even if Amazon were to release a colour Scribe in a couple years I’d likely upgrade again at that time. No regrets on my purchase.
thanks a lot Dylan that was so helpful
Thanks for watching! 😁 I’m glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for your honest report.
Do this Kindles have the same laggy software experience as the Paperwhite Kindle, or is it better when you read?
I really like my Oasis but although the idea of a bigger display is attractive I am not tempted to shell out all that money for mediocre note functions.
Mine has been laying around now for almost two weeks while I watch videos like yours hoping to be convinced to set it up. I just read or draw but later I might want something for note taking.
Hence, I’m waiting for lenovo to bring their new lenovo smart to the market. It’s taking too long 😅
Haha oh no! I hope I didn’t contribute to your lack of enthusiasm over the Scribe! 🫣
If I could customize the button to change the page, I'd upgrade to it from the standard pen.
Definitely!
Great review! how about an upgrade of my Oasis? I am passionate about comics and manga but due to the small size of my reader I have to give up many of them. Would it be worth switching to the larger screen of the Scribe? Maybe the 64 giga version?
Thank you! :) Comics and manga look fantastic on the scribe so I think it would be worth switching for sure! The 64GB version would hold a pretty impressive collection of comics and manga!
@@dylancanread thanks a lot ☺️!
Why not get a Kindle Fire tablet? It's less then half the price, is a full Android computer, and has the Kindle app as well.
@@mwat56 , i have an iPad and an Oasis but I think that reading is much more comfortable on an e-ink display😊
I think being able to actually annotate books without sticky notes would be worth it for me!
Agreed! It would be a massive improvement!
Do they have an sdk for that? will you be able to write to kindle scribe with apps and browse the web and paste pictures.
I would expect that there's a way to OCR the handwritten notes and then export them like the Kindle does.
As it is it seems that Amazon just added some basic paint capabilities to add images to the text (whereby the images happen to show written text). Kinda looks like cheating to me.
Great thoughts!
I bought it. I am very sorry I did. I hate it. Nobody is mentioning an importatnt thing: everytime I turn the page, the screen takes a long time (thinking?) then it flashes and goes completely black, and only then does it show the next page. You can't search inside the book or flip through it. It's a near complete disaster.
Dylan Johns Thanks Much !
Thank you! :)
So does transfer handwriting? Can you sync the notes with Google drive?
good review, well done.
Thanks for watching! 😁
So a pdf Book such as the ESV bible from Crossway digital edition that I sent to samsung note so I can write on it could be sent to the Scribe?
Yes! Adding PDF's to the scribe is very easy! :)
Is it possible to copy files locally via USB to the Scribe (like with the Kindle)?
If the book is nodrm can we annotate directly like in pdfs?
I gotta say I'm very disappointed in the lack of annotation ability. From the start I wondered why I would buy this thing instead of an iPad. An iPad is more expensive but if I'm already going to drop $500 on everything mentioned in the video, an iPad AIR is only $99 more and that gives you a full blown general purpose computer that also runs the Kindle software, that you can highlight and take notes, etc.
Very well said! At this price point, the iPad is a much butter value as it is significantly more versatile. However, I do think that the reading experience is much better on the kindle.
Thanks for watching! :)
Totally agree - not worth at the moment at this price level.
Hopefully future updates will do more to make the ask price more reasonable!
How brutally honest can you be when you profit from the sale of the device?
Tell me you did not watch the video without telling me you did not watch the video.
Why the pen if you cannot doodle XD
Right?!
TKS a lot
Thanks for watching! :)
Dylan, I'm a bestselling author who writes under the name Randall Arthur. If I sent you a complimentary copy of one of my books, would you be willing to review it? Thanks. Randall