Yeah, it's unfortunate; at the same time, the low-end devices are so cheap that they can't be making much on them. I will say that I've had good luck with asking customer service that the ads be removed, so that's worth a shot.
I have had the Scribe since it was first released. You have it all down perfectly. I also have a Remarkable 2, which I use at work. It works well but it lacks a front lit screen, which the Scribe has. I find that makes a significant difference. I am hopeful that Amazon will add all of the note organizational features, as well as the other features that devices of this kind routinely now offer, as well as fully syncing it with other Kindles and apps in the lineup. Amazon still wants to sell books on this device, which is understandable, but today’s demands include fully integrating these devices to complement our other devices and ecosystems to help us be productive. I hope Amazon is listening. I will be sure to listen to what you have to say in the future.
Thanks, Bruce! Yeah, the hardware here is pretty great; I’m hopeful that it will sell enough to stoke Amazon to keep investing in the form factor. I’d love for them to add note and pen support to upcoming Oasis and Paperwhite devices too and have them all sync up with desktop and mobile devices.
8:25 THANK YOU. You are one of the very few (if not the only) reviewer that EXPLICITLY mentions whether the device is waterproof/water resistant. Which is imho, a CRUCIAL aspect to mention for this kind of devices.
I tried to love mine, but it was too heavy as a reader and was too limited in its note taking options. I will revisit as they improve the software, but for now, Ill just stick to paper or iPad.
Thank you for your excellent review. I do actually really miss the side buttons as an Oasis user. Likewise I think Amazon should add a simple fingerprint reader as this a note taking tool.
Got mine today, mostly for reading. The biggest disappointment is it not having the buttons to turn the pages and a lock screen like on my oasis. I was always disappointed that the oasis didn't fit in my back pocket like the paper white did. So I'll probably gift my oasis to someone and pick up a new paperwhite for reading on the go and the Scribe for reading around the house.
I am close to getting the Scribe but the one thing that's putting me off is the lack of physical turn-page buttons, which I love on my Oasis. Would miss those.
@@Beefers26 Yeah, it’s a fantastic e-reader and the battery life will blow you away if you’re coming from an Oasis. The lack of page-turn buttons is definitely a bummer.
I have almost every type of kindle but the scribe addresses one itch the others do not. Technical manuals. Being able to look at schematics or tables of data at a near real size is a massive plus.
I just got a kindle scribe, but only because I am in grad school and wanted to annotate all my required readings. I realized that you can write directly on pdfs but not kindle books, which is so odd! It seems they have the software set up already, so it’s confusing why is doesn’t apply to all file types (esp their own file type!). I love it for my pdfs tho, which is what i really need it for anyway. But it’s too big for me to want to read novels on. I definitely prefer a paper white for that.
Yeah, the limitations on book notes are… strange. I’m hoping that it’s just growing pains. I’ve come to really love reading books on it because the page is the size of a hardback book, but the thing is pretty chunky. The Oasis or Paperwhite are much easier to run around with. Thanks for watching!
My guess, you can't draw on not-PDF books because they have reflowable text. It's impossible to figure out what your drawings should look like after you change the font size.
@LeeClontz I rarely comment on RUclips videos but have to pause and thank you for your mention of the [lack of] note taking ability on the device. Like you, I tend to source my books from freeware / open source / other. I am undertaking a long term project where all I want to do is to be able to read non-drm ePubs, highlight and take notes in them, and then to pull up those notes later (ideally, in context) so I can write a distillation of what I have learned. I have just started on the journey of finding a device to help do this, and was excited about the Scribe... but no more (sad emoticon). Thank you again for saving me from a major headache and best to you and yours. BTW if anyone is reading this and has a device in mind (eInk only, please) - please let me know.
I really like buttons and I think that the size may make button placement odd. But Amazon could enable Bluetooth to allow for the Bluetooth page turn buttons that works on the kindle app on android or iPad. I used one of those buttons for my supernote which is roughly the same size.
Thank you for mentioning magazines. I was curious as to how it would appear it's a little disappointing that it looks basic I usually see my magazines on my fire tablet rather than my basic kindle. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, you bet. It was disappointing for me as well. I'm hoping that they'll start formatting magazines for the Scribe that are closer to their printed counterparts, but I'm not really optimistic that they will unless it becomes a more dominant device.
I built a ereader holding "arm" attached to my headboard. At night I just need to clip in the ereader to the holder that hovers over my bed, and so I can read hands free until I get too sleepy to continue. I only need to reach up and swipe for the "next page". Only once did I mess up and not clip it in right, and it smacked me in the face 😵.
Thank you for your in-depth review! I was looking for this kind of information, but most people only focus on notes and skip reading part. I have a good eyesight and usually use the smallest font possible. I'm currently using Kobo Sage, which has a terrific font adjustment menu, and my custom font almost fills the screen to the brim! I wonder how small text can get on the Scribe? Also, I suggest you normalise audio volume of the final recording. At some places it's hard to hear what you're saying.
7:35 - Finally a Scribe review by an actual book reader! Can you please clarify this: I am also a heavy Calibre user, but I transfer my content from there using e-mail mechanism, not USB sideloading. Is book/document highlighting/note taking available only on books _bought_ from Amazon, or also on documents sent to your Amazon library and then downloaded to Scribe? I mean, physical sideloading over USB is a hassle - why not keep my books from sources other than Amazon in my Amazon cloud library, too, as long as I also have them safely tucked away in triple-backed up Calibre library?
Amazon has deleted peoples paid for content. I had some audio books that Amazon deleted from my library as they lost the licence to sell it. Luckily I saved local copes that Amazon is happy to authorise. So use Amazon to have a library but beware parts or maybe all of it can just disappear at a whim.
@@mbak7801 The only instance of this I have heard of was a particular edition of "1984" for which they had no license, and after the uproar they reinstated the book and threw a gift card in for good measure. I never heard of audiobooks being removed, but then, I am not into audiobooks. I do own quite a number of books (licenses, technically) bought from Amazon that are no longer being sold, but they are still in may library. I _do_ retain backup copies of content acquired elsewhere in my triple backed up Calibre library; it's just that I also keep them, for convenience, in ma Amaton cloud library. I _am_ considering backing up locally all my Amazon-bought content. It will be easiest by just downloading everything to my Scribe when it finally arrives (I bought the model with the largest storage, so it will fit) and back it up vie USB. It will be time consuming, especially for back issues of magazines, but I think it is worth it. I can also do this with Kindle for PC, but it does not support magazines. Of course, the content will be readable only on that Scribe (except when publishers opt out of DRM nonsense, which more and more do), but there is always a possibility to strip the cryptographically pretty weak DRM "protection" in the case Amazon screws us. However, until then, I choose to trust them (partially).
Coming back to Kindle with the Scribe after playing around in the Boox world left me pretty disappointed. This hardware is way too nice to be so underserved by its software. The lack of integration with anything and weak note taking are huge. But even little things like not being able to adjust the contrast on hard to read PDFs or the rotten state of the web browser leave the whole package outside of raw e-book reading feeling empty.
I agree that the software definitely feels like early days, especially when it comes to PDF markup and third-party integrations. I'm still using it mostly as an e-reader, so I'm satisfied at the moment. I'm hopeful that they stick with the platform and continue to develop the software.
You can get other devices to read books on, but the Scribe allows you to write notes and sketches......that is the prime.....pun?......reason I bought the Scribe as I do a lot of doodling and sketching things I want to make on bits of paper, and reams of paper get piled up and take space......but .I just wish there was a way to go from page 100 in the notebook I created back to page one like a paper type note pad without flicking back through 100 pages
YUP - ability to GOTO PAGE #### would be an essential for me especially when taking notes for a tech journal. I'm not going to be paging thru 112 pages just to get to page 113 where I know subject XYZ is noted. C'mon Amazon!
Hopefully you both saw that they just added a “go to page” function in the new version that dropped this week. There’s a video about it in my channel if you haven’t seen yet.
@@LeeClontz Yes, but it's not on my Scribe yet as the update box on the Scribe is greyed out which means it's still running on the 5.16.1 firmware that it came with a week ago.....I'll keep watching the progress etc. EDIT.....well I contacted amazon and did a chat session.......NOW I have the update and it's working great........hats off to Amazon support team for their help. As I use Microsoft paint for sketching on my computer I would like to see a few features on the Scribe too........the lasso tool to circle a part of the sketch and move it around would be handy, also a box with specific shapes like circles, squares, hexagons, star etc would be good too.........another feature would be to enlarge a whole shape by a percentage, like click on a box to increase the drawing size by 2 3 or 4 etc which would be 20% 30% or 40% etc.
I have noticed that when using the kindle as a notebook, there are certain spaces on the screen where the pen does not write or the writing is blurred; It doesn't happen every time, but it's annoying. does it happen to you too?
No, that doesn’t sound normal. The only kinda similar thing I’ve seen is that once you’ve selected a pen or pen size, you have to manually deselect the menu by clicking down rather than starting to write. But I haven’t seen what you’re describing. I’d swap that unit and pen for another one while you’re under warranty.
I am searching a review on Kindle Scribe to be used primarily for reading. Can you comment if the size and weight of the device make it enjoyable for reading in relax posture, sleeping, sitting on sofa, etc, and not sitting on the table? and one hand reading.
Yeah, it amazes me on many of these Scribe reviews how the reviewers are not familiar with the UI. I got the 64GB Scribe, and honestly have no regrets. No problems here. The coming software updates will only make it better.
If you’re holding it in your left hand, with the bezel on the left, you have to swipe to go to the next page. Tapping on the left side - where your hand will be if you’re holding it with the bezel on the left side - will make it go back a page. I thought I was clear on that, but thanks for the feedback!
I really do dig the gigantic screen for reading, which is where I spend most of my time. Definitely hoping for an improved note-sync experience down the pipe.
@@LeeClontz I've heard from a couple of people who prefer the Scribe, but say it's writing capabilities are not that great. I'll likely buy one later into the year when more updates are released to the device.
@@ItsChuteMi The pen response is excellent but the tools and software are extremely bare-bones. My fear is that it will be too niche a device for Amazon to invest heavily into but once they get the price dialed in I hope it’ll sell well enough.
I’m sorry but I’m not spending that much on a kindle when I can download the app on the apple tablet . 🤦♀️🙌 I mean these kindles should only be like $50 . More people would buy them and you would see millions of kids reading instead of tic tok . So why not make them cheap to help our kids in the world ? Greedy kindle company . Not worth $50 . 😢
Yeah the Scribe is definitely on the pricey side, but there are much cheaper e-ink options in the Kindle family - especially if you’re willing to buy refurbed. I’ve seen the base Kindle as low as $60 on Prime Day, Black Friday, etc.
I bought my Kindle Fire on Amazon for $17, lol. They are not expensive. THIS one, however, is overpriced in my opinion. Writers are the biggest readers, so they know there's a pretty big chance we'll splurge anyway to get the "best" of both worlds.
I can't believe they have ads on some of their devices, that's pretty wild. I miss the days when you could pay for something once and own it.
Yeah, it's unfortunate; at the same time, the low-end devices are so cheap that they can't be making much on them. I will say that I've had good luck with asking customer service that the ads be removed, so that's worth a shot.
I have had the Scribe since it was first released. You have it all down perfectly. I also have a Remarkable 2, which I use at work. It works well but it lacks a front lit screen, which the Scribe has. I find that makes a significant difference. I am hopeful that Amazon will add all of the note organizational features, as well as the other features that devices of this kind routinely now offer, as well as fully syncing it with other Kindles and apps in the lineup. Amazon still wants to sell books on this device, which is understandable, but today’s demands include fully integrating these devices to complement our other devices and ecosystems to help us be productive. I hope Amazon is listening. I will be sure to listen to what you have to say in the future.
Thanks, Bruce! Yeah, the hardware here is pretty great; I’m hopeful that it will sell enough to stoke Amazon to keep investing in the form factor. I’d love for them to add note and pen support to upcoming Oasis and Paperwhite devices too and have them all sync up with desktop and mobile devices.
