Apple Watch

[Ready]

I've been an Apple watch user since the beginning. I just traded in my Series 2 for the new Series 3 with LTE. As I was talking a walk this afternoon along the beach, listening to music streaming from my watch, seeing emails come in (most from the ER forum), being able to make or receive calls, ask for directions, track calories, check the weather, adjust the lights and thermostats in my house, pay for a cup of coffee with Apple Pay, and check the stock market, I couldn't stop thinking about the technology I grew up with when I was just a kid.

My first computer was a Timex Sinclair. It had 2K of memory, and I could use it to write programs in BASIC. If I wanted to store the programs, I had to use a cassette recorder. There was no cellular service,no digital cameras, and the internet was at best a college science lab experiment. Even years later when I got my IBM PC Jr with a single floppy disk, the capabilities of that computer were light years ahead of the Timex.

Never in my wildest dreams as a child did I think that I could have a computer on my wrist that would be more powerful than any of the technology that existed just 20 years ago, regardless of size, and would function as a powerful connected computer that could handle all forms of communication to keep me connected.

I hope I get to live for a lot more years so that I can see where technology takes us. I can't even imagine what things will look like in 20 years if we keep this pace of innovation. Maybe it's just the technology geek in me, but this stuff just completely fascinates me.

 

[jonat]

You had 2K? Luxury! I also had a Sinclair ZX81 with the cassette recorder. I share your amazement about the advances in computing in such a short time. I started my career in 1978 when a "minicomputer" was the size of three refrigerators, had 256K of memory and supported 100 users.

My first computer was one just like this, in 1964... (I long ago lost that one, but found one on eBay a while back...)

 

[GalaxyBoy]

DF was a programmer and got into the field in 1964 when his megacorp gave anyone interested an aptitude test, then sent the winners off to IBM school. He liked to tell me of the first mainframe he worked on, with all of 4k of RAM. They had to assemble code by hand and enter it in hexadecimal since there wasn't enough overhead in the machine for an assembler program. The only software was what you wrote. He was also an early retiree, and they tried to call him back for Y2K. His response was, "None of MY routines ever had that silly problem!"

Today's machines are so advanced over what he started with it's almost unfathomable.

 

[aja8888]

My father didn't finish school and went into the Navy in 1942 and went to war when Mom was pregnant. I was born when he was at sea.

I started college at 25 years old after the military and our small college didn't have a computer until my last year and it was a big IBM unit with keypunch cards to run programs. I took Fortran and that was it. Handheld calculators were very expensive and we all used slide rules in our engineering classes.

We are so far beyond that now.

 

[MRG]

I started in the industry in '83. I was a mainframe assembly programmer writing business solutions for financial services.

I remember the huge 200,000 sq. ft. datacenter Megacorp built and the multiple mainframes that filled it.

My cell phone has more computing power, memory, and storage.

 

[audreyh1]

Cool!

I'm not crazy about the data plans for the LTE on the Apple Watch. I don't mind carrying my phone when I go out (at home I can leave it anywhere in the house for watch connectivity). I might get the LTE version for some of the higher end features, but not pay for a data plan.

I have a Series 1 (or maybe it's Series 0). I've been waiting to upgrade for a while. I need the altimeter (my iPhone SE does not have one) and I've been wishing for the waterproof capability for a long time.

I've enjoyed my "old" Apple watch tremendously. It's been a terrific companion, not only for exercise tracking, but just numerous other things all day long. Really added at lot to my everyday living.

Oh yeah - EE started in industry in '81. Yeah this technology is mind blowing!!!

 

[Ready]

My favorite function of the watch is fitness tracking. When I was working, I was happy to get 30 minutes a day of brisk walking into my routine. I now realize that my 30 minute walks were only burning 125 calories.

Since retirement, I've decided to learn how to swim. I was always a casual swimmer but never learned to swim freestyle. The past six months I've been training hard, and using the watch to keep track of my progress.

