Kindle Scribe Review: You Can Now Annotate in Your Books.
Amazon has updated its Kindle Scribe device, incorporating improvements in hardware and, most notably, in software, along with generative artificial intelligence features that enhance a more intuitive writing experience.
In a recent event dedicated to the launch of four new Kindle models, Panos Panay, Amazon's Director of Devices and Services, reminded attendees that it has been 17 years since the creation of the Kindle. The executive highlighted that the device is currently experiencing record sales, with 20.8 billion pages read monthly on these devices.
The arrival of the Kindle Scribe in 2022 marked a milestone that boosted the development of e-paper writing tablets, such as the reMarkable Paper Pro. While the latter offers a color writing experience, the Kindle Scribe remains a black-and-white option. However, its software updates could mitigate this limitation, making the reading and writing experience more realistic, which led Panay to call the Scribe the "fastest-growing Kindle category." The Kindle Scribe can be considered a 2-in-1 device, as it combines the functions of a reader and a writing tablet.
During the presentation, Panay expressed his excitement about 2-in-1 devices, and those words resonated with the hands-on experience of the Kindle Scribe, which aims to assist those who prefer to write by hand while planning projects or taking notes.
In the latest version of the Kindle Scribe, Amazon has made significant improvements to its software, responding to previous criticisms about the writing experience. The new 'Active Canvas' allows users to write directly on the pages of e-books, a drastic change from the previous limited functionality, where notes were placed on sticky notes that would then be hidden. Now, annotations are integrated into the page itself and can be resized as needed.
The new features also allow for highlighting or underlining text in e-books, as long as these are compatible. However, documents such as PDFs will not be supported due to their fixed format. For those who tend to write in blank notebooks, Amazon has introduced AI tools like Summarization and Refined Writing. The former compiles long notes into a concise summary, while the latter converts handwritten pages into readable text.
The use of these AI tools is performed in the cloud and promises to preserve the essence of the original content, allowing handwritten notes to be retained. Additionally, the conversion process adds an animation that informs the user that the task is in progress.
With its 17 years of history, the Kindle has revolutionized the world of printed books, and with the arrival of the Scribe, it has the potential to change the way notebooks are used. Although it faces competition from brands like reMarkable and Boox, Kindle's extensive catalog and Amazon's infrastructure work to its advantage. The Kindle Scribe will be available starting in December at a starting price of $400.