Good review. I have mine and the lack of waterproofing or wireless charging are a slight buzzkill - but first gen always comes with some pain.
Great review! So glad you like your Christmas present! ❤
8:25 THANK YOU. You are one of the very few (if not the only) reviewer that EXPLICITLY mentions whether the device is waterproof/water resistant. Which is imho, a CRUCIAL aspect to mention for this kind of devices.
i am currently in researchmode because i want to buy a scribe and almost every review i have seen, mentioned that fact.
I tried to love mine, but it was too heavy as a reader and was too limited in its note taking options. I will revisit as they improve the software, but for now, Ill just stick to paper or iPad.
Man, I love mine. I've owned ereaders, ipads and kindles. I really love the Scribe.
It writes and reads really well.
Thank you for your excellent review. I do actually really miss the side buttons as an Oasis user. Likewise I think Amazon should add a simple fingerprint reader as this a note taking tool.
Got mine today, mostly for reading. The biggest disappointment is it not having the buttons to turn the pages and a lock screen like on my oasis. I was always disappointed that the oasis didn't fit in my back pocket like the paper white did. So I'll probably gift my oasis to someone and pick up a new paperwhite for reading on the go and the Scribe for reading around the house.
Yeah, the Paperwhite is definitely the best all-around device, especially now that it has a 300 ppi screen like the higher-cost models.
I am close to getting the Scribe but the one thing that's putting me off is the lack of physical turn-page buttons, which I love on my Oasis. Would miss those.
@@Beefers26 Yeah, it’s a fantastic e-reader and the battery life will blow you away if you’re coming from an Oasis. The lack of page-turn buttons is definitely a bummer.
@@Beefers26 I do miss the physical buttons for page turning. Cause I used to turn off my touch screen and use the buttons.
I'm watching this with my husband and he REALLY wants a bookshelf tour to see what that star wars thing is!
I have almost every type of kindle but the scribe addresses one itch the others do not. Technical manuals. Being able to look at schematics or tables of data at a near real size is a massive plus.
Yeah, this is definitely the case. PDFs usually look much better on the Scribe, especially when they have decently-sized text.
Very interesting and informative video thank you
I just got a kindle scribe, but only because I am in grad school and wanted to annotate all my required readings. I realized that you can write directly on pdfs but not kindle books, which is so odd! It seems they have the software set up already, so it’s confusing why is doesn’t apply to all file types (esp their own file type!). I love it for my pdfs tho, which is what i really need it for anyway. But it’s too big for me to want to read novels on. I definitely prefer a paper white for that.
Yeah, the limitations on book notes are… strange. I’m hoping that it’s just growing pains. I’ve come to really love reading books on it because the page is the size of a hardback book, but the thing is pretty chunky. The Oasis or Paperwhite are much easier to run around with. Thanks for watching!
My guess, you can't draw on not-PDF books because they have reflowable text. It's impossible to figure out what your drawings should look like after you change the font size.
@LeeClontz I rarely comment on RUclips videos but have to pause and thank you for your mention of the [lack of] note taking ability on the device. Like you, I tend to source my books from freeware / open source / other. I am undertaking a long term project where all I want to do is to be able to read non-drm ePubs, highlight and take notes in them, and then to pull up those notes later (ideally, in context) so I can write a distillation of what I have learned. I have just started on the journey of finding a device to help do this, and was excited about the Scribe... but no more (sad emoticon). Thank you again for saving me from a major headache and best to you and yours. BTW if anyone is reading this and has a device in mind (eInk only, please) - please let me know.
The pocketbook era (and possibly other pocketbooks) allow you to write on any book. It’s only 7inch screen though.
I dont know if it was fixed, but I have some epub books - not from amazon (hehe) and the floating notes works fine.
Veri informative! Yeah, I would like to know your opinion about the cover
I really like buttons and I think that the size may make button placement odd. But Amazon could enable Bluetooth to allow for the Bluetooth page turn buttons that works on the kindle app on android or iPad.
I used one of those buttons for my supernote which is roughly the same size.
