The nTren MP3 watch is a welcome addition to the rapidly growing world of wrist MP3 players. Ironically, what sets the nTren MP3 watch apart is not its prowess as an MP3 player, but rather its surprisingly good looks. Just when most watch geeks had resigned themselves to having to strap hideously conspicuous devices to their arms in order to get their constant technology fix, nTren subverts the stereotype with what I think is a pretty darn elegant looking MP3 watch. If you’re into MP3s, and you’re also into not looking like a geek, the nTren MP3 watch could be your next new toy.

Features of the nTren MP3 Watch

    * Quartz analog timekeeping. In other words, the watch actually tells time in addition to playing MP3s. Since the emphasis of this watch is obviously not on precision timekeeping, I didn’t rigorously measure its accuracy, though I did notice that it only gained a fraction of a second over a 24 hour period, making it a very adequate and standard quartz watch, and plenty accurate for anyone who would want to store MP3s on his wrist.
    * Built-in MP3 player. The nTren MP3 watch stores and plays 128MB, 256MB, and soon, up to 512MB of MP3s at compression rates of between 32kbps to 256kbps.
    * USB data storage. Not only can you store and play MP3s, but you can use the nTren MP3 watch to store other types of files, as well. You can use the watch to back up important files, or as a convenient way to transfer files from one computer to another.
    * 10 hour battery life. That’s what nTren claims, anyway. My tests indicated they are actually selling themselves short since I was able to get 10 hours and 11 minutes out of a single charge! Very impressive. The battery takes about 3 hours to fully charge, and has a life expectancy of about 3 years.
    * Water resistant. The instructions say the watch is water resistant to 3-10 BAR. I’ve never seen a pressure rating expressed as a range before, so I’m not sure whether it’s 3 or 10, but I strongly suggest assuming that it’s 3. 3 BAR is the equivalent of 30 meters or 100 feet, so that’s plenty, and actually very impressive for a watch like this. Too many high-tech watches are being sold today that are barely splash proof which, in my opinion, is a disaster waiting to happen.
    * 5-mode equalizer. Choose between normal, pop, classic, rock, and jazz equalizer modes.
    * Persistent preferences. The nTren MP3 watch remembers your settings (volume, equalizer mode, and the current track), and will recall those settings the next time it’s turned on.
    * Automatic shut-off. If a track is paused for more than 10 minutes, the MP3 player will shut down automatically in order to preserve battery life.
    * Red and green light indicators. The nTren MP3 watch has two and only two very small, very discreet lights at the 6 o’clock position to indicate what the watch is currently doing. It will tell you if it’s playing, transferring data, charging, whether it’s fully charged, or whether the battery is low.
    * Separate batteries. The MP3 player and the quartz watch do not share the same battery which means you can kill the MP3 player’s battery completely and not have to worry about the watch stopping.
    * Luminescent hands. They aren’t overly bright, but they will probably get you through a movie.
    * One year service warranty.

What’s Included

    * The watch, of course.
    * Stereo earphones (earbuds, actually). The cord retracts into a convenient and very portable spring-loaded reel. Nice touch.
    * USB connector (which also retracts into a spring-loaded reel) for transferring music and for recharging.
    * Headphone adapter so you can use standard 3.5mm headphones.
    * A/C adapter for charging (you can use the wall charger or the USB cable to recharge the watch).
    * USB drivers for pre-Windows 98 machines.
    * User manual.
    * One year warranty registration card.

Putting the nTren MP3 Watch Through Its Paces

The first thing you will notice about the nTren is that it comes in a very nice box with everything you need included. The next thing you will probably notice is that the nTren MP3 watch is a pretty darn good looking timepiece. The one I got has a black dial and a black leather strap, and although I usually favor stainless steel or titanium over leather, I feel like in this case, the combination works well. The watch case contains several controls (four buttons, a crown for setting the analog watch, and a USB port), but they aren’t overly conspicuous. Even the little metal stopper that goes over the USB port to pressure seal the watch is not a visual burden. And the size of the watch, while not exactly subtle, is still well within the realm of reasonable, and these days, could even be considered fashionable.

I charged the watch and immediately put it to use. I found it completely intuitive, and never picked up the instructions at all except to make sure I didn’t actually miss anything. I have a bit of an advantage, though, since it functions almost identically to the Xonix MP3 watch I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, so the average user will probably want to at least skim portions of the instructions before diving in. The bottom line is that it’s plenty easy to use, and should not pose a challenge to anyone who even knows what an MP3 is.

I really like the accessories the nTren MP3 watch comes with. Both the headphones and the USB cable retract into small spring-loaded plastic reels in order to keep them from getting tangled, and to make them more portable. And both the AC adapter, and the standard headphone adapter, are included. Thanks, nTren, for not trying to nickel and dime your customers by selling these accessories separately.

