smoobles posted:

The Apple Watch won't hit the market until early 2015, but I've already decided I don't want one. It looks like an elegant, useful and fashionable device. I could see why some others might be counting the days until it hits the Apple Stores, but it's not for me.

Partially, this is because I'm not an early adopter. I subscribe to the "good enough" philosophy of tech. I waited almost two years to get the first iPhone, but after I noticed that I could get a similar experience on an Android phone for less money, I made the jump. Similarly, I see no need for a Mac Book Pro since the MacBook Air does pretty much everything I need it to do. I could spend extra for a slightly better experience, but I really don't see the point.

Coming from that vantage point, Apple would have to come up with something pretty amazing to convince me to plunk down $350. The watch they showed was pretty stunning, but here are five reasons why I won't be reaching into my wallet any time soon:

1. I've never had one, so why do I need it now?
I made it this far in life without a smartwatch and I did O.K. It's hard to see how my life will be improved by having a stripped-down smartphone on my wrist. I don't go around all day wondering what time it is and I find that the combination of carrying a smartphone all day and sitting in front of computer for at least eight hours at a stretch every day keeps me apprised of the news.

2. It could make my life worse.
Being able to regulate your calorie consumption and your movement and always be available for friends and your job may sound good to some, but it seems like a recipe for stress. In 2014, we need less technology in our lives, not more. A recent study found that white collar executives are chained to their email 13.5 hours a day. Why, oh, why do we need a more efficient way to get those emails delivered?

3. There are cheaper ways to track your workouts.
Training for a marathon or a 10K? Maybe you'd just like to lose a few pounds. Well, the good news is that people have been doing these things for years without the aid of Internet-connected smart devices. A $15 running watch, for instance, will let you know how fast you run, which is pretty much all you need if you're training for a race. Maybe you'd just like to move around more. In that case, I'd suggest this $17 pedometer. If you're still not convinced, ask yourself this: On a cold, snowy morning will your Apple Watch convince you to put in your miles or will that require something deeper, something that no amount of money can buy?

4. It will wreak havoc on what's left of my concentration.
Six years ago Nicholas Carr documented in The Atlantic how years of Internet use have given him a case of ADD:

Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.

Consider that Carr wrote this before smartphones became mainstream. I would venture to say that since that article ran things have gotten considerably worse. Personally, I find it hard to carry on a sustained conversation before I get the urge to look at my phone. But that requires me to dig into my pocket. I can only imagine what a temptation a smart wristwatch would be in comparison.

5. On a practical level, I'm probably going to wind up breaking the drat thing.
The Apple Watch isn't out on the market so it's hard to say how sturdy it is. I'm sure that it's reasonably hardy, but then so are iPhones and I see a ton of models with cracked cases all over the place. I've broken one too and I acutely remember that feeling of dread — it's a sensation very close to losing a couple of hundred dollar bills. I predict that a month or two after the Apple Watch hits the market, we'll be hearing tales of woe from early adopters who cracked their screens after slipping on the ice or wiping out on their fixed-gear bikes.

Even if that doesn't happen, there's a good chance that something will break. Every watch I've ever owned has broken at some point, usually at the point where the watchband meets the watchface. Throw in the anxiety about charging the drat thing (Apple has been mum about battery life) and I've just added a whole bunch of unneeded stress to my life.

No thanks. I'll leave all that for you early-adopter types and your fancy new watches.

Al Nipper posted:

Prettz posted:

Why yes, let me wear this NSA tracking beacon on my wrist at all times.

chaosbreather posted:

but yeah i probably will get one of these, i don't even like watches but they are doing some really amazing things

smoobles posted:

The Apple Watch won't hit the market until early 2015, but I've already decided I don't want one. It looks like an elegant, useful and fashionable device. I could see why some others might be counting the days until it hits the Apple Stores, but it's not for me.

Partially, this is because I'm not an early adopter. I subscribe to the "good enough" philosophy of tech. I waited almost two years to get the first iPhone, but after I noticed that I could get a similar experience on an Android phone for less money, I made the jump. Similarly, I see no need for a Mac Book Pro since the MacBook Air does pretty much everything I need it to do. I could spend extra for a slightly better experience, but I really don't see the point.

Coming from that vantage point, Apple would have to come up with something pretty amazing to convince me to plunk down $350. The watch they showed was pretty stunning, but here are five reasons why I won't be reaching into my wallet any time soon:

1. I've never had one, so why do I need it now?
I made it this far in life without a smartwatch and I did O.K. It's hard to see how my life will be improved by having a stripped-down smartphone on my wrist. I don't go around all day wondering what time it is and I find that the combination of carrying a smartphone all day and sitting in front of computer for at least eight hours at a stretch every day keeps me apprised of the news.

2. It could make my life worse.
Being able to regulate your calorie consumption and your movement and always be available for friends and your job may sound good to some, but it seems like a recipe for stress. In 2014, we need less technology in our lives, not more. A recent study found that white collar executives are chained to their email 13.5 hours a day. Why, oh, why do we need a more efficient way to get those emails delivered?

3. There are cheaper ways to track your workouts.
Training for a marathon or a 10K? Maybe you'd just like to lose a few pounds. Well, the good news is that people have been doing these things for years without the aid of Internet-connected smart devices. A $15 running watch, for instance, will let you know how fast you run, which is pretty much all you need if you're training for a race. Maybe you'd just like to move around more. In that case, I'd suggest this $17 pedometer. If you're still not convinced, ask yourself this: On a cold, snowy morning will your Apple Watch convince you to put in your miles or will that require something deeper, something that no amount of money can buy?

