A really specific set of abilities, for a worth

In a world the place notifications persistently compete for our consideration, distraction-free ereaders and writing tablets have discovered an viewers. Placing your telephone, laptop computer or iPad apart and curling up with a Kindle or a reMarkable pill have develop into an virtually ironic manner for the tech-savvy to disconnect from on-line noise and concentrate on studying and writing. It’s debatable how broad the attraction of those units is, however even in what seems to be a comparatively small slice of the business, the competitors is fierce.

Amazon is arguably the largest title within the area, with its Kindles dominating the ereader marketplace for years. When it launched the Kindle Scribe in 2022, the corporate made a play for the burgeoning E Ink writing pill class, and simply final 12 months it launched its first colour ereader with the Kindle Colorsoft. Put all these options — studying, writing and colour — collectively, and also you’ve acquired the elements for Amazon’s newest contender: the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

This time, Amazon expanded the Scribe line by releasing three new Scribes without delay. The entry-level mannequin is the black-and-white pill with out a entrance mild, which prices $430. For $70 extra, you’ll get the entrance mild, after which the Colorsoft model goes for $630. There are upgrades from final 12 months’s Scribe throughout the trio, and for this assessment we’ll be wanting largely on the Colorsoft, which has the entire new options.

Like with earlier fashions of the Scribe, Amazon doesn’t point out the technology quantity within the title, merely calling this lineup the “all-new Kindle Scribe,” attaching the phrase Colorsoft to the version that renders colours. To keep away from confusion, I’ll often be referring to this technology of the system because the Scribe 3, and the model from final 12 months because the Scribe 2.

Editor’s notice: As I solely obtained the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft on December 8 on account of transport delays, I gained’t be assigning a rating to this system till I’ve had extra time to check it. My colleague Valentina Palladino obtained the brand new Kindle Scribe a couple of days earlier than that, and has contributed testing and impressions to this assessment. It’s additionally value noting that some new options, like “Ship to Alexa+,” “Story to this point” and “Ask this ebook” aren’t obtainable to check but. We’ll replace this assessment with a rating after spending extra time with it so we will higher gauge issues like battery life and the usefulness of some software program options.

What’s new with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Other than the apparent, which is that the Colorsoft can now render colours, the newest Kindle Scribes additionally characteristic a refined design, improved entrance mild system, up to date display screen structure, new quad-core chip, extra reminiscence and Oxide show expertise. It has a bigger 11-inch display screen in comparison with the ten.2-inch show on its predecessor, and nonetheless manages to weigh 33 grams much less at 400 grams (0.88 kilos). There’s additionally a revamped Dwelling web page that homes a Fast Notice for simpler entry to the writing interface in addition to some software program and AI instruments that aren’t obtainable to check but.

A number of the {hardware} tweaks translated to a snappier, extra responsive system general. In my testing, the Scribe Colorsoft’s AI summarization and handwriting refinements took a bit much less time than the Scribe 2, which I attribute most to the processor, however I additionally seen improved fluidity within the writing expertise.

Drawing on the Scribe Colorsoft brings me proper again to my youthful days testing out pens at bookstores. Amazon’s stylus seems like a pen with ink that flows extra freely and constantly onto the web page than others, and between the nib and the feel of the web page there’s a lack of resistance and general smoothness that may be very satisfying.

Amazon stated that the Premium Pen that comes with the Scribes has been refined with a thicker and extra rounded silhouette. With its newest Oxide show, the Scribe Colorsoft’s display screen response price of 14 milliseconds and the non-Colorsoft Scribe 3’s charges of 12ms are each a lot greater than the 20-21ms for the Scribe 2. Collectively, this most likely is the principle cause that the brand new Scribe feels extra responsive on the whole, and why writing on it appears so easy. Though, that new entrance mild system may additionally be contributing to the general feeling of freshness.

