Microsoft SPOT Watches Hit Stores

[Julio Franco]

Wristwatches and wireless services based on Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology won't be on sale in time for the holidays, but they are coming soon. The devices will be available in January, the software giant confirms.

Microsoft will use next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to announce the availability of the devices, which were announced there last year. The software maker also plans to launch updates to its MSN Internet Software, and is expected to outline planned improvements to the Media Center Edition of Windows XP at the show.

Read more: PC World.

 

[SNGX1275]

Seems like an interesting idea, also appears something similar was done with Seiko's MessageWatch in the past and it failed. Perhaps where Seiko failed Fossil will succeed, I've always thought Fossil watches were pretty nice casual watches. If Fossil makes them look good and not to "techie", and if I lived in a supported city, I might consider buying one. I like the idea of being able to get sports scores and stock prices by looking at my watch.

 

[poertner_1274]

I watched a show the other day on a guy who designed the new **** Tracy watch, without the actual video conferencing aspect of it, but the look and the availability of adding the video. The idea would be good, but this just goes back to the same point made here with the all in one phone PDA things. I'm not sure I would get a watch that has this feature, when it is already built into my phone, and PDA.

I personally don't see how far this will make it in the market, but there is only one way to find out.....

we'll see in a year or so.

 

[StormBringer]

I don't really see a practical use for it. Kind of like the Timex Data-Link, or the Seiko you mentioned sngx. Thought I guess it would be good for those people who have an ever growing need for tech gadgets, even if they aren't all that useful.
The price doesn't seem to bad though, I think thats about what I paid for my Data-Link several years ago, and it doesn't have near the features of these.

 

[will_is_awesome]

Cool, sorta. I guess I'll just have a look at them at CES. Like you guys already mentioned though, seems more like a "I MUST HAVE EVERYTHING!" kinda item than an actual useful one...

 

[Vehementi]

I wouldn't buy one simply because I don't want a watch the size of a pager. I'm sure it will be ridiculously bulky with all those features. Not to mention I don't need one, and wouldn't be able to find any practical use for it anyway. Maybe someone like a (paranoid) professional daytrader, who can't be away from his stocks for 10 minutes and doesn't mind looking like Geordie from Star Trek

 

[SNGX1275]

Has anyone seen a picture of these things yet? I was apparently under a different impression than you guys. I'm thinking its going to be pretty much the same size of a regular Fossil wristwatch, with a marquee thing on them, kind of like those analog watches that also have a digital display.

 

[StormBringer]

Yea, they look like a full digital display watch to me, though a little blocky from the pics I have seen anyway. Here is a link http://www.i4u.com/article690.html
The Suunto looks a bit better to me
http://www.i4u.com/article744.html

 

[SNGX1275]

Well thats certainly not the look I had imagined... and I'm actually suprised at the dullness of the Fossil. Still either one wouldn't be that bad to wear.
You also don't have to be a daytrader to need one of these hogs, I have a few shares of stock and I'm always interested in what the price is of it - its something I own, I like to know what its up to . Also this would be nice to get college basketball scores while physically at another game.

 

[StormBringer]

Oh, I wouldn't mind having one, they look quite nice, especially the Suunto, but I don't see myself buying one. If I got one as a gift, sure.

 

[SNGX1275]

The problem we face storm - is that we dont' live in a major city where they are going to broadcast this information for the watches.

 

[StormBringer]

Originally posted by SNGX1275
The problem we face storm - is that we dont' live in a major city where they are going to broadcast this information for the watches.

True, but it would possibly reach to here anyway because of the distance. I remember back when we had no cellphone towers here, the closest ones were about 25 miles away and you lost service at the bottom of every hill.

 

[SNGX1275]

Well that still happens here - not sure on how far the cell towers are away from me but I get service on certain spots of my parents driveway
If they could broadcast on something like an AM frequency then that may work - much larger range - but I'm not sure if AM could offer the amount of data needed at a reasonable speed.

 

[StormBringer]

I don't think there is anything left for them to use on AM frequencies even if they could work out the specifics, its pretty much all allocated for other uses already.

 

[SNGX1275]

Lets pick something in the 3-6kHz range then.
[size=1]http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/allochrt.pdf[/size]

 

[StormBringer]

heh, that is the exact chart I was about to go find in my bookcase.

 

[poertner_1274]

Lol, you guys are just having a regular conversation here

I think this would be a great thing to own, but what is really the feasability of it? Like you said it isn't going to be able to work in small towns, hell cell phones have a hard enough time working there. There is a lot more advances in technology that needs to take place before this will take off.

 

[Vehementi]

Originally posted by poertner_1274
Lol, you guys are just having a regular conversation here

I think this would be a great thing to own, but what is really the feasability of it? Like you said it isn't going to be able to work in small towns, hell cell phones have a hard enough time working there. There is a lot more advances in technology that needs to take place before this will take off.

I as well live in a small town and there is one cell phone provider here, that probably works 60-70% of the time. Just like there is one ISP that charges insane rates for DSL, because it's their phone lines. If I continued to live here, I know I would never see SPOT service.
If I did live in a big city though, I still wouldn't buy one. I mean sure if someone gave it to me as a gift, to keep up with the weather and traffic maybe.
I own some Microsoft stock too, but I'd buy more of the stock before I'd buy something that just lets me check it now and then.

And what kind of interface will they have with computers? What could you do with that?

 

[poertner_1274]

That is a good question Veh, do you think they will have any interface at all? Or would you just be able to get on the internet and get the updates or things like that? I'd be leaning to say there wouldn't be any interface, if you needed to get something, just like Sprint you can download it from your personal account.

 

[SeeSpotRun]

I noticed this thread and just wanted to alert you to a site we're soft launching at the moment, based on SPOT technology. If you're interested in what's going on, we'll have regular news coverage, starting hot and heavy with the CES in January. Our forums are also now running, so feel free to drop by.

Brian