Today I swam for 60 minutes. The watch keeps track of all of my moves. In reviewing the data I can see that I'm averaging 1'45" and 42 strokes per 100M. My average heart rate is 132BPM. I swam 112 laps and burned 509 calories. I can see the speed at which I swam each set of 100M, so I get a sense of whether I'm slowing down or keeping a consistent speed throughout the workout. And I know how many seconds I rested in between each set.

I can also see my recovery heart rate at the end of the session.

Between my swimming, weight lifting, and walking, I now burn between 800-1,000 calories per day, all tracked with the watch. There's something about seeing the calories rack up that keeps me motivated to push further and further with my exercise.

And my weight is now lower than my high school weight. When I finished my session last week I got in the hot tub and the woman who was sitting near me said "my goodness, you don't have an ounce of fat on your body!"

It's all because of the watch.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow!

 

[Midpack]

I hope I get to live for a lot more years so that I can see where technology takes us. I can't even imagine what things will look like in 20 years if we keep this pace of innovation. Maybe it's just the technology geek in me, but this stuff just completely fascinates me.

+1.

When I started college, we used slide rules. The cool kids had Post slide rules with leather cases, I had a cheap plastic slide rule in a plastic green and white case. Calculators came out my sophomore year, the Bowmar Brain was a 4 function calculator, I held out for the TI SR-50 for $170 - it was an incredible step forward.

I remember trudging to the “computer center” at Purdue in the mid 70’s (winter too), typing my Fortran program on to punch cards, turning it in to the operators and coming back for results hours later - only to find one simple syntax error meant it “didn’t run” at all. Rinse and repeat until you got the right result - “all nighters” were the norm when a program failed. If you dropped your deck of punch cards...

My first computer was an Osborne 1 in 1981, I used the CP/M OS and think I programmed in Microsoft BASIC. I was working full time as an P&QC Engineer then but I could kill a full Saturday working on it, ask DW. A day passed in no time then. In the early 80’s at a a Fortune 500 mega, three of us shared an IBM PC and the whole office shared one B&W printer. No you can have way more capability - on your wrist...

 

[MichaelB]

DD has an Apple Watch, originally (and successfully) intended to help her train for a triathlon. Now she’ll check her texts or mail in the middle of a conversation. I haven’t considered getting one simply because I don’t wear a watch and can’t get used to something on my wrist, and my old fingers don’t have the dexterity needed to operate it.

It is fascinating to be part of the never ending stream of new technology, both seeing and using some of it, and I am looking forward to much more, especially the evolution of virtual reality.

One observation. I think devices such as a smartphone, coupled with cell based internet service, are incredibly enabling and can give such advantage to the users. Some take advantage of that and use them to get ahead in life, others just play games and check their email and Facebook.

 

[audreyh1]

DH got an Apple Watch a week ago. He got the LTE version with a sport loop, but isn't enabling a data plan yet. He'd never had one before and is really enjoying it and I got to see a lot of the new features and the nice loop watch band.

I upgraded my original Apple Watch to watch OS 4, and it has lots of nice new features, but not all of them. A few useful things missing.

I sure got a great amount of use out of the original Apple Watch for 2 years now. They have added a lot of hardware features since - waterproof, much longer battery life, faster processor.

I ordered myself this series 3 Apple Watch with sport loop watchband today!

 

[tulak]

I bought my first Apple Watch a few days ago. The LTE version with a sport loop, but I haven’t signed up for a data plan.

I’ve been impressed. I’ve been looking at activity trackers for a couple of years. I considered a Fitbit/Garmin, but I like the idea of an open platform (apps) and in the case of the Fitbit, lack of Apple Health integration was a deal breaker.

Is anybody using the Apple Watch for sleep tracking?

I wish Apple would support this natively. The battery life is more than sufficient and I expect eventually they’ll add support (I hope). In the meantime I’ve been looking at 3rd party apps, but I haven’t committed to any yet.

 

[mpeirce]

From what I've read, even if you haven't signed up with a carrier for data service for your Apple Watch w/ LTE, you can still make an emergency 911 call. It apparently takes a minute or so to connect, but does go through.

 

[audreyh1]

From what I've read, even if you haven't signed up with a carrier for data service for your Apple Watch w/ LTE, you can still make an emergency 911 call. It apparently takes a minute or so to connect, but does go through.

