Kindle Scribe Colorsoft - Reading Only
As there appear to be relatively few posts about pure reading on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (KSC), I would like to share my setup and (purely subjective) experience in this respect.
After the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft finally launched in Germany in April (note that I still consider this delay an insult, some six month after the US launch), I decided to get one as a read-only-device. I almost never take handwritten notes, neither in my job nor privately (even though I tried on an iPad Pro 13“ and an iPad Mini), so the Scribe-part of the device is of no interest to me whatsoever. But I loved the idea of more screen estate and the color screen for reading. Moreover, I had a Paperwhite SE to trade in which knocked 20% and a €30 voucher off the KSC purchase price for me, so the KSC was not that expensive.
My idea was to use the KSC as a pure reading device at home. For travelling, I have a Colorsoft SE in a case, because it is way smaller and lighter. The plan was to exclusively use the KSC in landscape mode with two side-by-side pages, except for comics (which are, however, hard to get from Amazon for the Kindle in Germany anyways- the offer is incredibly limited). And this worked out almost perfectly for me:
First, the caseless KSC is sufficiently light to hold, even in longer reading sessions. I mostly read on my couch, and even holding it with one hand works fine. I find it even more comfortable then holding my Colorsoft SE with a case. I also love the thin case and finish of the KSC.
Second, the screen is gorgeous, fast and sufficiently bright. The slight grey of the panel does not bother me, even though it remains noticeable compared to a Kindle Paperwhite. I also like the colors more on the KSC than on the Colorsoft SE (probably also only an effect of the larger screen as I think the panels are the same).
Third, the two-pages-per-screen in landscape is a game changer for me. This more traditional book-feeling with fewer page-turns required just feels right. I just whish Amazon would add an auto-rotate feature so that you could switch to two-pages by holding the device in landscape, and back to one-page by holding it vertically; as this thing has a gyro-sensor, I would think this requires only a software-tweak.
That aside, I have only minor points which I would like to see improved: Battery time could be better (I have to charge weekly, while my Colorsoft SE usually got me through two weeks), and I wish this thing would charge wirelessly. Plus, I would love if Amazon would sell this without the scribe features. Why did I have to pay for the pencil I will never use?
TL;DR: The KSC is a great read-only device, at least for me. Just give it a try if you want the big screen.