Reply With Quotepossibly a product that is ahead of its time in concept without the technology to truly make it workable - e.g. anyone remember Apple's Newton....?
Also I don't think they have been clever enough, some sort of rotor to extend the battery maybe...?
The previous iPod nano on a strap was cheaper had more stand-alone functions and had a clock. It was a cynical move by Apple to stop producing that in order to develop the Apple watch.
possibly a product that is ahead of its time in concept without the technology to truly make it workable - e.g. anyone remember Apple's Newton....?
Also I don't think they have been clever enough, some sort of rotor to extend the battery maybe...?
I wasn't suggesting that the Walkman wasn't a brilliant invention, only that it didn't solve a problem that most people realised they even had. I seem to remember it was invented by a Sony exec who wanted to listen to music while playing tennis, so it solved a specific problem for him - while creating one for his opponent no doubt. But for everyone else, it opened up a new possibility they hadn't imagined. In future when the Apple watch doesn't need to be tethered to a phone - something that will inevitably happen one day - it will do the same thing, opening up the possibility of walking out of the house with virtually nothing in your pockets, and still being able to use transport, pay for things, get directions, field urgent messages, listen to music and even know what time it is too. That will be quite liberating I'd imagine. This first generation strikes me as a kind of prototype for that.Originally Posted by Space Traveller
I imagine it will be a lot like every other new product that Apple introduce - the second gen hardware will be dramatically superior, and support will probably be dropped after circa 2 years.
It was for commuting, as I recall, as listening to a portable radio out loud was rather anti-social and you couldn't easily play pre-recorded music without carrying a ghetto-blaster (are you allowed to say that any more :)).
Of course, fast forward 30 years, and homies are playing NWA out of a thin, tinny, distorted speakerphone on the upstairs of a bus through their Apples and Samsungs. Progress!
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I've no idea where that tennis story came from! It seems there's a few different legends. From wikipedia: "The prototype was built in 1978 by audio-division engineer Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka, who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent trans-Pacific plane trips."
From Time magazine:
"Morita was a workaholic, but he was also a playaholic. He followed art and music, and was a sports fanatic. In his 60s he took up wind surfing and scuba diving and started skiing to ensure good exercise through the winter. He loved to water-ski and even crafted a water-resistant microphone on a handle, connected by a wire on the ski rope to a speaker on the boat so he could relay instructions to his wife Yoshiko. He was so proud of this invention. To simply have a good time, he would invent and perfect such a product.The Walkman is just such an invention. Morita watched as his children and their friends played music from morning until night. He noticed people listening to music in their cars and carrying large stereos to the beach and the park. Sony's engineering department was generally opposed to the concept of a tape player without a recording function (it would be added later), but Morita would not be denied. He insisted on a product that sounded like a high-quality car stereo yet was portable and allowed the user to listen while doing something else--thus the name Walkman."
My guess is that quite a few people have claimed that they invented the Walkman over the years!
This. As someone who is permanently glued to his iphone 6+ I like the idea of not having to take it out all the time for relatively simple tasks like checking my diary or dismissing a notification. As the owner of a pebble steel I understand how useful it is to be able to discreetly check a text message when you are sat in a three hour meeting at work. But the reason why the pebble steel fell by the way side was that the metal bracelet was flimsy and the whole thing didnt feel as well put together as my Longines Hydroconquest (not that I expect it to at that price point, its just that is what I am used to). Consequently I used it less than a dozen times over the course of a year, and it's now sat in its box waiting for me to stick it on ebay.
I have tried the apple watch on, and as an object, the 42mm case with metal band is a beautifully engineered thing. The screen looks really good, I like the horologically inspired "complications" like the moon phase and chronograph, and if it can replace the heart rate monitor that I use in the gym it means I have one less thing to root around for before I leave for the day. So just as I have convinced myself a 42mm with milanese loop or metal band is my next purchase I think of the planned obsolescence - in 12/18 month time I am certain an applewatch 2 will be with us, which will have more functions, better battery life etc etc etc. I also think that to get the most out of it, it will replace all my watches, which is not something I want to do, so no dice for me.
It may be ahead of it's time and it may blow open the market for smartwatches but at the moment, it's benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks or the considerable cost.
I do have my 10th wedding anniversary coming up in July, and my better half has suggested that she buy me an Apple watch as a present, but all i think is it will obsolete in 3 years so it isnt exactly something that will stand the test of time. Plus I am arguing for a Daytona with the compromise being a Zenith Rainbow Flyback which one day I will give to my 3 year old son when he turns 21.
No.
Nice toy though.
The thing is its the first time I felt Apple released something that I thought was rather "old fashioned". Like with the first iPhone and touch screen, the iPod with scroll wheel, the MacBooks, I always felt Apple was making life easier with innovative products. With the apple watch though it just feels so....20th century like, a watch that serves multiple functions? we don't even Need watches anymore....
