Kindle Scribe update lets you send documents directly from Microsoft Word

Amazon’s well-reviewed hybrid tablet, the Kindle Scribe, is receiving a software update that brings some new tools to the e-reader/doodle machine. The most notable feature here is the ability to send documents directly from Microsoft Word to the e-reader with just a few clicks. This allows you to read documents on the go and physically annotate them using the touchscreen and a Scribe pen. This is great for making edits on the fly, or just drawing pizza slices all over a college essay.

The feature is similar to the pre-existing Send to Kindle web interface tool, which lets you easily transfer files between external devices and the e-reader, but everything is done right in Microsoft Word. You’ll find this feature in the export tab, though an active Microsoft 365 subscription is required.

Physically annotating PDF documents is also getting a boost with this update, thanks to a new contrast slider. The slider increases the readability of the document itself or of any physical notes you add to the document via the stylus. This feature is available for any PDFs imported via Send to Kindle or for any pre-existing PDF documents available through the Kindle Store.

The Kindle Scribe is notable for having plenty of screen real estate, and this update gives you new ways to interact with that 10.2 inches. There’s a new multi-column layout for reading two pages at once (if you are into that kind of thing). This feature is only for landscape orientation.

Finally, there’s a newly-implemented bird’s eye view tool for notebook page management, letting you see nine notebook pages at once and make appropriate changes to single items or entire batches. You can now add or insert pages to pre-existing notebooks, move pages around and delete single pages.

Amazon has been pretty good about updating the Kindle Scribe to meet the needs of consumers. In recent months, the e-reader has gotten new digital brushes, integrated subfolders and more.