Yes.

 

[TrvlBug]

I'm thinking of getting DH an apple watch for Christmas. Be both wear fitbits so are used to something on our wrists even though retired . I like the idea of tracking activities beyond those offered by the fitbit.

So if DH doesn't like it, I will inherit it or if he does, I'll also get one. One of my must haves is phone capability. More often than not I forget my iphone and need to call DH especially when i've also left the shopping list on the kitchen counter . I always have the fitbit on during waking hours. DH has no problems taking his iphone everywhere.

So, what are the additional costs associated with phone capability? We both currently have iphones with data plans through AT&T. Is it a small add on or do I need to spend another $60/mo or so?

 

[audreyh1]

I'm thinking of getting DH an apple watch for Christmas. Be both wear fitbits so are used to something on our wrists even though retired . I like the idea of tracking activities beyond those offered by the fitbit.

So if DH doesn't like it, I will inherit it or if he does, I'll also get one. One of my must haves is phone capability. More often than not I forget my iphone and need to call DH especially when i've also left the shopping list on the kitchen counter . I always have the fitbit on during waking hours. DH has no problems taking his iphone everywhere.

So, what are the additional costs associated with phone capability? We both currently have iphones with data plans through AT&T. Is it a small add on or do I need to spend another $60/mo or so?

I believe most companies are offering $10 per month with the first three months free.

We got LTE capable watches, but haven't signed up for the plans yet. There were other reasons we went for the LTE capable watches, but we're kind of hoping the monthly rate will come down. $5 seems more reasonable.

Note that there are two sizes - 42mm and 38mm. The 42mm is quite a bit bigger with a wider band. If your husband doesn't like his watch it might be large for you? or not perhaps.

 

[TrvlBug]

Thanks Audreyh1. $10/mo isn't too bad, but $5 would be better. Would you recommend purchasing the watch thru Apple or thru AT&T?

 

[W2R]

I think I haven't quite got the knack of that "blow that dough!" mentality Robbie has been advocating. I keep trying. I haven't been wearing a watch, and don't need one, but in the interest of spending like a drunken sailor I had my eye on a $14.06 Armitron watch from Amazon, with free Prime shipping.

I am obviously an underachiever and need to work on this.

 

[REWahoo]

I had my eye on a $14.06 Armitron watch from Amazon, with free Prime shipping.

Set a $13.99 price alert on CamelCamelCamel so you don't overpay.

 

[W2R]

Set a $13.99 price alert on CamelCamelCamel so you don't overpay.

They say that it was $13.12 on November 16th, and I missed that price drop! Spending like a drunken sailor, I tell you....

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks Audreyh1. $10/mo isn't too bad, but $5 would be better. Would you recommend purchasing the watch thru Apple or thru AT&T?

I don't know. I bought mine from bhphotovideo.com!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I know you said you tend to forget the phone, but the app AnyList is a great replacement for that paper list. DW and I use it and it syncs between our various devices. There’s a watch version but it requires the premium version (so I don’t use it).

 

[audreyh1]

We use the built-in reminders list to keep our shopping list. It displays on the phone and we can check items off right there. We share a couple of lists including "Shopping List" and so it's synced across all our devices and computers.

It's quite handy having the list on your wrist when our shopping!!!

 

[TrvlBug]

I know you said you tend to forget the phone, but the app AnyList is a great replacement for that paper list. DW and I use it and it syncs between our various devices. There’s a watch version but it requires the premium version (so I don’t use it).

I'll have to try these again. I used them years (decade +) ago with my PDA and HATED it and went back to paper list.

 

[TrvlBug]

We use the built-in reminders list to keep out shopping list. It displays on the phone and we can check items off right there. We share a couple of lists including "Shopping List" and so it's synced across all our devices and computers.

It's quite handy having the list on your wrist when our shopping!!!

That's it...I'm getting an Apple Watch for myself too . One of the reasons I don't put a shopping list on my iphone is that I'm afraid the iphone will get stolen or lost in the shopping cart. Having it on my wrist is perfect. Now I'll always have a cell phone and shopping list with me.