All my notebooks in a single place

My nightstand is stacked with deserted notebooks. Most haven’t seen a single pen mark as a result of I’m at all times paralyzed by the necessity to discover the proper use for its pages. With up to date options, helpful AI instruments, and a paper-like writing expertise, the Kindle Scribe 2 — formally often known as the Kindle Scribe (2024) — lastly outsmarted my deeply unserious perfectionism. In reality, it shortly changed each my extreme journal provide and my bookshelf.

I’m all about squeezing my whole summer time studying checklist right into a single, pocket-sized system. Amazon’s Kindles are among the hottest e-readers round, and prioritizing portability, I’ve at all times gone for essentially the most compact mannequin. The 2024 Kindle Scribe, nevertheless, is a a lot bigger possibility that blends strong note-taking instruments with a premium studying expertise.

In fact, it’s not the primary Kindle to take action. The system largely follows the formulation of the authentic 2022 Scribe. On the {hardware} entrance, it retains the identical 10.2-inch, 300 ppi E Ink display, although now with new white borders extra harking back to an precise pocket book. Further width of bezel on one aspect lets me maintain the reader with out inadvertently turning pages, and the system orients itself whichever method I flip it. In comparison with the unique Scribe, total measurement and weight are unchanged (so my outdated equipment nonetheless work). It’s a whale of a pill when you’re coming from the 6.2-inch base Kindle, however for note-taking, its measurement is ideal.

Below the hood, the pill runs on the identical outdated 1GHz MediaTek processor and 1GB of RAM. The lighting system stays glorious with 25 LEDs providing adjustable brightness and colour temperature, plus an auto-brightness possibility. You may as well schedule heat lighting if, like me, your studying hours stretch into the night time. If, like Batman, you solely learn in black, darkish mode can also be nonetheless an possibility.

The glare-free show continues to be grayscale solely, so it’s not superb for graphic novels (or Batman comics, for that matter). For this mannequin, although, the Scribe provides an up to date coating designed to make the show really feel extra like actual paper. The result’s a writing expertise I’m genuinely obsessive about, however extra on that under. If you happen to haven’t used a method shortly, you’ll be pleasantly shocked.

Sadly, like your favourite marble pocket book, it’s nonetheless not waterproof. In case your tumbler of ice water ideas over, squeaking loudly as you scramble for paper towels just isn’t an unreasonable response (even when your associate judges you for it). At this worth, I’d have appreciated to see waterproofing, however for now, studying on an interior tube stays off the desk. The 2024 Scribe is available in traditional tungsten or a brand new Jade Metallic and, unfailingly biased towards something inexperienced, I naturally discover the Jade Metallic extremely enticing.

But the pill would simply be an outsized e-reader with out its writing performance. Fortunately, it pairs a unbelievable stylus with a various providing of digital notebooks. As a serial list-maker and compulsive doodler, I continuously buy notebooks and fancy pens (I’m a sucker for something in uncommon colours). These digital options are the reply to the hoarder’s prayer I didn’t know I used to be making. The Kindle Scribe (2024) helps eighteen templates, from clean and dominated pages to planners and behavior trackers. There’s even clean sheet music for aspiring composers and dotted pages for enjoying that field sport you discovered as a child whereas ready to your grilled cheese on the diner. I gravitate towards the lined templates for neatness however love the clean ones for full freedom.

Whereas testing it for the previous few weeks, I’ve used the Scribe for every thing from storyboarding a photograph shoot to jotting down packing lists. I’ve doodled in it on the dentist’s workplace and used it to map out a unfastened itinerary for visiting pals. Raised in a home with six snooping siblings, I’d by no means danger maintaining a juicy diary, however I’ve turned the Scribe right into a journal of types for my six-month-old, jotting down milestones and humorous parenting moments. I even (tried to) hint her impossibly small fingers for the world’s easiest, mess-free Mom’s Day craft.

In contrast to with bodily notebooks, I can go utterly excessive, giving any matter its personal pocket book with out hesitation. I don’t must remorse how I used a web page or fear about neatly tearing one out. I additionally love the flexibility to prepare notebooks into folders. Better of all, all of them stay in a single slim system I can toss right into a bag or tuck right into a drawer.

The up to date premium stylus (bundled with the pill and styled in that very same beautiful inexperienced) options an improved tip and a tender, rubberized eraser. It’s light-weight and cozy to carry, and the higher weight distribution makes writing really feel extra pure than ever. The eraser even mimics the texture of an actual one and works surprisingly nicely onscreen.

