Kindle Scribe First Impressions
The Kindle Scribe is a device that I have wanted (in theory) for a long time, a device with the promise of being a digital notebook and an excellent eReader. I have used Kindles for reading for many years and cannot imagine using an iPad or any device with a standard screen for long spells of reading. It has to be e-ink for me and it, in my opinion, represents the best balance between a real book and a computer.
Real books are illogical to me today and I don’t feel the emotional connection that many do to a stack of papers stuck together. It is all about the words for me and if the words are wonderful, the format should not matter too much. Where the Kindle wins is in its ability to produce a book-like experience in almost every area. Charging is a very occasional activity, it works in every lighting condition and I get to carry hundreds of books anywhere. It is more practical than a real book and (possibly) better for the environment long term.
The Scribe is a big device, bigger than I expected and also heavier. The build quality is excellent with the feel of a very thin iPad present and I suspect the weight comes from the need to make it sturdy despite the slim form. It is obviously necessary to make it out of metal and to increase the weight, but I would really like it to be a lot lighter for reading one-handed. 433 grams is noticeable especially when compared to an Oasis at 188 grams or a Paperwhite at 205 grams.
All I can do at this time, after 5 hours of use, is come up with a quick list of initial pros and cons-
The good
Wonderful display
Excellent build quality
Near perfect palm rejection
Very natural notetaking
Even better reading experience- it actually feels like a full book page on one screen
The bad
Overly simplistic notetaking options (software fixable?)
A bit heavy
Slow software in areas. For example, deleting a book from your library (software fixable?)
I will write a full review soon, but overall my initial impressions are extremely positive. Positive to the point that it is the first new piece of technology that has made me smile in years.