Amazon Kindle (2nd Gen) Review: Room for More

Amazon Kindle Script entered the full-fledged digital book market in 2022, competing with the likes of Kobo, ReMarkable, and Boox. But the Writer of the first kind had one leg over everyone else: He was also a Friend. Its biggest flaw? You couldn’t explain it directly to ebooks, a common feature that most people would expect from a digital e-paper notebook.

This has been fixed in the second-generation Kindle Scribe, and there are a few other additions such as productivity artificial intelligence features and a redesigned Premium Pen stylus, which has been included. But the rest of the Author remains the same. It’s a great digital book for anyone who likes to write things down on paper, and since it pulls double duty as an e-reader, you don’t need to carry another Kindle.

Unfortunately, the price has jumped to $400, a $60 bump (technically, a $30 bump when you compare it directly to the original Writer with Premium Pen). But there is a big fact that you should know: The author of the first type can access all the new capabilities of the second type model using a software update (you can download it manually or wait for an update over the air). It’s nice that existing customers don’t have to upgrade, but it leaves little incentive to spend more for the latest.

Smooth and Supreme

The Scribe has the same chassis as its predecessors. The back is a mix of recycled aluminum and consumer recycled plastics, yet feels comfortable. It’s not waterproof like the Kindle Paperwhite and Coloursoft, which is odd for a productivity device that will definitely be placed next to a cup of coffee.

The front is home to a 10.2-inch E Ink screen with 300 pixels per inch (94 nits of max brightness). It can automatically adjust brightness depending on the environment, and there’s even an adjustable warm glow, which makes it a little easier on the eyes in low light. I enjoy using the latter while writing in Writer before bed. There’s also a dark mode, which changes the background to black and the font to white (also usable at night).

Photo: Brenda Stolyar