There’s a short second of ghosting if you backtrack, but it surely vanishes with a fast display refresh. (Eight-year-old me needs it had been formed like a pizza or a panda, however I settle for the skilled gumdrop design.)

Total, the writing expertise is addictively good. The stylus is very responsive and genuinely looks like writing with good old style pen and paper. It nonetheless features a customizable shortcut button, which is extremely useful for switching between pen sorts or instruments like sticky notes or canvas. It attaches magnetically to the aspect of the Kindle and the connection is powerful sufficient, however not foolproof. I ended up getting a case with a pen slot so I don’t must frequently go digging via the underside of my bag or the folds of my comforter to search out it.

In fact, the Scribe isn’t simply an accordion of notebooks, it’s additionally a Kindle, and for a lot of customers, the flexibility to scribble in precise books is its largest draw (no pun supposed). With the 2024 mannequin, you possibly can nonetheless underline and spotlight your favourite textual content, however now you can even begin writing anyplace on the web page.

My childhood librarian spurred an unrootable worry of writing in books, even ones I personal. On the Scribe, I can write instantly on the web page of any PDF or Amazon-purchased ebook, and, with Energetic Canvas, I can accomplish that with out opening a separate word or canvas. No matter I jot down stays put, even when I tweak the format later. The word anchors to the spot, bumping textual content to suit, and I can resize or shift it round with my finger at will.

I can nonetheless use the margin possibility as nicely, however now that view slides out to supply much more area than earlier than. The Scribe additionally nonetheless helps sticky notes, although I discover these cumbersome. Utilizing Energetic Canvas or the margin canvas is easy, intuitive, and an extremely helpful strategy to annotate books guilt-free. Evidently, if I had this system whereas studying Sport of Thrones I could have had a better time maintaining monitor of all of the characters and their deaths. However most likely not.

Importantly, Energetic Canvas solely works seamlessly with Amazon’s personal content material, however you need to use Ship to Kindle to make it work with a PDF or sideloaded file as nicely. If you happen to’re as nerdy as me, you can even use the Scribe for crosswords and different puzzle books, and there are many titles made particularly for it on Amazon. It feels similar to doing paper variations, solely now it’s simpler to throw in a bag with out crumpling your work, and also you don’t must search out a chewed-up pencil.

One other standout addition this yr is a brand new AI instrument that may generate temporary summaries of handwritten notes. It’s surprisingly useful for storing the ideas I jotted down earlier than espresso and swore would make sense later. I can generate a abstract with just some faucets, title the word primarily based on it, and even share it by way of electronic mail. The AI instrument isn’t excellent, although, and struggles with scattered notes like multi-column lists. It did fairly nicely deciphering my handwriting, but it surely’s most likely finest for folks with organized minds.

A writer-friendly e-reader isn’t revolutionary. Nevertheless, the 2024 Kindle Scribe brings considerate design tweaks and new AI instruments that make note-taking really feel easy, particularly if, like me, you normally hesitate to “wreck” a pristine pocket book. The writing expertise is genuinely satisfying, and the system itself is glossy and well-built. It’s a unbelievable companion for anybody on the lookout for a reusable, infinite stack of notebooks and a packable library. I personally would have cherished this in school to lighten the burden of my bag.

That mentioned, it’s just a little cumbersome for informal studying, and I wouldn’t advocate it except you’re particularly excited in regards to the note-taking options. For a straight bookworm’s companion, you’re higher off with the different two 2024 Kindle refreshes: the Amazon Kindle ($109.99 at Amazon) or Kindle Paperwhite ($159.99 at Amazon). If you happen to already personal the 2022 mannequin, you’ll additionally nonetheless get the identical software program updates, so it’s most likely not definitely worth the improve simply but.

On the flip aspect, you can even store outdoors the Kindle household for a strong digital pocket book if studying isn’t your high precedence. For instance, the reMarkable 2 ($429 at Amazon) gained’t assist Kindle books, but it surely does supply an amazing design and a streamlined note-taking expertise, although solely in grayscale. The corporate’s premium mannequin, the reMarkable Paper Professional ($629 at Amazon), contains a bigger colour show and a extra skilled design for long-form writing, particularly paired with the model’s keyboard. For a extra reasonably priced, transportable different with a colour show, take a look at the ONYX BOOX Go Colour 7 ($249.99 at Amazon).