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The Apple Watch

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Re: The Apple Watch

#41

Post by ihsw »

tw04 wrote: post #22

It actually kind of saddens me to read his summary of how touch will be "awesome". A teenager is afraid to talk to a girl he likes so he sends her what amounts to a text on his watch? It feels like humans keep building more and more barriers to ACTUAL communication. I can't help but think at some point it will have serious negative effects on the human race. Part of growing up and maturing is learning to deal with di…

I wouldn't say it's a barrier, but a complement. An outlet for people to express themselves where none previously existed.

Yes the quality of communication is far lower, however if he wouldn't have otherwise approached her in person, then isn't this better than not having it?

Re: The Apple Watch

#42

Post by drzaiusapelord »

sebnukem2 wrote: post #16

If I had to choose between a dumb watch that never needs recharging (like my Citizen Eco-Drive) and a "smart" watch that doesn't even last a full day, I'd choose the dumb watch. Who the hell think that a watch that can't even function a day is an acceptable product? This just blows my mind. And yet, I'm pretty sure they are going to sell millions of them. I wouldn't want one if it was free.

Moto 360 owner here. I take it off at night and put it down just like I would a real watch. "Down" in this case is onto a small Qi mat. I don't sleep or bathe with watches. Its a total non-issue. I take my phone out and put it on its Qi mat and the watch right next to it. My phone doesn't last more than a day either.

No idea how the Apple one works, but the Moto guys figured it out pretty quickly. Just use the Qi standard, ship a cradle, or let people use their own Qi pads. I imagine Apple's "not invented here" mentality is going to make this a worse experience. It doesn't seem to be using Qi. Its proprietary. That's a mistake.

Re: The Apple Watch

#43

Post by brk »

clarky07 wrote: post #32
sebnukem2 wrote: post #16

If I had to choose between a dumb watch that never needs recharging (like my Citizen Eco-Drive) and a "smart" watch that doesn't even last a full day, I'd choose the dumb watch. Who the hell think that a watch that can't even function a day is an acceptable product? This just blows my mind. And yet, I'm pretty sure they are going to sell millions of them. I wouldn't want one if it was free.

Why is charging electronics such a problem? Do people wear watches while sleeping? Why is setting it on the charger on my nightstand actually a problem? This seems like an absurd nitpicky thing to complain about.

I already have to charge (and bring cables and charger with sufficient ports for): Laptop iPhone USB Backup battery (many long travel days) Wifi hotspot

Pretty much every day. By some counts, a watch doesn't really change that very much, by other counts it pushes my daily-shit-to-charge list over the limit. It's nitpicky when viewed in a vacuum, but not in relation to the overall technology charging burden. It seems like we should be moving away from charger dependencies, not towards it.

Re: The Apple Watch

#44

Post by delecti »

ryandvm wrote: post #18
EGreg wrote: post #2

How does this guy always nail his articles? I think he's the only one I've ever heard of who gets paid so much to write blog articles.

Gruber has perfected the art of knowing your audience - and his audience is people who are neck deep in the Apple ecosystem. His writing is practically a prescription for managing post-purchase cognitive dissonance for Apple consumers. I think he's an excellent writer but let's be honest, he doesn't really "review" Apple products any more than their marketing department. Apple could re-introduce the Newton and Gruber…

> it's an even more conspicuous consumption signal than the iPhone

At least until people start budgeting for their annual watch upgrade like they do for their phones, at which point it'll be commodity just like a smartphone.

Re: The Apple Watch

#45

Post by wmeredith »

bitsoda wrote: post #21

Gruber's scenario with the two high school kids sending each other love taps, scribbles, and heartbeats was poignant. While the Apple Watch isn't for me, I can't begrudge those who decide to buy one. I think back to the late 90s and how I wouldn't have met my wife if not for IMing a screenname a mutual friend of ours passed along to me. The internet, a crappy eMachines desktop, and AIM made this possible. Technically…

Two high school kids each with a $400 watch. It may be poignant[1], but it won't be common.

[1]It could also be eye-roll-worthy bourgeois douchebaggery depending on your socio-economic perspective.

