The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a lot of fun, but it’s not a must-have
TechCrunch’s review finds the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft enjoyable and well suited to a narrow audience, but difficult to justify as an everyday e-reader. Its large colour display, digital-notebook features and strong battery life could appeal to students, researchers and keen journalers, while its high price and limited portability reduce its broader appeal.
The device starts at $630, weighs 400g and has an 11-inch screen, giving users ample space for handwriting, PDFs, sketches and colour-coded planners but making one-handed use and casual travel less comfortable. It includes a magnetic Scribe Pen, planner templates and a fast-refresh colour e-ink screen, although colours resemble muted highlighter shades rather than tablet-quality tones; the reviewer charged it only twice over two months.
In short
- Strong digital notebook, weak everyday e-reader value
- $630 price limits its appeal
- Best for researchers, students and journalers
Explained simply
Amazon’s Kindle range includes e-readers for buying and reading digital books. The Scribe line adds a larger screen and a pen for handwriting notes, marking up documents and drawing, bringing some notebook functions to an e-reader.
Colour e-ink screens can display more than black and white while using a different display technology from ordinary tablets. The Scribe Colorsoft is designed for people who want reading and note-taking in one device, such as students and researchers; its size, weight and price may matter more to people seeking a portable everyday book reader.