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So, I've had various MSN Direct "smart" watches over the last 3 1/2 years. It started with a Suunto N3. I really liked the features of the watch but it was a bit too large to be comfortable. I upgraded to a Suunto N3i which looked almost exactly the same but was thinner and used a more comfortable watch band. Then I picked up the "Abacus Smart Watch 2006" which had an even more attractive design and was thinner still. I've been wearing that daily for the last 18 months. In that time, I also picked up a Swatch Paparazzi which isn't exactly an attractive design but is waterproof so I wear it while swimming. Here are the four watches:
Now that Microsoft has announced that they will be discontinuing the MSN Direct service that supplies the data feed to these watches (as well as many GPS navigation units) I'm rather disappointed. Until this service came about, I just didn't wear watches and there just aren't any regular watches on the market that appeal to me. Sure, there's still two more years left before they pull the plug and the watches themselves can still be used after that, just without the convenience of automatic atomic-clock synchronization, sports scores, stock updates, traffic info, etc.
For the last few weeks I've thought about what it is that I would want in a new watch. It boils down to one main feature: customizable bitmapped display. I don't care for analog watches and I don't like the utilitarian appearance of the 7-segment LCD display of digital watches. I enjoy having a nice, clean looking watch with the ability to change its face from time-to-time.
There's a relatively new entry to the watch market called Phosphor which makes E-Ink based watches. They have attractive bitmapped displays but they really only offer two variations of a single watch face on a given watch. If they could come out with a customizable watch that allowed you to create your own "skins" for the face, I'd be ecstatic.
Now that Microsoft has announced that they will be discontinuing the MSN Direct service that supplies the data feed to these watches (as well as many GPS navigation units) I'm rather disappointed. Until this service came about, I just didn't wear watches and there just aren't any regular watches on the market that appeal to me. Sure, there's still two more years left before they pull the plug and the watches themselves can still be used after that, just without the convenience of automatic atomic-clock synchronization, sports scores, stock updates, traffic info, etc.
For the last few weeks I've thought about what it is that I would want in a new watch. It boils down to one main feature: customizable bitmapped display. I don't care for analog watches and I don't like the utilitarian appearance of the 7-segment LCD display of digital watches. I enjoy having a nice, clean looking watch with the ability to change its face from time-to-time.
There's a relatively new entry to the watch market called Phosphor which makes E-Ink based watches. They have attractive bitmapped displays but they really only offer two variations of a single watch face on a given watch. If they could come out with a customizable watch that allowed you to create your own "skins" for the face, I'd be ecstatic.
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