Introducing Pebble Time • Hacker News Board

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#161

Post by freehunter » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:12 PM UTC

wmeredith wrote: post #30

simplyluke wrote: post #2

The main value prop over the Apple Watch and current Android wear appears to be the battery life. They're advertising over 7 days on a charge, which is certainly better than whatever the Apple Watch will be in terms of battery life. I just worry about the market for apps after the introduction of apple's watch around the same time.

Actually, they're saying "up to" 7 days which is obnoxious because that could mean anything.

There is literally no way they could say "at least" with any number that would mean anything to anyone. Even if they did a range between worst case scenario (app refreshing as often as possible and running the CPU and Bluetooth radios 100%) to best case scenario (watch face that updates once per hour), would you really want to see a number that says "Between 5 minutes and 7 days of battery life!"?

You can't really even have a "under normal use" battery life claim. My Pebble lasts between 4-5 days depending on app usage. Other have theirs lasting 2-3 days. My personal iPhone sometimes needs to be recharged in the middle of the day. My work iPhone gets charged once every three days.

"Up to 7 days" is the most meaningful number they could put there, because it shows you what to expect while using it as a watch. Everything else is up to you.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#162

Post by nols » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:15 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #145

lnanek2 wrote: post #131

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 stopwatc…

A $10 watch and a several hundred dollar smart watch are two very different animals. When Pebble first came out it was new and innovative so first adopters bought it regardless of appearance. Now they're competing in a field that's getting more competitive every day. The poster isn't saying they should trade functionality for appearance, they're saying Pebble should at least put some effort towards design to appeal to the non-first adopters who care at least a little about appearance.

PS used low end Rolex watches start at several thousand

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#163

Post by joosters » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:15 PM UTC

What happened to 'Kickstarter is not a store' - https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store ?

Offering multiple quantities of a reward is prohibited. Hardware and Product Design projects can only offer rewards in single quantities or a sensible set (some items only make sense as a pair or as a kit of several items, for instance). The development of new products can be especially complex for creators and offering multiple quantities feels premature, and can imply that products are shrink-wrapped and ready to ship.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#164

Post by mikestew » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:17 PM UTC

nilkn wrote: post #149

mikestew wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Like I said, I get it. The very reasons you've listed are why I've been tempted by such devices in the past. But when it comes time to shell out the cash, I buy function. Neither right or wrong, it's just why I paid for what is now my second Pebble and why (I take it) you likely won't be buying one at all.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#165

Post by ntkachov » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:17 PM UTC

samsnelling wrote: post #95

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.

This is false. The Asus ZenWatch, moto360, LG G Watch, LG G watch R all use standard 22mm bands.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#166

Post by lettergram » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:19 PM UTC

I've been using my Pebble I got from UIUC when they gave hundreds away:

https://blog.getpebble.com/2013/12/16/pebbling-schools-in-th...

It was some good marketing, because I just bought a new one because I loved it so much.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#167

Post by freehunter » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:23 PM UTC

swang wrote: post #159

freehunter wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 stopwatc…

Eh, for $10 you take what you can get. For ~$200 I don't need expensive materials but I would like it to not look like what it looks like. This double bezel thing is kinda ugly. I mean if you spend $20 more from the $10 Timex you can get a Timex Weekend, which looks pretty nice.

It's all relative to the market. The original Pebble is $100. Compare that to the LG G Watch R at $300. Going to the LG, you get a nicer looking watch but you lose more than six days of battery life, you lose cross-platform functionality, and you lose the ruggedness that the Pebble has.

That was my point. If you want a nice looking smartwatch, they exist as long as you can handle the tradeoffs.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#168

Post by allanjenn » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:23 PM UTC

How much money do you think they are going to raise? I think $25M.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#169

Post by drzaiusapelord » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:23 PM UTC

georgeecollins wrote: post #49

What I think is good about this is that they are thinking of a new paradigm for UI on a wearable. For Android Wear devices it feels like Google just decided that voice was going to take care of UI, and no decisions about physical controls needed to be made. But there are two problems: voice isn't that reliable, and more importantly, there are a lot of situations where you want to use your watch but not talk to it.

Voice in my case is super reliable. I'm always a little surprised at all the things it gets right. I think the work google has been doing on context aware speech to text is paying off. I've had edge cases where it couldn't get things right, but just making an effort to speak slower and more deliberate solves that. Thankfully I don't need to do that often.

Meh, most of the time I can just whisper something ambigious if I'm concerned about privacy, or just pull out my big ass phone and type on it, which is what I would have done if I didn't own a moto 360.

I tried one of those keyboards for the watch, and its really a non-starter. Wearables only make sense as voice devices. Even the large moto 360 can't support an on-screen keyboard and I imagine future smartwatches will be smaller, especially one's marketed at women and children.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#170

Post by TillE » Tue, Feb 24, 2015, 5:24 PM UTC

joosters wrote: post #163

What happened to 'Kickstarter is not a store' - https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store ? Offering multiple quantities of a reward is prohibited. Hardware and Product Design projects can only offer rewards in single quantities or a sensible set (some items only make sense as a pair or as a kit of several items, for instance). The development of new products can be especially complex for creators a…

Honestly, that seems like a completely arbitrary policy which serves no real purpose.

In general I'd stay the hell away from hardware projects on Kickstarter, but in this case Pebble has a proven track record of delivering a quality product in a reasonable time frame. I assume that gives them a little more leeway when Kickstarter is approving their campaign.