The watch worked equally well with both my Macintosh PowerBook and IBM ThinkPad, as expected. Both OS X and Windows recognized the device and did the right thing as soon as it was connected. (Although the directions that come with the watch indicate that only Windows operating systems are supported, OS X works just fine, though the Mac will create additional metadata files on the watch like .DS_Store which waste small amounts of space.) There were three tracks already on the watch: Heavy, Somewhere I Belong, and With Arms Wide Open. I copied a couple albums over from my personal collection, and a couple small images, as well, in order to make sure the watch functioned properly as a USB storage device. Although USB 1.1 is obviously not as fast as 2.0 or firewire, for the amount of data you can fit on these devices, it’s really not a long wait. I then ejected the watch (always eject the watch before unplugging it), put in the headphones, and started listening. I buried some MP3s a few directories deep, and the MP3 player had no problem finding them. The image files were simply ignored while in play mode, as expected.

You have to have the headphones connected to the nTren MP3 watch in order for it to play which is a feature I like. That means you can’t accidentally press the play button while you’re wearing the watch and inadvertently deplete the battery. You also have to hold the play button down for about two seconds as another security measure. The MP3 player will stop if, at any time, you remove the headphones as an alternative means of shutting it off. I would actually prefer it if the MP3 player were to automatically pause when the headphones are removed, like the iPod does. That makes it easy to just yank the headphones out if someone is trying to talk to you, or if the headphones are inadvertently yanked out, you won’t lose your place.

I was worried that the spring-loaded reel that the headphones retract into would pull down on the headphones and make them uncomfortable to wear, but fortunately that wasn’t the case. And there is a clip that comes with the headphones that you can anchor to a piece of clothing to bear the weight of the reel so that your ears don’t have to. The system works pretty well. Curiously, though, the headphones didn’t come with foam pads which might make them stay in the ears a tad bit more securely, and might make them slightly more comfortable.

The Bottom Line

It’s not enough for technology to just perform anymore. These days, it has to present, as well, which is precisely the premise of the nTren MP3 watch. Sound quality, 10 hour battery life, and a very attractive deign make the nTren MP3 watch a good choice for those who are interested in both functionality and fashion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you transfer files on to the nTren MP3 watch?

    Just connect the watch to your Windows or Macintosh computer with the included USB cable, then drag and drop files via Windows Explorer or the Macintosh Finder. No other software is required unless you’re using Windows 98 or prior, in which case you will need to install the included drivers.

Will music in subdirectories get played, or do I need to put all my MP3s in the root directory of the watch?

    The nTren MP3 watch will find and play MP3s in subdirectories, so you can keep your watch’s file system well organized.

What music file formats does the nTren support?

    The nTren MP3 watch only plays MP3 files between 32kbps and 256kbps.

Can I store files other than MP3s on this watch?

    Yes. The nTren MP3 watch can be used as a USB storage device, as well.

How much music can I fit on the nTren MP3 watch?

    The 128MB version should be able to hold about 120 minutes of music, and the 256MB version should be able to hold about 240 minutes, assuming a bit rate of 128kbps. A 512MB version will available soon which should accommodate about 480 minutes of music.

Is the watch water resistant?

    Yes. The nTren MP3 watch is water resistant to 30 meters, or 100 feet, according to the documentation.

Can I use my favorite headphones with this watch?

    Yes. Included in the box is an adapter for standard 3.5mm headphone jacks. I even played a few tracks over my Altec Lancing computer speakers, and they sounded great.

Do the MP3 player and the quartz watch share the same rechargeable battery?

    No. The battery for the MP3 player is rechargeable while the battery for the quartz watch is a standard watch battery. Therefore, when you run the MP3 player’s battery down, the watch won’t stop.

How long does the battery last?

    About 10 hours. During my tests, it actually lasted 10 hours and 11 minutes.

How does the nTren MP3 watch recharge, and how long does it take?

    It recharges automatically while connected to your computer, or you can use the included AC adapter to charge it. I found the watch took about three hours to charge through the USB connection.

How accurate is the watch.

    The nTren MP3 watch has the accuracy of a standard quartz watch. I found it gained about half a second over 24 hours which is a pretty standard variation.

Is there a random mode?

    No. MP3s are only played sequentially on the nTren MP3 watch.

How does the equalizer work?

    Just press the EQ button (upper left-hand corner) to cycle through the 5 equalizer modes (normal, pop, classic, rock, and jazz) while an MP3 is playing. There is no visual indication of which mode you are in, so you will probably just want to keep experimenting until you find the mode that sounds best.

What operating systems is the nTren MP3 watch compatible with?

    Windows 98 and above, and Macintosh 8.6 and above. (I only personally tested it with Windows XP Professional and OS X 10.3.6.)

Is the watch’s firmware upgradable?

    Not at this time.

How is the sound quality?

    Sound quality is usually a tad subjective, but I found it to be quite good. No complaints with either the included earphones, nor with my own equipment.

