Kindle Scribe

[Pjama]

Originally Posted by tomsem

There used to be a Coming Soon bullet on the Scribe product page description, which is where I think I saw this just a couple of days ago. But it is gone now.

However they have added this note:


They are still saying 'Review and mark up PDF files', which isn't true.

And at least I can view every notebook I've created on Scribe with the Kindle app. So it isn't completely broken.

I do wish you could nest Folders. But like Collections, you cannot.

That sounds ominous, as if they have just given up. Which is what I was expecting, but, still, not great news. Just as well it is such a wonderful ereader, and simple note taking device, and puzzling device.

I just checked, and the Scribe page still has:

“ Coming Soon: Kindle Scribe provides regular, free software updates that include new features. In the coming months, Kindle Scribe will add more writing tools, including new brush types and copy/paste tools, additional notebook organization options, and the ability to send documents to Kindle Scribe directly from within Microsoft Word. ”

So, hopefully they haven’t given up on it.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Pjama

That sounds ominous, as if they have just given up. Which is what I was expecting, but, still, not great news. Just as well it is such a wonderful ereader, and simple note taking device, and puzzling device.

I just checked, and the Scribe page still has:

“ Coming Soon: Kindle Scribe provides regular, free software updates that include new features. In the coming months, Kindle Scribe will add more writing tools, including new brush types and copy/paste tools, additional notebook organization options, and the ability to send documents to Kindle Scribe directly from within Microsoft Word. ”

So, hopefully they haven’t given up on it.

No I don't think so.

Must be some A/B testing going on with the web page.

It's not clear what syncing a Notebook should mean, other than automatically updating any notebooks you have edited, and overwriting changes made on another device since your local copy refreshed.

If a user insists on using 2 devices, it behooves them to sync before editing, sync after editing and not do simultaneous editing.

It seems not unlike two people reading the same book on two kindles linked to the same account at the same time. Latest change to a given annotation will 'win' (I think) but it is it annotation timestamp or sync timestamp? In any case I would expect issues, and Amazon can't read minds to know what your intent is.

If it hurts when you do it, don't do it.

[jhowell]

Amazon usually updates Kindle firmware every three or four months. So “soon” may be a while yet.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Amazon usually updates Kindle firmware every three or four months. So “soon” may be a while yet.

Some things can improve without updates (cloud services). At least that's the rationale for having cloud services instead of doing things on device.

The most annoying one is the missing text layer with Print Replica. New features can wait.

[Quoth]

If they simply scrapped the present system entirely and used real PDFs would be the best upgrade. This is re-inventing the wheel as a hexagon.

[talaivan]

Originally Posted by Quoth

If they simply scrapped the present system entirely and used real PDFs would be the best upgrade. This is re-inventing the wheel as a hexagon.

Yes, like the Kobo Sage and Elipsa, and also iPad apps, but I doubt very much it will happen. Amazon would have to rewrite too much of its software, though obviously they could do it.

[camyooshek]

I, despite all the flaws and imperfections you have noted, love my Scribe. I finally have a real device on which I can solve my favourite crosswords. Besides, I hope that, as with every Kindle so far, each update will bring something interesting and further enhance the capabilities of this marvel.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Quoth

If they simply scrapped the present system entirely and used real PDFs would be the best upgrade. This is re-inventing the wheel as a hexagon.

I could not care less about what the format is. And I would call Amazon to task for the way they are misrepresenting this feature, e.g. 'mark up PDF's!' We all know that's not true. And since it doesn't work right now, let's just assume the PDF round trip will never measure up to any real world requirements, and that such a feature doesn't exist (even if it did, I can't see myself ever using it).

In reality they are converting PDFs to a more boring format (invented years ago) that resembles ePub fixed layout, which I assume other reading platforms use instead of PDF. And so now, there is finally a way to import fixed-layout content that behaves like a full citizen on the Kindle platform, whereas before there was only poorly supported PDF.

And since I happen to have a Scribe, I'm looking forward to being able to read books on it in Print Replica format that I have in my library, and perhaps even being able to more easily remove DRM from them. And I also have a number of books in PDF form that were only sad orphans prior to this: crippled on devices with large enough screens, functional only on devices with too-small screens, and that don't sync reading position and annotations.

The new support for ePub import, and enhanced PDF and DOCX import ironically mean that even if I never purchase another book from Amazon (e.g. if they succeed in defeating DRM removal for all eternity), I can import any content I get elsewhere and continue to enjoy a consistent cross platform reading experience.