4. It will wreak havoc on what's left of my concentration.
Six years ago Nicholas Carr documented in The Atlantic how years of Internet use have given him a case of ADD:

Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.

Consider that Carr wrote this before smartphones became mainstream. I would venture to say that since that article ran things have gotten considerably worse. Personally, I find it hard to carry on a sustained conversation before I get the urge to look at my phone. But that requires me to dig into my pocket. I can only imagine what a temptation a smart wristwatch would be in comparison.

5. On a practical level, I'm probably going to wind up breaking the drat thing.
The Apple Watch isn't out on the market so it's hard to say how sturdy it is. I'm sure that it's reasonably hardy, but then so are iPhones and I see a ton of models with cracked cases all over the place. I've broken one too and I acutely remember that feeling of dread — it's a sensation very close to losing a couple of hundred dollar bills. I predict that a month or two after the Apple Watch hits the market, we'll be hearing tales of woe from early adopters who cracked their screens after slipping on the ice or wiping out on their fixed-gear bikes.

Even if that doesn't happen, there's a good chance that something will break. Every watch I've ever owned has broken at some point, usually at the point where the watchband meets the watchface. Throw in the anxiety about charging the drat thing (Apple has been mum about battery life) and I've just added a whole bunch of unneeded stress to my life.

No thanks. I'll leave all that for you early-adopter types and your fancy new watches.

Bip Roberts posted:

Apple watch gonna get *this* poster laid.

Prettz posted:

amazingly gay things

boom boom boom posted:

nobody wants smartwatches

Drunkboxer posted:

I'm not because it's dumb op

Uncle at Nintendo posted:

Anyone have the jail break for this yet? Trying to install xbmc and SNES emulators on my watch. Thanks

Three-Phase posted:

The device will be lovely.

smoobles posted:

The Apple Watch won't hit the market until early 2015, but I've already decided I don't want one. It looks like an elegant, useful and fashionable device. I could see why some others might be counting the days until it hits the Apple Stores, but it's not for me.

Partially, this is because I'm not an early adopter. I subscribe to the "good enough" philosophy of tech. I waited almost two years to get the first iPhone, but after I noticed that I could get a similar experience on an Android phone for less money, I made the jump. Similarly, I see no need for a Mac Book Pro since the MacBook Air does pretty much everything I need it to do. I could spend extra for a slightly better experience, but I really don't see the point.

Coming from that vantage point, Apple would have to come up with something pretty amazing to convince me to plunk down $350. The watch they showed was pretty stunning, but here are five reasons why I won't be reaching into my wallet any time soon:

1. I've never had one, so why do I need it now?
I made it this far in life without a smartwatch and I did O.K. It's hard to see how my life will be improved by having a stripped-down smartphone on my wrist. I don't go around all day wondering what time it is and I find that the combination of carrying a smartphone all day and sitting in front of computer for at least eight hours at a stretch every day keeps me apprised of the news.

2. It could make my life worse.
Being able to regulate your calorie consumption and your movement and always be available for friends and your job may sound good to some, but it seems like a recipe for stress. In 2014, we need less technology in our lives, not more. A recent study found that white collar executives are chained to their email 13.5 hours a day. Why, oh, why do we need a more efficient way to get those emails delivered?

3. There are cheaper ways to track your workouts.
Training for a marathon or a 10K? Maybe you'd just like to lose a few pounds. Well, the good news is that people have been doing these things for years without the aid of Internet-connected smart devices. A $15 running watch, for instance, will let you know how fast you run, which is pretty much all you need if you're training for a race. Maybe you'd just like to move around more. In that case, I'd suggest this $17 pedometer. If you're still not convinced, ask yourself this: On a cold, snowy morning will your Apple Watch convince you to put in your miles or will that require something deeper, something that no amount of money can buy?

4. It will wreak havoc on what's left of my concentration.
Six years ago Nicholas Carr documented in The Atlantic how years of Internet use have given him a case of ADD:

Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.

Consider that Carr wrote this before smartphones became mainstream. I would venture to say that since that article ran things have gotten considerably worse. Personally, I find it hard to carry on a sustained conversation before I get the urge to look at my phone. But that requires me to dig into my pocket. I can only imagine what a temptation a smart wristwatch would be in comparison.

5. On a practical level, I'm probably going to wind up breaking the drat thing.
The Apple Watch isn't out on the market so it's hard to say how sturdy it is. I'm sure that it's reasonably hardy, but then so are iPhones and I see a ton of models with cracked cases all over the place. I've broken one too and I acutely remember that feeling of dread — it's a sensation very close to losing a couple of hundred dollar bills. I predict that a month or two after the Apple Watch hits the market, we'll be hearing tales of woe from early adopters who cracked their screens after slipping on the ice or wiping out on their fixed-gear bikes.

Even if that doesn't happen, there's a good chance that something will break. Every watch I've ever owned has broken at some point, usually at the point where the watchband meets the watchface. Throw in the anxiety about charging the drat thing (Apple has been mum about battery life) and I've just added a whole bunch of unneeded stress to my life.

No thanks. I'll leave all that for you early-adopter types and your fancy new watches.

pathetic little tramp posted: