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Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

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Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#21

Post by jnaina »

oldManRiver wrote: post #16
acdha wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smartphones are a great example: I had Richochet wireless on a Handspring Prism almost a decade before the iPhone, including a web browser. The concepts were there but it needed generations of hardware and software improvements to make it viable as a mainstream product.

I had an iPaq and it was better than the early iPhone by far. PocketPC just needed a touch interface instead of the pen. Although the pen allowed a lot of fun games. There was a tennis one I really enjoyed.

I had an iPaq too, along with a range of HTC/HP/O2 Pocket PC and Windows Mobile devices. The overall experience was dismal with a very slow Mobile IE browser and awkward UX using a stylus. Using the iPhone was like experiencing an alien technology. Flew to San Francisco from Singapore just to buy an iPhone and ordered a SIM delocker to allow me to use it on an non-AT&T network.

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#22

Post by oldManRiver »

jnaina wrote: post #21
oldManRiver wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had an iPaq and it was better than the early iPhone by far. PocketPC just needed a touch interface instead of the pen. Although the pen allowed a lot of fun games. There was a tennis one I really enjoyed.

I had an iPaq too, along with a range of HTC/HP/O2 Pocket PC and Windows Mobile devices. The overall experience was dismal with a very slow Mobile IE browser and awkward UX using a stylus. Using the iPhone was like experiencing an alien technology. Flew to San Francisco from Singapore just to buy an iPhone and ordered a SIM delocker to allow me to use it on an non-AT&T network.

Having a 206MHz ARM iPaq in ~2003 blew my mind. I had the addon pack for the back and used it over WiFi without issues.

Built and sold several applications for it as well, so easy to develop for as well.

Hell you couldn't even install apps when the iPhone came out, so if you were using what was at least 5 year old technology it's no wonder you found the iPhone to be a better experience.

I bet you think the iPhone was better than the Newton too eh? Kudos on flying to SF instead of just having one shipped to you.

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#23

Post by jnaina »

oldManRiver wrote: post #22
jnaina wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had an iPaq too, along with a range of HTC/HP/O2 Pocket PC and Windows Mobile devices. The overall experience was dismal with a very slow Mobile IE browser and awkward UX using a stylus. Using the iPhone was like experiencing an alien technology. Flew to San Francisco from Singapore just to buy an iPhone and ordered a SIM delocker to allow me to use it on an non-AT&T network.

Having a 206MHz ARM iPaq in ~2003 blew my mind. I had the addon pack for the back and used it over WiFi without issues. Built and sold several applications for it as well, so easy to develop for as well. Hell you couldn't even install apps when the iPhone came out, so if you were using what was at least 5 year old technology it's no wonder you found the iPhone to be a better experience. I bet you think the iPhone was…

Yes, bought a Newton also. Gave up using given the Beta level software. Couldn't ship one from the states those days. Apple didn't allow shipping overseas and eBay price was way too high.

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#24

Post by ahansen »

tluyben2 wrote: post #18

I have a bunch of these: pocket and wrist. I like them. They still work and I would wear that over an Apple watch any day. That is just taste though. I would buy a small programmable, none networked, ‘infinite battery’ watch like this now.

Do you have a bunch of this particular model, or do you have a range of these types of watches. I'd love to hear what other watches like this there are!

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#25

Post by trevyn »

srcmap wrote: post #12

1984: Seiko UC_2000 - Z80 CPU 2-10 Mhz (?) - 8K ROM - 2K RAM 30 year later: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_S1 2014: Apple Watch. - ARM CPU 500Mhz - 8G Flash (?) - 512MB RAM. - X 50-250 - X 1000 - X 256000 30 year from 2014: Any chance for this? 2044: ??? Watch - CPU 25-125GHz (?) - 8TB Flash - 128TB RAM.

Unfortunately, the UC-2000 seems to have a 1.5-year battery life, so your extrapolated 2044 watch will only work for 6 minutes before needing charged. :-)

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#26

Post by SomeHacker44 »

agumonkey wrote: post #6

Slightly less capable I think but HP-01 was a wrist calculator (with data flow oriented operators) https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hp-01+watch&atb=v119-3__&ia=web

I wear my HP-01 every day, except when working out and wearing a Fitbit. It has a few minor electrical problems but is going strong almost 40 years later. I am returning from Tokyo and visited many watch shops but there was a decided lack of new watch features this trip. I already have a Seiko e-ink watch with radio frequency setting, a Seiko Astron with GPS setting and also self charging, a Citizen also with self charging and RF setting, various smart watches like the Fossil Q, etc., but my go to since acquiring it is this HP-01. If it had “raise wrist to enable LED display” it would be even better. I would love this form factor with modern innards.

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#27

Post by bitwize »

walrus01 wrote: post #2

This thing reminds me a great deal of the 1980s design aesthetic used in a bunch of "digital dash" cars, such as the Nissan 300Z: https://www.google.com/search?q=300Z+dash+digital&num=100&cl...

I love 1980s tech ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃｓ. Even the graphic design associated with 1980s Transformers toys and cartoons has it.

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#28

Post by jacquesm »

srcmap wrote: post #12

1984: Seiko UC_2000 - Z80 CPU 2-10 Mhz (?) - 8K ROM - 2K RAM 30 year later: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_S1 2014: Apple Watch. - ARM CPU 500Mhz - 8G Flash (?) - 512MB RAM. - X 50-250 - X 1000 - X 256000 30 year from 2014: Any chance for this? 2044: ??? Watch - CPU 25-125GHz (?) - 8TB Flash - 128TB RAM.

I think you meant to swap the 8TB Flash and 128TB RAM.

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#29

Post by collective-intl »

ClassyJacket wrote: post #15
agumonkey wrote: post #6

Slightly less capable I think but HP-01 was a wrist calculator (with data flow oriented operators) https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hp-01+watch&atb=v119-3__&ia=web

A fantastic video about this amazing device: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGQrsSEaZkI

Great video, thanks!

Re: Seiko UC-2000 (1984) – the dawn of wearable computers

#30

Post by collective-intl »

Joeri wrote: post #9
acdha wrote: post #8

Another interesting bit of history was the Seiko Message Watch, which had time-sync and one-watch messaging over an FM radio sideband: https://mako.cc/copyrighteous/tribute-to-the-seiko-messagewa... Back before cell phones were ubiquitous that was pretty novel. I remember being struck by how cool it was to step off the plane in Taipei and see it update to local time while I watched. Getting pages about server downtim…

Microsoft also tried to build a smart watch in 2004 with the SPOT watch. It’s remarkable how a concept can stick around for decades waiting on an implementation that’s good enough to be viable. Instead of trying to think of new things it’s perhaps better to go read tech magazines of prior decades finding failed ideas and trying to breathe new life into them.

Some Japanese hardware was really amazing and ahead of it's time even from the 90's or early 2000s. It's worth reading about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mobile_phone_culture#...
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