Outsiders to the Kindle platform seem to have a hard time understanding these benefits. If you don't have much use for a 'reading platform', then there you are. But isolated eReaders are not enough for me, and so I would not be want to be without the services of one.

[Quoth]

No, other eink that marks up PDF simply uses PDF. No server / cloud needed.

There is only benefit to Amazon with the increasingly locked down Kindle platform. I've used it since 2013, and exclusively till I got a Kobo. Amazon has gradually locked down local configuration and replaced it with their servers.

You are far too kind to Amazon. Also since I've programmed this sort of stuff and produced a 4G phone/tablet before the iPhone was launched I know what Amazon is doing is a huge amount of extra work, not to make it work better (the alternatives are better) but to have control.

I've been putting epubs and PDFs on Kindles since 2013. The Amazon way of doing it (Send to Kindle) is more about Amazon acquiring epubs from customers, not sold by Amazon, than convenience.
They could have added native epub support since PW1, but it's a marketing/political decision to convert epubs and PDFs, so as to have control.

Markup on eink on real PDFs was launched about SEVEN years ago. This isn't innovation (apart from the 300 dpi screen) but a deliberate method of ensuring an Amazon account is needed and Amazon gets a copy of every document.

[Pjama]

Originally Posted by camyooshek

I, despite all the flaws and imperfections you have noted, love my Scribe. I finally have a real device on which I can solve my favourite crosswords. Besides, I hope that, as with every Kindle so far, each update will bring something interesting and further enhance the capabilities of this marvel.

Welcome! And, I absolutely love my Scribe as well! I do su doku, Kakuro, crosswords and other puzzles on it - it’s great for puzzles, isn’t it?

I also love reading on it, it is so nice to have the big perfect screen with perfectly even lighting.

[emreceng]

Is it possible to just underline pdfs instead of highlight on Scribe?

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Quoth

No, other eink that marks up PDF simply uses PDF. No server / cloud needed.

There is only benefit to Amazon with the increasingly locked down Kindle platform. I've used it since 2013, and exclusively till I got a Kobo. Amazon has gradually locked down local configuration and replaced it with their servers.

You are far too kind to Amazon. Also since I've programmed this sort of stuff and produced a 4G phone/tablet before the iPhone was launched I know what Amazon is doing is a huge amount of extra work, not to make it work better (the alternatives are better) but to have control.

I've been putting epubs and PDFs on Kindles since 2013. The Amazon way of doing it (Send to Kindle) is more about Amazon acquiring epubs from customers, not sold by Amazon, than convenience.
They could have added native epub support since PW1, but it's a marketing/political decision to convert epubs and PDFs, so as to have control.

Markup on eink on real PDFs was launched about SEVEN years ago. This isn't innovation (apart from the 300 dpi screen) but a deliberate method of ensuring an Amazon account is needed and Amazon gets a copy of every document.

Thank you. Obviously I don't share all of these perspectives, but I appreciate learning more about yours.

[Strether]

Those who would prefer reading with their Scribe without a cover if the back metal didn't make the device so cold to hold, might consider the Kindle Scribe Cover on the AliExpress site.

It's really a transparent silicon shell without a front cover, but it solves the problem of the coldness and provides some degree of protection, I would judge.

It weighs 4.5 oz and it came from China in 11 days, which really surprised me. $11, including shipping.

Jim

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Strether

Those who would prefer reading with their Scribe without a cover if the back metal didn't make the device so cold to hold, might consider the Kindle Scribe Cover on the AliExpress site.

It's really a transparent silicon shell without a front cover, but it solves the problem of the coldness and provides some degree of protection, I would judge.

It weighs 4.5 oz and it came from China in 11 days, which really surprised me. $11, including shipping.

Jim

There are similar ones on Amazon, about that price, with a holder for Pen to protect it (e.g. if you put it in a backpack) and get it out of the way when you aren't using it.

I am probably more interested in one that attaches magnetically so I can remove it easily. But not in any hurry to get one.

[Strether]

Originally Posted by tomsem

There are similar ones on Amazon, about that price, with a holder for Pen to protect it (e.g. if you put it in a backpack) and get it out of the way when you aren't using it.

You're right, the same shell is available on Amazon. I saw the AliExpress ad and went with it, not thinking of Amazon as an alternate source at all. It's a little more expensive on Amazon, but you'd get it quicker.

I saw that one reviewer agreed that it might provide some degree of protection in the event of a fall.

For me, it does solve the too-much-weight problem that the other covers pose.

Jim