Thank you for mentioning magazines. I was curious as to how it would appear it's a little disappointing that it looks basic I usually see my magazines on my fire tablet rather than my basic kindle. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, you bet. It was disappointing for me as well. I'm hoping that they'll start formatting magazines for the Scribe that are closer to their printed counterparts, but I'm not really optimistic that they will unless it becomes a more dominant device.
Great review and well explained.
I built a ereader holding "arm" attached to my headboard. At night I just need to clip in the ereader to the holder that hovers over my bed, and so I can read hands free until I get too sleepy to continue. I only need to reach up and swipe for the "next page". Only once did I mess up and not clip it in right, and it smacked me in the face 😵.
Thank you for your in-depth review! I was looking for this kind of information, but most people only focus on notes and skip reading part. I have a good eyesight and usually use the smallest font possible. I'm currently using Kobo Sage, which has a terrific font adjustment menu, and my custom font almost fills the screen to the brim! I wonder how small text can get on the Scribe?
Also, I suggest you normalise audio volume of the final recording. At some places it's hard to hear what you're saying.
Thank you! Much appreciate the feedback, both positive and constructive. 😊
7:35 - Finally a Scribe review by an actual book reader!
Can you please clarify this: I am also a heavy Calibre user, but I transfer my content from there using e-mail mechanism, not USB sideloading. Is book/document highlighting/note taking available only on books _bought_ from Amazon, or also on documents sent to your Amazon library and then downloaded to Scribe? I mean, physical sideloading over USB is a hassle - why not keep my books from sources other than Amazon in my Amazon cloud library, too, as long as I also have them safely tucked away in triple-backed up Calibre library?
Amazon has deleted peoples paid for content. I had some audio books that Amazon deleted from my library as they lost the licence to sell it. Luckily I saved local copes that Amazon is happy to authorise. So use Amazon to have a library but beware parts or maybe all of it can just disappear at a whim.
@@mbak7801 The only instance of this I have heard of was a particular edition of "1984" for which they had no license, and after the uproar they reinstated the book and threw a gift card in for good measure. I never heard of audiobooks being removed, but then, I am not into audiobooks. I do own quite a number of books (licenses, technically) bought from Amazon that are no longer being sold, but they are still in may library.
I _do_ retain backup copies of content acquired elsewhere in my triple backed up Calibre library; it's just that I also keep them, for convenience, in ma Amaton cloud library.
I _am_ considering backing up locally all my Amazon-bought content. It will be easiest by just downloading everything to my Scribe when it finally arrives (I bought the model with the largest storage, so it will fit) and back it up vie USB. It will be time consuming, especially for back issues of magazines, but I think it is worth it. I can also do this with Kindle for PC, but it does not support magazines. Of course, the content will be readable only on that Scribe (except when publishers opt out of DRM nonsense, which more and more do), but there is always a possibility to strip the cryptographically pretty weak DRM "protection" in the case Amazon screws us. However, until then, I choose to trust them (partially).
@@mbak7801 " Luckily I saved local copes that Amazon is happy to authorise."
Can you please elaborate on this?
I have that scribe and still haven’t unpacked it because it might go back. Looking at the lenovo to better fit my needs.
Coming back to Kindle with the Scribe after playing around in the Boox world left me pretty disappointed. This hardware is way too nice to be so underserved by its software. The lack of integration with anything and weak note taking are huge. But even little things like not being able to adjust the contrast on hard to read PDFs or the rotten state of the web browser leave the whole package outside of raw e-book reading feeling empty.
I agree that the software definitely feels like early days, especially when it comes to PDF markup and third-party integrations. I'm still using it mostly as an e-reader, so I'm satisfied at the moment. I'm hopeful that they stick with the platform and continue to develop the software.
here here
I love mine take it every where and read in bed I just wish I could use scribd on it
You can get other devices to read books on, but the Scribe allows you to write notes and sketches......that is the prime.....pun?......reason I bought the Scribe as I do a lot of doodling and sketching things I want to make on bits of paper, and reams of paper get piled up and take space......but .I just wish there was a way to go from page 100 in the notebook I created back to page one like a paper type note pad without flicking back through 100 pages
YUP - ability to GOTO PAGE #### would be an essential for me especially when taking notes for a tech journal. I'm not going to be paging thru 112 pages just to get to page 113 where I know subject XYZ is noted. C'mon Amazon!
