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Introducing Pebble Time

kickstarter.com

141–150 of 403 posts

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#141

3 million dollars and they can't hire an industrial designer to make it look like something other than a preschool toy? They feel like a bunch of developers competing against Apple. No offense intended, I'm a developer myself. I think they'll have more and better features, since that is how developers think, but you need to look good to really capture all the consumers.

They've sold over a million watches at a retail price of $100-$200

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#142

Whatever about the product, their timing is spot on. Not that it will really make much of a dent in the Apple Watch sales, I'm sure there are a lot of people who'll get this now instead. Major differences, battery life & price do make this a tempting product.

The demographics feel very different. Is it meant to compete with Apple Watch, or with Android Wear?

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#143

The killer feature here is something that no one is talking about! >We've included a soft silicone band with each Pebble Time, but all standard 22mm watch bands will fit. All new Pebble watch bands include a quick-release pin, letting you swap bands in under 10 seconds. Standard watch bands is something that most other wearables aren't embracing. This makes the Pebble significantly more enticing.

Some of the Android Wear devices support standard 22mm bands as well. I had a custom one on my LG G Watch, but am staying with the stock band with the Moto 360 (since the one it shipped with is actually quite nice)

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#145

3 million dollars and they can't hire an industrial designer to make it look like something other than a preschool toy? They feel like a bunch of developers competing against Apple. No offense intended, I'm a developer myself. I think they'll have more and better features, since that is how developers think, but you need to look good to really capture all the consumers.

Have you ever seen a normal watch? Like a Wal-Mart, off-the-shelf Timex? They're hideous. Absolutely atrocious. If people want a nice looking watch, they buy a Rolex or a Tag. What people get from a Timex is a functional watch that is easy to read, relatively oops-resistant (can take some damage and go under water without breaking), and has some features they really need. A $500 Rolex probably doesn't have a stopwatch with a lap counter, but that $10 Timex sure does.

There's precedent in the watch-world to not care what the watch looks like. Watches are not always fashion items, which is why the watch section exists in Wal Mart. I keep hearing people say "it doesn't look as nice as the Apple Watch or Android Wear" (personally, the Apple Watch looks awful), but if you're looking for features over fashion, this is the device for you.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#146
I agree that Kickstarter isn't a store. It's an informercial platform optimized for hype and maximally dumping risks onto your customers.

I am a fan of Pebble, but I find this campaign on Kickstarter (after an already successful Kickstarter and three years of continued success), to be both excellent marketing and an utter disgrace to the goals that Kickstarter once stood for.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#147
post #6

It's a bland gadget. I'm really not sure about that approach. It's so cheap and uninspired. Whatever you think about the overall shape of the Apple Watch, at least it's not a bland gadget. It seems to pay meticulous attention to all the micro details that make jewelry jewlery and not a bland tech toy. (Seems to because obviously no one has looked at it in detail. But first indications are good.) This one does not. I'…

If you want jewelry, buy a necklace. Or maybe an Apple Watch. Yeah, yeah, I get it. But I want a functional device as I'm one of those "a Rolex doesn't tell better time than a Casio" types. What's next, artisanally-crafted pocket knives? I'll stick my bland yet functional Victrinox or Case. To each their own, and may both markets be well-served. For those that would rather pay for function, there's the Pebble that do…

> What's next, artisanally-crafted pocket knives?

You can spend a pretty penny on pocket knives.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#148

3 million dollars and they can't hire an industrial designer to make it look like something other than a preschool toy? They feel like a bunch of developers competing against Apple. No offense intended, I'm a developer myself. I think they'll have more and better features, since that is how developers think, but you need to look good to really capture all the consumers.

Out of curiosity, how much do you think it costs to hire a top industrial design firm?

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#149
post #6

It's a bland gadget. I'm really not sure about that approach. It's so cheap and uninspired. Whatever you think about the overall shape of the Apple Watch, at least it's not a bland gadget. It seems to pay meticulous attention to all the micro details that make jewelry jewlery and not a bland tech toy. (Seems to because obviously no one has looked at it in detail. But first indications are good.) This one does not. I'…

If you want jewelry, buy a necklace. Or maybe an Apple Watch. Yeah, yeah, I get it. But I want a functional device as I'm one of those "a Rolex doesn't tell better time than a Casio" types. What's next, artisanally-crafted pocket knives? I'll stick my bland yet functional Victrinox or Case. To each their own, and may both markets be well-served. For those that would rather pay for function, there's the Pebble that do…

The appeal of mechanical watches is the idea that there's this beautiful mechanical machine inside (often visible through a transparent crystal back) which is powering the watch, either through a hand-wound mechanism or by converting the kinetic energy of your wrist's movement into potential energy stored in a spring. Mechanical watches are jewelry, and they're designed to appeal not just to the eyes but also to the mind.

This Pebble is 100% function over form. It's far more useful than a $2k Nomos, but also far less beautiful. It's not something I would ever cherish, or keep for decades, or pass down to grandchildren. I would never look at it and marvel at how it manages to work. I would never love it. But it would be useful.

The Apple Watch is likely something of a middle ground. It's prettier on the outside, but there's nothing interesting about the inside. The Moto 360 sits in this same category as well.

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