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"Nice PDA-Watch with room to improve"
on by attiPros Palm OS 4.1.1 compatible, runs stable, Serial interface (USB, IR)
Cons Display, small battery, speaker + alarm functions.
Summary First of all: I really like almost anything with a serial interface. Because whatever it may be - it might run Linux and TCP/IP if it can connect in some way to the outer world.
Turning the watch "on" feels like having a mini entry level Palm Organizer having around your wrist. It's solid and big. Still, it's somewhat elegant and looks more stylish than the 50.-$ cheaper Abacus version, by combining black leather with brushed steel.
If you live in a big city and might end up in a street fight, you can sacrifice the not so good display to have an edge in the fight. The display has background illumination, which is more than the cheapest Palm devices come with.
8 MB RAM total leaves you enough to install Palm OS 4.1 compatible software. There's much free stuff out there on the net - so you won't have problems to feed your PDA Watch with programs beyond with what it comes with.
Some apps don't seem to work though: I had difficulties to get any alarm clock or remote control software to get work right. Also, many "drawing" programs seem to cause a crash.
While you can do things like download your text messages from your cell phone to/from your PDA Watch, I would have really liked to see a watch (!) come with a speaker loud enough create a working "wake-up" sound volume.
Even, when you're awake, you may not hear the alarm of an appointment from your datebook, especially, because the alarm function is not piped thru, when the PDA Watch is in "watch mode" with the PDA turned off.
Finding a remote control software that didn't crash the watch or was readable was also not possible. So controlling your TV/DVD/VCR/CD won't happen at least for now. The TV would have to be close anyways, because the range of the IR isn't too big. It does let you beam information to other Palms easily, however.
It's true, some programs are much better readable on the tiny display than others. You have to try and see.
Data entry with the supplied pen is painful - get a PDA replacement pen! This is really important if you actually intend to enter data into you Watch beyond sync-ing it. In fact, get PDA pen with a built in LED (i.e. Belkin, ca 15.-$). In dark areas you can rather use the LED of the pen than the PDA Watch's own light. The PDA Watch allows for both - Gaffity 2 and the newer Jot technique for handwriting recognition. The keyboard is there too, if you need it - but it's small!
Getting your PDA Watch sync with Apple's iSync or the Palm Desktop v 4.0 is easy. Using the more recent Palm Desktop v4.2.1 caused problems, also + especially when iSync is what you really want. Keep it with Palm Desktop v 4.0 on the Mac side.
If you are on a multi day trip without a computer around, make sure you take the supplied charger along with the special USB cable.
Summary:
Sometimes it's not so much what the monkey has to say, but that the monkey can talk at all!
It is really possible to have the same contact infos, calender + datebook + to-do-items synchronized on your computer, PDA Watch and mobile phone, using i.e. iSync under Mac OS X Panther. But you will still need your phone's alarm function. Typing a SMS with T9 on your phone is still faster and also send out quicker than to write it on your PDA Watch and finally any Nintendo Game boy has more to offer in the games section - but yes - you can play anything from backgammon, black jack, chess, checkers to Monopoly. But please don't try to do spreadsheets from work with it
...
You can use it for electronic books or dictionaries, but need good vision.
On the wish list:
- louder speaker
- alarms working with PDA off
- TCP/IP
- email + ssh client
- larger battery
- better display (shades) -
"Comes with just a 3 month warranty on a shoddy product"
on by jellomoldPros I like the service
Cons The watch broke under normal use before I had it 9 months
Summary No wonder it has just a 3 month warranty because the product is not built to last. The scroll down switch broke and that prevents being able to use some of the features Microsoft has lost a customer and it's Fossil's fault.
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"pretty good"
on by sielerPros A real Palm, on the wrist. How many watches let you write software for them? (Besides the OnHand one :)
Cons Tiny display, tiny speaker, battery life
Summary The display (160x160) has the same number
of pixels as most older Palms, which might
not be clear from the main review
One fun aspect of the watch is that the
Wrist PDA specific developers are interacting with the users (frequently at the Yahoo! wristpda group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wristpda )
The Software Development Kit (SDK) is free
from Fossil.
I enter calendar/contact information via
the Palm Desktop on my PC, because data entry on the Wrist PDA is indeed a bit hard.
If this had come out before the Treo 300,
it would be a definite winner. How,
however, it's less interesting to the
mainstream user. People who like gadgets
will love it.
I'm currently running the "binary" watch
face (free if you have "Bob's Watch", check the Yahoo! wristpda group for info),
and there's a contest to design your
own face ... what other watch lets you
do that? -
"Mine rocks!"
on by marinka3Pros everything! i have my pda on my wrist, after losing my first pda in a cab i'll never go back to old school pda's
Cons it's a bit bulky i have to admit...
Summary Been using a PDA for years now, it's really convinient, but after losing it in a cab and having my contacts HARASSED for 2 weeks in a row!!! I'll never go through that again...this puts the pda right on my wrist, i never have to worry about losing my info!
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"Gotta give them an A for effort"
on by robangaPros Palm platform is simplistic and works
Cons A Stylus that folds into the clasp?
Summary I hope they sell a few. Its been a long time in coming.
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