Hopefully you both saw that they just added a “go to page” function in the new version that dropped this week. There’s a video about it in my channel if you haven’t seen yet.
@@LeeClontz Yes, but it's not on my Scribe yet as the update box on the Scribe is greyed out which means it's still running on the 5.16.1 firmware that it came with a week ago.....I'll keep watching the progress etc.
EDIT.....well I contacted amazon and did a chat session.......NOW I have the update and it's working great........hats off to Amazon support team for their help.
As I use Microsoft paint for sketching on my computer I would like to see a few features on the Scribe too........the lasso tool to circle a part of the sketch and move it around would be handy, also a box with specific shapes like circles, squares, hexagons, star etc would be good too.........another feature would be to enlarge a whole shape by a percentage, like click on a box to increase the drawing size by 2 3 or 4 etc which would be 20% 30% or 40% etc.
Are you able to set this kindle up so that it shows the current book of what you're reading?
Hey, Reuben! Yes, it's in the settings and works like other modern Kindles that way.
I have noticed that when using the kindle as a notebook, there are certain spaces on the screen where the pen does not write or the writing is blurred; It doesn't happen every time, but it's annoying. does it happen to you too?
No, that doesn’t sound normal. The only kinda similar thing I’ve seen is that once you’ve selected a pen or pen size, you have to manually deselect the menu by clicking down rather than starting to write. But I haven’t seen what you’re describing. I’d swap that unit and pen for another one while you’re under warranty.
Love my Kindle Scribe (obtained Xmas 2022)
For me : a large screen premium ereader with the added benefits of some notetaking.
I am searching a review on Kindle Scribe to be used primarily for reading. Can you comment if the size and weight of the device make it enjoyable for reading in relax posture, sleeping, sitting on sofa, etc, and not sitting on the table? and one hand reading.
Can you do search on notes
You don't have to slide your finger, you just tap, and it will turn the page.
Yeah, it amazes me on many of these Scribe reviews how the reviewers are not familiar with the UI.
I got the 64GB Scribe, and honestly have no regrets. No problems here. The coming software updates will only make it better.
If you’re holding it in your left hand, with the bezel on the left, you have to swipe to go to the next page. Tapping on the left side - where your hand will be if you’re holding it with the bezel on the left side - will make it go back a page. I thought I was clear on that, but thanks for the feedback!
pay attention lol
It's an interesting device, but I can't see the scribe as anything other than a remarkable competitor.
I really do dig the gigantic screen for reading, which is where I spend most of my time. Definitely hoping for an improved note-sync experience down the pipe.
@@LeeClontz I've heard from a couple of people who prefer the Scribe, but say it's writing capabilities are not that great. I'll likely buy one later into the year when more updates are released to the device.
@@ItsChuteMi The pen response is excellent but the tools and software are extremely bare-bones. My fear is that it will be too niche a device for Amazon to invest heavily into but once they get the price dialed in I hope it’ll sell well enough.
TLDR (for me personally): the device is overpriced and too restrictive. An excellent video though.
It’s actually pronounced cali-ber. It’s just the English/Canadian spelling
Your voice is drifting off at the end of some sentences.
Thanks -- I'll be sure to get closer to my mic next time. Appreciate the feedback!
I’m sorry but I’m not spending that much on a kindle when I can download the app on the apple tablet . 🤦♀️🙌 I mean these kindles should only be like $50 . More people would buy them and you would see millions of kids reading instead of tic tok . So why not make them cheap to help our kids in the world ? Greedy kindle company . Not worth $50 . 😢
Yeah the Scribe is definitely on the pricey side, but there are much cheaper e-ink options in the Kindle family - especially if you’re willing to buy refurbed. I’ve seen the base Kindle as low as $60 on Prime Day, Black Friday, etc.
I bought my Kindle Fire on Amazon for $17, lol. They are not expensive. THIS one, however, is overpriced in my opinion. Writers are the biggest readers, so they know there's a pretty big chance we'll splurge anyway to get the "best" of both worlds.