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Average user rating:
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Full user review
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4.0 stars
"Nice improvement over 1st generation watches"
Pros: better battery life, more storage, now cheaper
Cons: still a bitt bulky
Summary: I've owned a Suunto N3i smart watch since December 2004 and have enjoyed the MSN Direct service. The only complaints were the bulkiness off the watch, the need to recharge every three days (which means you have to take the clumsy charger on every business trip) and the limited storage.
The Abacus doubles both the storage and the battery life. The watch cost $100 less than my Suunto. Plus the $60 annual service fee has now been waived for the first year.
The Abacus is pretty light, but still a little big. OK if you're a fairly big guy with thick wrists, but I wouldn't suggest it for a woman.
A lot of people wonder why you'd need a smart watch given that the info it provides can be sourced from a smartphone or web enabled PDA.
The issue is convenience. I have a Treo 700p, but to check the weather or the latest news headlines, I have to fetch it out of my pocket or messenger bag, turn it on, log on to the web, and then make 3 or 4 key strokes or clicks.
With the smart watch your info is always just a glance and a click away. This makes a difference if you're standing on a subway, driving a car, or riding a bike, like is often the case for me here in New York City.
It's also a much more discrete way to check a baseball score in the middle of a business dinner than pulling out your Treo.
Think of a smart watch vs a smartphone the way you think of a smartphone vs. a laptop. Doesn't do as much, but does it much more conveniently.
The Abacus isn't intended to replace a smartphone or PDA, it's a perfect complement to those devices.
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