Re: The Apple Watch

#46

Post by GuiA »

tw04 wrote: post #22

It actually kind of saddens me to read his summary of how touch will be "awesome". A teenager is afraid to talk to a girl he likes so he sends her what amounts to a text on his watch? It feels like humans keep building more and more barriers to ACTUAL communication. I can't help but think at some point it will have serious negative effects on the human race. Part of growing up and maturing is learning to deal with di…

I was the typical nerdy, shy, socially inept teenager who read the z80 instruction set documentation alone at the cafeteria during lunch. In the 10th grade there was this girl I really liked, but my complete lack of social skills prevented me from acting upon it.

I forget how, but I eventually found a way to add her on MSN messenger, where we spent many evenings and weekends chatting. This allowed me to get over my initial shyness; we eventually dated for about a year. She was my first girlfriend, and I gained a lot in self confidence and social skills through this experience.

I don't lock myself in the bathroom when I mess up at my job these days.

I think your message is either a silly straw man, or that you really don't get teenagers.

Re: The Apple Watch

#47

Post by oaktowner »

wmeredith wrote: post #45
bitsoda wrote: post #21

Gruber's scenario with the two high school kids sending each other love taps, scribbles, and heartbeats was poignant. While the Apple Watch isn't for me, I can't begrudge those who decide to buy one. I think back to the late 90s and how I wouldn't have met my wife if not for IMing a screenname a mutual friend of ours passed along to me. The internet, a crappy eMachines desktop, and AIM made this possible. Technically…

Two high school kids each with a $400 watch. It may be poignant[1], but it won't be common. [1]It could also be eye-roll-worthy bourgeois douchebaggery depending on your socio-economic perspective.

Maybe in Palo Alto.

Re: The Apple Watch

#48

Post by wmeredith »

drinchev wrote: post #3
EGreg wrote: post #2

How does this guy always nail his articles? I think he's the only one I've ever heard of who gets paid so much to write blog articles.

Well this guy is the inventor of Markdown, so he's not only a paid blogger. I always find people like him as inspiration for me.

By his own admission his podcast, The Talk Show, makes more money than his blog at this point. Just another reason the "paid blogger" dismissive misses the mark.

Re: The Apple Watch

#49

Post by oaktowner »

skc wrote: post #37
sebnukem2 wrote: post #16

If I had to choose between a dumb watch that never needs recharging (like my Citizen Eco-Drive) and a "smart" watch that doesn't even last a full day, I'd choose the dumb watch. Who the hell think that a watch that can't even function a day is an acceptable product? This just blows my mind. And yet, I'm pretty sure they are going to sell millions of them. I wouldn't want one if it was free.

The guy that runs asymco said something that got me thinking about this. He said, the Apple Watch is as much a "watch" as the iPhone is a "phone". I think the idea is that we are thinking about it all wrong. The "phone" functionality of an iPhone is just an app and is in fact one of the least used apps on the device. The same line of thinking will probably start to explain the Apple Watch. It's actually a wearable co…

Right. "Phone" was the thing the iPhone did worst of all.

When I got my first iPhone (after a Blackberry Curve), one thing I noticed: everything my Curve did, it did better than the iPhone. It was a better phone, it was better for email, it was better for texting. (Ok, it technically had "apps", but they were so bad I never used any).

But my iPhone did a million things that my Blackberry didn't do (via apps).

Was it a worse phone? Absolutely. Did I love it much, much more than I ever loved my Blackberry? Absolutely.

Don't think of this as a "watch."

[slight edit for clarity]

Re: The Apple Watch

#50

Post by ForrestN »

tw04 wrote: post #22

It actually kind of saddens me to read his summary of how touch will be "awesome". A teenager is afraid to talk to a girl he likes so he sends her what amounts to a text on his watch? It feels like humans keep building more and more barriers to ACTUAL communication. I can't help but think at some point it will have serious negative effects on the human race. Part of growing up and maturing is learning to deal with di…

Replace these watch interactions with the less recent technology of "passing notes." I don't think the character in Gruber's story would have walked up to her and given her a kiss on the cheek if not for the watch standing in his way. I think he would have done nothing or found some other indirect means. And think about the story in the context of what he says about the phone and talking and video chat and seeing— it actually feels like you're being touched to enough of a degree that this interaction is more intimate. Mediation by technology is not inherently distancing.
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