Talking of, I put the Scribe 2 and Scribe Colorsoft facet by facet in my pal’s front room and the distinction was stark. After I introduced each units subsequent to the window, below direct daylight, they each appeared equally shiny, with the everyday glare-free end you’d anticipate of ereaders. However once I took them right into a darkened bed room, the auto-adjusting panel on the Colorsoft lit up its display screen and made it simpler to learn. Colours popped, and whereas I felt that there was a slight blue tinge to the sunshine, it wasn’t one thing I might’ve seen with out a side-by-side comparability. It’s not a difficulty although as a result of you too can modify the heat right here like you may on different Kindles.

One in every of my complaints in my review of the Scribe 2 was the flimsy attachment technique of magnets holding the pen to the pill. Whereas Amazon hasn’t constructed an onboard slot or holder for the stylus, it did enhance the magnetic drive on the Scribe 3. This was already noticeable throughout my hands-on with the system again in October, and in real-world use I appreciated this improve in maintaining the Premium Pen tightly connected to the Scribe Colorsoft. I might nonetheless favor a safer method, since I nonetheless do fear in regards to the stylus getting misplaced in my purse and don’t need to have to purchase a case only for this function. Nevertheless it’s a small quibble and my issues have largely been allayed with the elevated magnetism.

I nonetheless want to check some software program options like Ship to Alexa+, Ask This Ebook and Story So Far, however they’re not obtainable but. I’ve been focusing my testing on the Pocket book part and must spend extra time marking up and annotating books to higher consider that use case. However not a lot has modified there since Amazon rolled out the collapsible margins in February, and you’ll learn my review of the Scribe 2 for my impressions there.

The brand new residence web page and AI-powered Pocket book search

In the intervening time, I can converse to one of many new options: AI-powered Pocket book search. The Search bar on the high of the Scribe can now reply questions in regards to the contents of all of your Notebooks (and books). On the time of the Scribe’s announcement, I assumed this is able to be useful in pulling collectively all of the duties I’d assigned to particular group members throughout the to-do lists I drew up for numerous occasions.

After I requested the Scribe “what duties have I assigned Sam,” its outcomes web page confirmed six classes, pulling info from my library, notebooks, the Kindle Retailer, the Audible Retailer, Goodreads and textual content inside books. Solely the second had any findings. Underneath “Ends in your notebooks,” there was a label “AI-powered insights” adopted by a header “Sam’s Assigned Duties.” Under that was a bulleted record, which I’ll transcribe and embody a picture of right here:

• Observe Samsung cell developments

• Attend conferences with: – Dell & ASUS on Thursday, MSI, Razer, HP, Lenovo, Probably Sony Ateela

• Greatest-Sam host obligations

I shortly realized that I’d must fine-tune my requests to get outcomes that made extra sense, since random duties divorced from their dad or mum paperwork made little sense with out context. Fortunately, there was a button beneath the outcomes that prompted me to “Ask Notebooks” about “these insights, or ask one thing else.” Nonetheless, tapping that solely introduced me to a special web page exhibiting the identical record however with a brand new part to see the notes they had been sourced from.

I’ll additionally level out that this record of duties for Sam was not the identical end result I acquired from a question about “the place do I point out Sam?” Along with the 2 to-do lists that I created in December 2023 and January of this 12 months, the Scribe advised me “Sam seems on a Christmas procuring record as one of many checked-off buddies.”

That’s pretty spectacular, since that record did have Sam below a handwritten header “Mates,” versus different pages titled “Health club” or “Neighbors.” Nevertheless it appeared to solely be capable to decide that Sam’s title was checked off due to the template I used for the pocket book. Different examine marks I made outdoors the predefined bins in that background weren’t deemed as checks and as an alternative misrecognized as dashes. So later once I requested the place my pal Michelle appeared in all my notebooks, the Scribe famous an entry for “Michelle-scart” in a special vacation procuring web page.