Oh, that's easy - they do it to sort of fool themselves that it's later than it really is, so they won't be late for things. Not an approach I use; I just give myself an extra 5 minutes leeway, because of Hofstadter's Law ("Things always take longer than you expect, even when you take Hofstadter's Law into account.")
An ex-girlfriend of mine used to set her watch forward like this (and she was still always late...)
Ah, the poor thing. Does she knów you see her like that?!
I just think that the screen size (sorry, dial) and the fact that it's worn on the wrist will always limit just how much use they'll be. I can't ever see them being better than a phone for making calls or listening to music, so based on the fact that a phone does these things better, why would anybody leave their phone at home and just wear their smart watch. I just can't see what they'll ever do better than existing technology.
Respond to a text or email - unless it's using a preset response like "can't talk now" then a phone wins hands down.
Make a phone call? Just how will this ever work properly via a watch?
Also, the Ł13K gold watches are never going to replace proper brands, as once the early adopters realise that their stupidly expensive gold case houses technology that will be defunct in 18 months, the market for those will soon shrivel.
Those idiots at Apple keep making one mistake after another, don't they? Who'd want a computer that doesn't run Windows? A phone with apps on it? Or a laptop with no proper keyboard? And that portable music player idea I could have told you was a loser from day one.
What amuses me about this is that the Apple Watch is merely the latest example of the product that everyone says they won't buy, but no-one can stop talking about.
For those of you who have the apple watch.... What is it like for receiving phone calls ? Wondering for hands free calls ?
This report from a trusted source suggests it ain't great for this.
http://www.wattpad.com/124513670-tim...he-wrist-first
It's TRUELY liberating to leave the house without any of that crap!
I like this line,
Sums up what Apple are really good at
Agreed. The idea of having my life wrapped up in some sort of hellish, government/private-sector mandated, stealable wristlet that encapsulates all risk in a small device with limited battery life, makes me want to scream. Sometimes I leave the house with a mobile for several hours; it seems to me that other people expect to have a valid opinion on that.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
At least this acquisitive, affluenza-prone man (who, in his effort to look like George Michael circa 1996, actually looks like he's just eaten a lemon) is being honest about his addiction to Veblen-ish tech:I like this line,
Sums up what Apple are really good at
http://thenextweb.com/boris/2015/04/...t-apple-sells/
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
For those with questions about battery life, mine has been on my wrist for 13.5 hours so far today and I have 68% battery left, pretty similar to yesterday.
I've found it really useful for reminding about things to do by displaying them on one of the clock faces, I'm forever forgetting to do some things!
It's incredibly comfortable to wear, very light, especially compared to my Breitling Seawolf!
I do find the notifications useful, just a quick glance and I can decide whether to ignore or look further, it certainly beats getting my phone out of my pocket, unlocking it and then checking!
From a health perspective, it's useful with its little reminders to stand up, have a walk around, again something I'm guilty of when sat at my desk at work.
I don't work out but I think having the health functionality will probably encourage me to be a bit more active, a bit like a nagging wife, but with the option to mute it!
I'm happy with my purchase, as a big watch and clock fan it definitely appeals on that front, I like the different face options and the customizable info I can get from it.
I'm sure it will only get better...........
Stef
Aye. Apple makes products people like to own. What a way to run a business!
I returned mine. Wrote up some thoughts though https://medium.com/@mrcfield/apple-w...s-17cc787db809
well, none of your negative points explain why you returned it.
All of them combined really were enough to make me want to return it. But mostly the notifications (the awkwardness of deleting emails, the truncation, the duplication) were the ones that really did it for me as they're the main reasons I wanted it. I honestly had a way better experience with a Sony Smartwatch 3 running Android Wear which cost a fraction of the Apple Watch.
Will you be able to buy new crystals for them from Cousins?
You make a fair point and I bought the Apple PC (never again), the Itouch (x3) the IPad (x2) the iPhone (x3),
but will I buy an Iwatch - no. Nor the Apple TV. As I have no need for either. Especially a watch I have to take off and "charge it up" every day.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
None of those products exist.
iMuppet?
Ok,
apple PC = Apple G5
itouch = iPod touch
Happy ?
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
What is the issue with charging it every night? I genuinely don't get it. Do people want to wear it in bed?
The Apple TV is a good piece of kit for a cheap price by the way. Connects the iTunes movie renting, Netflix etc to your TV / projector via HDMI and has an optical out for your surround sound. Exactly what you need if you have that kind of setup. Gets rid of any need for sky movies or the like.
I wear my watch in bed, in the shower, in the pool. It only comes off when I decide on a change watches (about once a week).
