16 C
Lucknow
January 21, 2025
The Hona News
Gadgets

Is the Kindle Scribe worth its $300+ price tag?

Is the Kindle Scribe worth its $300+ price tag?

As a lifelong reader, I’ve been using Kindles on and off since I was a teen. I studied creative writing in college and instead of lugging around multiple hardcovers and paperbacks, I relied on my Kindle to read books for class and for pleasure. Since then, I’ve carried this admiration for Kindles, my favorite type of e-reader, well into my post-grad life.As a writer, I’ve been interested in investing in a digital tablet to store my thoughts and ideas in one place, especially when I’m on the go — as opposed to inevitably alternating between random notebooks and my iPhone’s Notes app. Thus, I was thrilled when the brand sent me the Kindle Scribe to test. Below, I share my experience using the Kindle Scribe and what you should know before buying one.SKIP AHEAD Is the Kindle Scribe on sale for Prime Day? | How I tried the Kindle Scribe | My experience with the Kindle Scribe | Who is the Kindle Scribe best for?What is the Kindle Scribe?Kindle ScribeWhat we likeYou can read and write on itLong battery lifeGlare-free displaySomething to noteOnly available in one sizeNo color displayThe Kindle Scribe (starts at $339.99) is an e-reader and notebook in one that lets you read and mark up books and documents with text or handwritten notes. It’s the newest addition to Amazon’s Kindle lineup and was released by the company in November 2022. You can use it in place of carrying notebooks and hard copies of books around, allowing you to seamlessly create and store everything in one place.As with other Kindles, you have immediate access to thousands of books via the Amazon storefront. The Scribe has two main libraries: a book library, where you can explore and download thousands of digital books, and a notebook library, where you can store various handwritten material. The notebook library feature is a new Kindle component specific to the Scribe that you can access as soon as you open your Kindle.The notebook feature has templates, including blank, ruled and dotted, which you can use to create checklists, planners (daily, weekly and monthly) or a habit tracker.Depending on which model you buy, the Scribe comes with either a Basic Pen or a Premium Pen for writing and taking notes while reading. Amazon sent me the Premium version, which retails for $30 more than the basic version, and has a built-in eraser and a side-button to create a preferred shortcut. (I set mine to highlight, but you can easily customize this setting and create a shortcut to erase, create sticky notes or activate a different brush type instead.) Both pens have four digital brush types: a ballpoint-pen style, pencil, marker and fountain pen. You can easily alternate between them within the software, and can reduce or increase each one’s thickness. There is also a lasso tool built into the software, which allows you to resize, move, cut, copy and paste notes across various notebooks.The Scribe has four digital brush types to choose from: pen, fountain pen, marker and pencil.Courtesy Kelsey FredricksThe box includes five replacement tips, which after two months, I have yet to use. You can also easily connect your favorite pair of headphones to the Scribe to listen to Audible if you prefer to listen to audiobooks. Display size: 7.7 x 9.0 x .22 in. | Weight: 15.3 oz | Battery life: Up to 12 weeks for reading, 3 weeks for writing | Storage: 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB | Adjustable lighting: Yes | Waterproof: NoIs the Kindle Scribe on sale for Prime Day?Yes, the Kindle Scribe is currently on sale for Prime Day. You can get the 16 GB Scribe with the Basic Pen for 31% off or the Premium Pen option for 30% off. This is a limited-time deal for Prime members that will run through the end of the 48-hour sale.How I tried the Kindle ScribeFor two months, I used the Scribe to journal, read and doodle with the Scribe’s Premium Pen. I’m not new to e-readers: I’ve previously used the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Fire (now known as the Amazon Fire tablet), both of which gave me a basic understanding of how Amazon e-reader software works and what I could expect in terms of my reading experience.In addition to reading, I used the Scribe to keep myself organized with to-do lists.Courtesy Kelsey FredricksWhile using the Scribe, I wrote diary entries, grocery and travel packing lists and creative writing exercises several times a week. I traveled with the Scribe on New York City transportation and read frequently both outside in bright daylight and in bed at night. I also ordered a case to help protect my Scribe, which you can also prop up into a stand and angle based on your activity; it has magnetic closure that automatically sets the Scribe into sleep mode when I shut it and wake mode when I open it.NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez also tested the Kindle Scribe for three weeks alongside me. (Amazon sent us both samples).My experience with the Kindle ScribeAt $339.99, the Kindle Scribe isn’t cheap. It has impressive battery life and a useful glare-free reading display, but it isn’t perfect. Below, I go into further detail about what I like about the e-reader