Review: Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a $600 stunner of an e-reader

The Kindle Scribe Gets a Colorful Upgrade: Is It Worth the Price?

For Kindle enthusiasts, the Scribe has always been a bit of a mixed bag. While offering the unique ability to write on a Kindle, previous generations felt bulky, slow, and expensive. But with the newly released Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, Amazon appears to have addressed many of those concerns. Is this finally the Kindle Scribe worth buying?

A Streamlined Design and Faster Performance

Amazon has significantly redesigned the Kindle Scribe, moving away from the extraneous sidebar for a more streamlined look. More importantly, the Colorsoft boasts a noticeable speed increase compared to earlier Scribe models. It now operates at a pace comparable to other Kindles, swiftly navigating pages and switching between books with minimal lag. While some slowdown is still present when writing or using notebooks, it’s a substantial improvement.

The redesigned home screen prioritizes notebooks, making it easier to seamlessly transition between reading and writing. Here’s particularly useful for students or anyone who frequently needs to reference notes while reading.

Convenient Note-Taking and Organization

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft excels at note-taking. Annotating books, writing directly on pages, and adding margin notes is a breeze. All notes are conveniently collected in one place, allowing for easy access and review. This feature proved particularly helpful when used alongside required reading for a class, enabling quick reference to key passages and personal insights.

Ghosting: A Persistent, But Improved, Issue

Ghosting – the faint outline of previous screens – has been a recurring problem with the Kindle Scribe. While not entirely eliminated, the Colorsoft shows improvement. Ghosting is minimal during regular reading, but can appear after erasing notes. However, a quick page refresh resolves the issue.

A Pen That Feels Right

The included premium pen elevates the writing experience. With a variety of pen styles – pen, fountain pen, marker, pencil, and shader – and adjustable width and color options, the Scribe Colorsoft offers a surprisingly versatile digital writing experience. The fountain pen style, in particular, provides a satisfying and natural feel.

Color, But With Caveats

While the addition of color is a welcome change, the color resolution (150 ppi) is lower than the black and white resolution. This results in somewhat muted colors and a degree of pixelation. However, the Colorsoft utilizes pastel shades that mitigate this issue, making the lock-screen ads surprisingly appealing.

The Price of Innovation: Still Too High

The biggest hurdle for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft remains its price. Starting at $629.99, it’s a significant investment, comparable to other premium e-ink tablets like the Remarkable Paper Pro. While the Scribe Colorsoft offers a compelling combination of reading and writing features, the high cost may deter many potential buyers.

Is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft Right for You?

If you’re willing to pay a premium for a versatile e-reader and digital notebook, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a worthwhile purchase. Its improved speed, streamlined design, and enhanced note-taking capabilities craft it the best Kindle Scribe yet. However, if price is a major concern, it may be wise to wait for a potential sale.

Pro Tip: Explore the different pen styles to find the one that best suits your writing or drawing preferences.