I don't have Netflix or Sky and have my own "4tb cloud" for my own content if I want to watch something - which I rarely do to be honest. I
If there is something I want to watch I typically just buy the DVD and then add it to my cloud so I can access it via Wifi anywhere in the world.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
I've had a Moto 360 smart watch for about 6 months now. I don't find the nightly charging an issue at all, mostly because I always charge my phone every night too... so when the phone goes on charge, the watch comes off and goes on the cradle next to it to charge up too. Lasts all day comfortably (in fact usually ends up with about 70% battery life left) and I find it quite handy in the day getting a little buzz on the wrist to let me know of notifications on the phone, save digging the phone out of my pocket. Very handy when driving, for example.
I think the tech has real potential. Just that these first gen devices haven't quite got there yet :)
Well one of the things it does is track your sleeping patterns. So it's kind of redundant if it's sat by your bedside.
Are you sure? I returned mine after a week, but I never saw any sleep tracking anywhere on it.
edit: Having actually checked, no they do not track sleep.
Last edited by ctafield; 11th May 2015 at 17:50.
Dűh...make SURE you DO have it on the bedstand then
Really? I have an Ł18 Miband that tracks everything I do, including sleeping patterns, buzzes for notifications and the battery lasts 40+ days. For Ł18.
Hmm that is a fair point! I probably wouldn't wear it in bed anyway after trying that a couple of times, and I usually charge my devices while I'm having breakfast, so I think I'd still be ok. But I'm not getting one anyway so it's a moot point!
It doesnt do this... at least not yet
Its a very nice looking watch (congratulations) and very James Bond! However, Like James Bond in Skyfall, he went back to basics and feel that if there is a dip for non smartwatches, it wont last and appreciation will inevitably bounce back..!
Appreciation no doubt, but is your daily a Morris Minor or a Norton Domi? It your phone still a basic land line? Even I have a Nokia. It may be 10 years old and in use for maybe 5% of my life but it stil is just about essential because everybody else has gone smart mobile.
Even gettingto a shop by ringing and ask where it is, is like you are stone age; they will assume you have satnav!!
Thanks for your thoughts - it makes very interesting reading. I was on the fence about the watch - it appealed because it would work well with my iPhone and I wanted to try a smartwatch, but I don't like the look of it much and I don't want a watch that 60 million other people will have, eventually.
But reading your comments has really made me realise that I don't need an Apple watch and now don't even really want one. I can see all those points you made would bug me too and there are so many other watches out there I could spend my money on instead.
Those two were examplars of their type in their day. The reason why there's not much appreciation for the iWant is that they're frankly a bit toss. Like a Morris Minor or that Norton, but priced like a Ferrari and put on sale in 2015 rather than war-trashed, 1948 Britain.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Only in the UK but that is all beside the point. The point is that the mechanical tech is appreciated because it is not nééded as a functional timer. It is fashionable to wear a chronograph puzzle watch and I líke mine as much as anyone but if you want to tíme something with a bit of accuracy it is no match for a digital qco controlled thingamy.
I am not going smart phone and a s such not smart watch. I dó like some models as watch though. And that is while I do not really nééd the time on my wrist...
The country is irrelevant (well, I didn't bring them up!). Timing electronically is of course accurate, but human reaction time being what it is, anything that's accurate to more than about 1/10 second is a bit redundant anyway. Also, not all things need to be measured to less than 1/10 second. Eggs, parking meters, even timed burns
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
This is the real point, horology didn't get from sundials to wrist watches overnight did it, mechanical wrist watches will eventually become collectors curios and then museum pieces, its evolution init.
I'll say now that I won't be buying one, but I bet I will in the end!
A colleague's husband, Apple mad, bought an iPhone6+ and a sports version of the Apple watch. Sadly while out dancing, he dropped his phone and it's had to go back to Apple for repair. His Apple watch is back in the drawer for the duration, as it has nothing to communicate with. That's a flaw.
It still works as an ordinary watch without an iphone
I agree that the fact that it requires pairing with an iPhone is the basic problem, and it's the reason I won't be buying one. However, given that serving as a second screen for your phone is currently most of its actual function, and what it's designed to do, I can't quite see this scenario as a flaw. It's a bit like saying that it's a flaw that cars can't fly - they're not supposed to. Perhaps I'm being pedantic though! Presumably the range of apps that are available when used solo will gradually increase as time goes by, until the crucial breakthrough occurs and it can manage a 4G (or whatever it is at that time) connection by itself.
I'd be interested to read any reports from early adopters on this thread of how genuinely useful they are finding it, a few weeks in and as the novelty wears off.
Indeed, although I think his wife is secretly delighted that this has happened, as she bought him a rather nice TAG for his 40th last year, which the Apple watch displaced.
Posting Permissions