Retrying the identical query did yield extra correct outcomes, although, with a subsequent search accurately stating “Michelle seems in a listing with ‘scarf’ famous subsequent to her title.” And whether or not it’s my overly messy handwriting responsible or Amazon’s technological deficiencies, there have been nonetheless some phrases or sentences that it misidentified, like “Michelle-callin” as an alternative of “Michelle — Callie.”

To date, the AI-powered Search seems like a hit-or-miss replace. Generally, like once I took the bait and requested the questions it advised, I might get shockingly correct solutions. “Attempt asking ‘which Ariana music is talked about within the record,’” the Scribe prompted. Or “When is the HOA assembly occurring?” For the previous, it advised me that the music “Bang Bang” was on a listing of karaoke songs, whereas the latter merely advised me the date and time it had present in a notice titled “Appointments Dec 2022.” I’ll want extra time to think about higher methods to make use of this characteristic, however for now I can’t resolve if it’s really useful with out some further work.

I already spent a while testing the Summarize and Refine instruments launched within the final Kindle Scribe, so I’ll simply say that refining the handwriting of a to-do record on the Scribe Colorsoft was largely the identical as earlier than, only a tad sooner. I didn’t actually use both AI software within the 12 months since I reviewed the Scribe 2, so I used to be proper final 12 months in considering I wouldn’t discover a lot use for them in day by day apply.

What I assumed could be extra sensible is the redesigned Dwelling display screen and the Fast Notice that takes up the highest left nook of this web page. Once more, I’d must spend way more time to know how I’d navigate the system over weeks and months, however for essentially the most half I discover it straightforward to only hop out and in of notes I need with out first going to the Dwelling part. I’d favor a {hardware} shortcut like Montblanc presents in its Digital Paper writing pill. On that system, you may program the buttons on the pen so {that a} double click on begins a brand new notice, provides a clean web page or brings you again residence.

Whilst you can customise the button on Amazon’s Premium Pen, your choices are restricted to switching between instruments just like the highlighter, pen, shader or eraser to be used when you’re writing. (And sure, like earlier than, you may nonetheless use the highest of the Premium Pen to erase content material — no must push any button.)

One last item to notice in regards to the residence web page (for now) is that seeing the rows of ebook covers in colour is a delight, and although it’s not one thing that impacts the operate of the system, it definitely provides a layer of visible pleasure.

How does the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft examine to the competitors?

One of many Scribe Colorsoft’s major rivals is the reMarkable Paper Pro. The latter has a bigger 11.8-inch display screen and, correspondingly, weighs much more at 525 grams (1.16 kilos). Although I favor the sharp strains of the reMarkable to the rounded edges and corners of the Scribe, I discover the Kindle’s measurement way more manageable, particularly once I’m writing for greater than 5 minutes.

Importantly, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft merely has a greater display screen than the reMarkable. It delivers brighter, extra saturated colours, and helps extra hues, too. Plus, once I positioned them subsequent to one another, the Paper Professional appeared to have a yellow solid and a dimmer display screen general (even at most brightness). And once I use the spotlight operate on every, the reMarkable system “flashes” — that means you need to give it a second for the colour to look in its closing kind after you set the stylus to the display screen. In the meantime, the colour that exhibits up on the Colorsoft’s panel as quickly as you write on it doesn’t change — no flashing takes place.

The Scribe’s different strengths are its superior efficiency and Amazon’s ecosystem of books (for these like me who have already got massive Kindle libraries, anyway). Although it does supply AI options that reMarkable doesn’t, I’m typically leery of these instruments, and, as already detailed on this assessment, they don’t normally assist me.

Nonetheless, the reMarkable stays the winner in terms of writing software program. It’s far more versatile than Amazon on this respect, particularly with its skill to have handwritten and typed textual content coexist throughout the identical doc. You can too edit a notice from reMarkable’s app in your telephone, typing in any last-minute additions to your procuring record and bolding, italicizing or formatting them in case you like. And in case you’re an influence person, getting your favourite ebooks onto the reMarkable pill isn’t too troublesome, offered you’ve gotten the EPUB recordsdata.

