'22 Kindle Scribe will get the new Active Canvas

[solitarywolf]

According to this article, "Active Canvas will also be made available as an update to existing users of the original Kindle Scribe, Amazon says."

This is great news!... if it's true.

https://www.geekwire.com/2024/amazon...ctly-in-books/

[HLS]

Well, based on the video i watched it still shows up like a post it note in a little box but its displayed on the screen, no more little icon you have to click to bring it up. but it is still an improvement. I still prefer how kobo does it, its more true to life i guess.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by HLS

Well, based on the video i watched it still shows up like a post it note in a little box but its displayed on the screen, no more little icon you have to click to bring it up. but it is still an improvement. I still prefer how kobo does it, its more true to life i guess.

Can you move the book from the Kobo and keep what you have written? For example, you want to move the book to a new device, etc.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by HLS

Well, based on the video i watched it still shows up like a post it note in a little box but its displayed on the screen, no more little icon you have to click to bring it up. but it is still an improvement. I still prefer how kobo does it, its more true to life i guess.

Not only does it show up as a post-it note, it'll reflow the surrounding text. The post-it note will not cover the text which is a cool idea.

[mergen3107]

This feature might be great for book/article reviewers, I think

[kript96]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

Not only does it show up as a post-it note, it'll reflow the surrounding text. The post-it note will not cover the text which is a cool idea.

I think it's the best solution so far.. yeah kobo lets you do it without a limit, but honestly it feels more like a gimmick to doodle around words and letters, also not sure how it works when you resize the font.
This method could actually have a real use for people

[Frogm4n]

On Kobo if you resize then the notes turn into an icon much like the Kindle's Sticky Notes. They also are stuck on the device and don't sync off of it. It really is very limited. Active Canvas will be an interesting compromise, but is still a limited way to do it where you still can't reference exactly a word or place on the page. You just get a text box that is anchored to a place.

https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/artic...o-Stylus#Three

[binaryhermit]

I'm not surprised given that Amazon allegedly at best breaks even on the device and makes money off book sales.

So they really have no good reason to try to force people to buy a new Scribe by keeping features exclusive to the new one.

Especially if the new one is similar enough to be considered the same generation.

[tomsem]

I've seen a few videos demonstrating the feature, but what's unclear is whether this is a new annotation type, distinct from sticky notes, or whether it's another way of creating a sticky note and you can somehow toggle between showing it with text flowing around it, and having it represented by a note icon that you click on.

Either way I hope there is some toggle to not show these.

Wonder what exporting Notes will look like with this?

[jackm8]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

I'm not surprised given that Amazon allegedly at best breaks even on the device and makes money off book sales.

Where did you hear that? I very much doubt it, unless e-ink corporation is netting mad margins on their panels.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by Frogm4n

On Kobo if you resize then the notes turn into an icon much like the Kindle's Sticky Notes. They also are stuck on the device and don't sync off of it. It really is very limited. Active Canvas will be an interesting compromise, but is still a limited way to do it where you still can't reference exactly a word or place on the page. You just get a text box that is anchored to a place.

https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/artic...o-Stylus#Three

Thank you for the information.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by jackm8

Where did you hear that? I very much doubt it, unless e-ink corporation is netting mad margins on their panels.

That's been the chatter about Kindle devices and Amazon profit since their beginning back in 2007.

[jackm8]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

That's been the chatter about Kindle devices and Amazon profit since their beginning back in 2007.

I never saw anything concrete about it. There were always rumours about this. And it did make sense. Sell for less, undercut competition to establish a dominant market segment. The problem with it is that they have a near monopoly now, and they really don't need to do it any more. Their prices and device specifications reflect this as well. Other brands aren't as dependent on stores, their specs are equivalent, and they still sell for similar prices. Readers don't need top of the line hardware. Screens are extremely energy efficient, and books take relatively little storage space. Top of the line devices are equivalent to mid to low tier phones, minus gps, various sensors, cameras, and whatnot. All that's left is half decent battery, cpu, a little storage space, touch screen, and e-ink panel. The latter is what's really puzzling me, though. I've no idea how much are they paying for them. If it's a lot, then I can still be wrong.

[rantanplan]

They have a near monopoly in the US. That’s not the same in the rest of the world.

[apastuszak]

My understanding is that the new Scribe has identical internals to the old Scribe. It just comes with a new pen and the external enclosure is different.