Kindle Scribe is the only iPad Pro alternative I'd really consider — and that was before it got a $105 discount

Dear reader, it’s that time of year again. I ask you once again to choose an e-reader over a tablet. And this one is a different kind of e-reader!

The iPad Pro is arguably the best tablet in the world. With its ProMotion display, premium Apple Silicon M4 chip and OLED display in tandem, excellent iPadOS apps, and versatile Apple Pencil Pro support, it’s a do-it-all device. It’s a true laptop replacement these days, and even my last-gen model never leaves my side.

But I can’t help but love Amazon’s Kindle Scribe.

In many ways, this is Amazon’s answer to the iPad Pro. With a 10.2-inch screen, its core experience also hinges on stylus support. But, as anyone familiar with the Kindle range will have noticed from the name, there’s one key difference: an e-ink display rather than an LCD.

This instantly makes the Kindle Scribe a less versatile device. Its grayscale, low-refresh-rate display isn’t suited to video, gaming, or photo editing. And that’s not to mention other controls, like a camera or the App Store.

But that’s kind of what makes the Kindle Scribe so appealing. It’s appealing because of its limitations and its specialization. It’s all about reading and note-taking, and not much else. Its screen is very easy on the eyes, just like a full-size dedicated e-reader: it’s glare-free and backlit, so you can read for hours without getting tired. And the screen/stylus combination feels more natural than an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, in my opinion: there’s more pencil-like friction than you get with an iPad’s glass screen (unless you put an artist-friendly screen protector on it).

It’s a limited device, focused on reading and writing, but that distraction-free functionality really appeals to me. When I’m reading, it’s so easy to lose focus on the words in front of me when I’m using an iPad, with notifications and the internet at my fingertips. (Note that the Scribe can access a browser, but it’s a wonky experience that you’ll probably want to avoid.) Likewise, when I’m taking notes and sketching, I also want as few distractions as possible and want to feel as “close” to the page as possible. Like other Kindles, the Scribe feels more like a real book or notepad, and that’s still something I miss as we continue our march toward an all-digital future.

With the Kindle Scribe currently on sale for $105, that tradeoff between focus and capabilities seems a little more bearable. It’s currently $234.99, and it normally retails for $339.99. Just a few months ago, I recommended the tablet for $264.99. Saving an extra $30 makes it a no-brainer if you’re in the market.