A big update brings the Kindle Scribe closer to being good

It’s virtually an understatement to say Amazon’s Kindle Scribe fell wanting our expectations when it first launched, however maybe there’s hope but for Amazon’s first 10.2-inch e-reader and writing machine.

Immediately, the corporate launched 4 new Kindle Scribe options largely targeted on enhancing the lackluster note-taking expertise. Fact be informed, they’re comparatively minor updates, however any change helps.

First up, Amazon launched a “Hen’s Eye View” button within the Kindle Scribe Pocket book app, which you’ll be able to entry from the highest menu while you’re on a pocket book web page. Clicking on it provides you a preview of 9 pocket book pages and in addition permits you to rapidly add, delete, or transfer any of them round. You may also swipe to the subsequent 9 pages for sooner navigation.

It’s not all new pocket book options, although. Amazon additionally added a brand new PDF distinction slider function that, theoretically, ought to make it simpler to learn some PDFs. In the meantime, Microsoft 365 prospects will now be capable to learn and annotate Microsoft Phrase paperwork on the Kindle Scribe through the brand new Microsoft “Ship to Kindle” button.

On the studying facet, Amazon additionally fastened a obvious difficulty: now you can show content material in two columns while you’re studying in panorama orientation. That was a function that already existed within the iPad’s Kindle app, however for some motive, the Kindle Scribe lacked it at launch.

Immediately’s new options arrive two months after Amazon added subfolders and a “go to web page” possibility for notebooks. That very same February 2023 replace additionally introduced extra fountain pen, marker, and pencil brush sorts with 5 thickness ranges. Mixed, all of those modifications make for a barely extra organized, versatile, and environment friendly note-taking expertise.

Nevertheless, they nonetheless don’t handle a number of of the primary complaints my colleague Alex Cranz raised in her evaluation. You continue to can’t, for instance, sync the notes you make whereas studying a guide on the Kindle Scribe to the Kindle app in your telephone or browser. Notebooks sync, however you continue to can’t sort up any notes to them from one other machine, nor can you change your handwriting to textual content as you’ll be able to on Kobo’s brand-new Elipsa 2E.

Nonetheless, these small modifications are steps in the proper course. Hopefully, Amazon will make extra strides in future software program updates.