and some things I think you should know.What I likeWell lit, glare-free displayMy two favorite ways to read and write are in my bed at night and at the park on a sunny day, both of which come with challenges. The former is difficult to do with little to no light, and I struggle with glare from too much light with the latter. The Scribe fixes both of these issues. The Scribe’s glare-free screen is helpful for reading and writing outside on especially sunny days.Courtesy Kelsey FredricksNot only can I manually adjust its brightness and warmth settings, as with other Kindles, but the Scribe’s built-in 35 LED front lights (the most of any Kindle) automatically adjust to my environment. For example, it can sense the amount of light in my environment and adapt its settings based on this, so I don’t have to strain my eyes when reading in bed at night or manually increase the brightness in the morning. (This is a feature the Paperwhite Signature Edition shares, but other Kindles don’t.) “I’ve read books on my phone before and was concerned that the Kindle would put a strain on my eyes after a while, but the anti-glare, paper-like screen makes it easy to read,” says Rodriguez. “I used to have to wear a neck light when I wanted to read after my husband went to sleep, so this is a big win for me.”Since its display is also glare free, I can use it outside in direct sunlight and still see my screen (something I can’t do using my phone or laptop, which is frustrating when I’m trying to be productive outside).Satisfying writing experienceI use the Scribe’s notebook section several times a week, typically for at least an hour at a time, and my hand hasn’t cramped the way it does with typical pen and paper. My handwriting on the Scribe looks practically identical to as it does on paper, though I think the Scribe improves it, which I like since my handwriting isn’t the easiest to read. The Scribe automatically adjusts its brightness and screen display, so you can use it in both sunny and dark lighting.Courtesy Kelsey FredricksThe pen also adjusts to any thickness changes in the nib itself, so it feels like I’m using a real writing instrument. Even though the pen is precise, the screen isn’t too sensitive to my touch, which I appreciate. It’s also seamless to switch between the pen’s multiple brush types for sketching, journaling and writing to-do lists.“The pen is very responsive and it truly does feel like writing on paper,” says Rodriguez. “I was surprised by how smooth it felt.”Templates and folders are easy to use The calendar template is convenient to use and customize.Courtesy Kelsey FredricksI’ve been using my Scribe to write story ideas, poems and create lists for grocery shopping and travel and I like how I can keep my work organized into folders. You can infinitely scroll to add more pages — so I didn’t need to worry about running out of space. I used the checklist template to store my work tasks, and liked using the lined template right next to it to organize any thoughts and concerns with my to-do list. You can also download gratitude or wellness journals to fill in.Customizable reading experience Since it’s a relatively large device to hold, I love that I can read books in portrait or landscape mode — depending on my mood and what and where I’m reading. I enjoy reading fiction books in landscape mode while taking public transportation and resting the Scribe on my lap, whereas I prefer portrait mode while lying down in bed and placing my Scribe on the treadmill at my gym. I can also adjust the font type, how bold the text is and the size of the text. Convert notes and send PDFsWith the Scribe, I can send PDFs from the internet directly to my device and mark them up. It can also convert my handwritten notes into plain text for me, and send them to my email. In my experience, any notes I’ve sent have arrived to my inbox within seconds, and the Scribe can transcribe most of my handwriting (which isn’t the neatest) into plain text. There are some minimal transcribing errors when it does this, but it’s a convenient feature for sending my handwritten notes to my laptop to later review and revise them in a Google document.Long battery lifeI’ve only had to charge the Scribe about three times in the two months I’ve been testing it. Unlike my iPhone, when my Scribe is at 20%, I know I have more than a couple hours left of use. It has the longest battery life of any Kindle, according to Amazon, which feels accurate based on my experience using it so far. This was especially helpful when I traveled with it to Europe — I didn’t have to worry about bringing my charging cable and adapter with me.Potential drawbacks to keep in mindSizeThe one-pound Kindle Scribe is only available in a 10.2-inch display, which isn’t the most compact. For comparison, the standard Kindle comes with a 6-inch display and the Kindle Paperwhite comes in a 6.8-inch display. Apple’s 10th generation iPad has a 10.9-inch display — the most comparable device to the Kindle Scribe in terms of size.

Related posts

Streaming in Canada on Crave, Disney+ and Netflix [Sept. 2-8]

asdavi92

Fitbit vs. Apple Watch: Putting smartwatches and fitness trackers to the test

asdavi92

Dark Matter Will Return for More Multiverse Shenanigans

asdavi92

Leave a Comment