I just can’t help it. I love gadgets. When I read about the Amazon Scribe, I was excited about the prospect of having a Kindle reader AND digital paper. I use my Remarkable 2 for pretty much everything.
The large screen make the Scribe a fantastic eBook reader. However, the reader and the Notebooks feel very segmented.
One function that I do not like about the Scribe is how it handles documents that you send to it. When you send a document (e.g. PDF) to the Scribe using email or direct upload, it ads the document to your Kindle library. If you use the Scribe for work, I don’t want my work docs in my reading library. They should be placed in the Notebooks section or the Scribe should give you the choice on where it is located.
Exporting marked-up documents that were sent to my Library in Scribe is also not possible. I checked the options in my Amazon library and on the Scribe without seeing the “Send to” option. For example, if I send myself a PDF to make comments on, I cannot send the document back to myself for printing or otherwise. That is a basic function to me that simply does not appear available.
The Scribe appears to be well designed for reading and writing. The standard case that you purchase separately for nearly $60 fits the included digital pen well – nice and snug.
Amazon designed a nice back flap to support the Scribe at an angle while reading.
I also like the side power button and charging port. On all Kindle hardware minus the Oasis, the power button is on the bottom of the device. I will often mistakenly power off my device while reading because of this placement.
Your Kindle Library appears the same as on the smaller Kindle devices too.
The Notebooks, where you are taken to draw or write freeform, is simple and has a pleasing user-interface. I am sure that options will expand once the Scribe is used more often and by a larger user base.
If Amazon can get the segmentation between PDF files and Notebooks sorted out, I see this being a solid competitor to the Remarkable 2.