I’ll additionally shout out corporations like Kobo and Boox, who additionally make color-rendering ereaders that you would be able to write on. Boox’s Notice Air 5c begins at $530 and consists of the stylus and a magnetic case for that worth. It helps apps by way of the Google Play Retailer, however, as our deputy editor Valentina Palladino cautions, isn’t essentially the most beginner-friendly product. Kobo, then again, makes colour ereaders just like the Libra Colour. Though it does assist stylus enter, it’s a lot smaller with its 7-inch show.

And for many who aren’t too fussed about colour, there are many black-and-white E Ink writing tablets, together with the $905 Montblanc Digital Paper, which I’ve been testing for a couple of weeks. I’m ending up my assessment however that one is clearly a luxurious product focused at a way more area of interest viewers than the already restricted goal marketplace for this class of units. In case your finances is tight, I’d advocate skipping the Colorsoft mannequin until it’s essential to your course of. $500 is a a lot simpler worth to abdomen.

Who ought to get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft?

I hesitate to advocate anybody purchase something earlier than I’ve had sufficient time to assign a rating, since issues like battery life take longer to judge. And whereas I proceed to check the system to get a greater sense for its battery life, I’ve already seen that just like the Scribes earlier than it, this model doesn’t final so long as different Kindles. Amazon guarantees weeks of studying and writing per cost, which might be something between two and ten (or extra) weeks.

In my expertise to this point, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft dropped about 20 % in two days, which, mathematically, means it could battle to even final every week, to not point out a number of weeks. However as a result of the Scribe 2 confirmed related battery drain throughout my assessment (with heavier use) and manages to remain charged for at the very least a month once I’m not testing all of it day on daily basis, I’m keen to consider Amazon’s promise of higher runtime.

Other than my reservations about battery life, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a reliable system that delivers on most of its guarantees to this point. The most important knock towards it’s its worth. At $500 for the monochrome mannequin and $630 for colour, that is one Amazon product that may be costlier than the competitors.

Nevertheless it’s not with out its strengths. I’d consider the Kindle Scribe 3 (and Colorsoft) as an E Ink pill that’s extra of a pocket book than a portal for textbooks you may mark up, with a sturdy library of Kindle titles in addition. The AI options aren’t essential to the expertise, however additionally they keep out of the best way. For these searching for a extra refined and versatile writing pill that’s much less of a ebook alternative, the reMarkable Paper Professional is the superior system. And for individuals who don’t thoughts the notifications, apps and alerts that these purpose-driven tablets maintain from distracting you, there’s all the time the choice of shopping for an iPad or an Android pill with a stylus. Simply set up minimal apps or block all notifications, and also you would possibly even save tons of of {dollars} within the course of.

Wrap-up

I hate to confess it, however Amazon’s devices and services chief Panos Panay was right in calling the Kindle Scribe a 2-in-1. However the two capabilities it serves are very particular. I consider the Scribe units as Kindles initially. Which means they’re ereaders, able to substituting stacks of books due to their digital libraries and eye-friendly screens. The second position the Scribe performs properly is that of a pocket book substitute. It’s a place to carry limitless slips of digital paper, and its search operate can competently provide help to discover what you jotted down in a random notice years in the past.

However Amazon has not but discovered a solution to ship on options like annotating and marking up ebooks that seems like pen-and-paper. Making an attempt to mark up a digital textbook on the Scribe nonetheless feels unintuitive, involving digital sticky notes, collapsible margins and inserting bins inside strains of textual content. And also you gained’t be capable to simply edit your notes in case you’re away out of your Scribe, not like how one can on a reMarkable product.

So the Kindle Scribe 3 just isn’t a three- or four-in-one. I don’t have an issue with that, particularly with out the additional price that comes with the colour capabilities. Whereas the Colorsoft mannequin is superior to the competitors in the mean time, it additionally comes at a premium. In the event you’re searching for one of the best colour E Ink writing pill obtainable and are keen to splurge, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is value consideration.