Does the watch come with headphones?

    Yes. The nTren comes with a set of retractable earphones as well as an adapter to allow you to use your own.

Why does it appear that the watch is out of space when I’ve deleted everything on it?

    Try emptying your trash or recycling bin while the watch is connected. Otherwise, the files are just marked for deletion, but they aren’t actually deleted. This is behavior we generally appreciate on large hard drives, however it doesn’t work so well on small capacity removable media. This has nothing to do with the watch, but rather is a function of the operating system.

What version of USB does the nTren MP3 watch support?

    USB version 1.1.

What different styles does the nTren MP3 watch come in?

    The nTren MP3 watch comes with either a stainless steel bracelet or a black or brown leather strap. The dials (the face of the watch) come in black, white, or silver, although I’ve recently been informed that new designs are on the way. Storage capacities are 128MB, 256MB, and soon, 512MB. Check out the nTren MP3 watch photo gallery for pictures of all currently available models.

What different capacities does the nTren MP3 watch come in?

    128MB, 256MB, and soon, 512MB.

Are there any accessories available for the nTren MP3 watch?

    nTren Sounds has recently announced an accessory that will allow you to play MP3s from your watch in your car wirelessly though the FM stereo.

How much does the nTren MP3 watch cost?

    Prices range from around $199 to $295.
 

There isn’t a whole lot of information available on the new TechnoMarine ceramic ladies’ watches, but here’s what I know so far:

Although TechnoMarine is not the first to create a ceramic watch, they are the first to add color. Apparently, the process of making a ceramic watch is such that it’s very tricky to add color, and therefore all previous ceramic watches have been white, black or gray. TechnoMarine has seemingly mastered the process, however, as they now offer some very cool looking new ladies’ watches in blue, baby blue, pink, brown, black, white, and orange.

This isn’t ceramic like so many saucers we’ve all dropped and broken over the years. These watches are constructed out of industrial strength ceramic formulated from a combination of two different types of metal powers, extremely high temperatures, and very high pressure. The result is a substance that is apparently about as hard as substances get (not counting diamonds), and is used to protect spacecraft from the massively high temperatures they experience while reentering the earth’s atmosphere. If it’s good enough for the Space Shuttle, it’s probably good enough for a chronograph.

Both the case the band of these chronograph watches are ceramic, the crystal is sapphire (no sense in having an indestructible watch with a wimpy crystal), the movement is ETA quartz, and you can either get a ceramic bezel, or one with 125 diamonds imbedded in it. No word on where these watches will be available except "at selected stores only". Lots of diamonds and a limited supply are certain to mean high prices, but TechnoMarine’s site has a store locator, so if you’re dying to see one of these in person, start calling around.

People have been fascinated with the concept of embedding communication devices into watches for years. There have been countless experiments, prototypes, demonstrations, promises, and even a couple launches. For a pretty comprehensive view of just about everything related to wrist phones out there, check out the Watch Report wrist-phone photo gallery.

With everything that’s being embedded into watches these days — GPS receivers, cameras, thermometers, barometers, altimeters, TVs, MP3 players, remote controls, miniature globes, solar cells, PDAs, USB drives, FM receivers, voice recorders, even atomizers — what’s taking so long to get a viable mobile phone on our wrists? The key word here is viable. Reducing GSM technology to the size that it can be comfortably worn on the wrist is not so much the challenge as creating a product compelling enough that it will replace or supplement the pretty impressive mobile phones most of us already use. Consider these factors:

    * Battery life. I think we’re just going to have to live with charging these contraptions nightly, but they will still needs to handle enough talk and standby time to get us through the day.
    * Reception. Even talking on the newest, most advanced mobile phones can be extremely frustrating. What kind of signal will we be able to get on our wrists?
    * Privacy. Presumably, you will be able to use a headset with your first wrist-phone, but will fumbling with a headset every time you receive a call outweigh the convenience of wearing your phone on your wrist?
    * Size. With early adoption often comes conspicuousness, and plenty of eye-rolling from friends and significant others.
    * Functionality. People have come to expect quite a bit from their cell phones. Personally, I use mine extensively for talking, email, instant messaging, SMS, pictures, personal information management, and a fair amount of web browsing, all with a nice QWERTY keyboard. That’s obviously way too much to fit on a wrist, and a lot to have to live without if I swap it for a wrist-phone.

Fortunately, despite these challenges, the vision of convenient, instantly available communication continues to inspire the most imaginative, innovative, and entrepreneurial among us, and that vision has led to three fairly promising models.

Samsung GSM Watch

Samsung

As Phillip Torrone of Engadget recently pointed out, Samsung has been teasing us with a GSM wrist-phone for the better part of four years now. Features allegedly will include:

    * Dual-band GSM. 900/1800 MHz.
    * GPRS.
    * 94×64 pixel OLED color screen.
    * 40 polyphonic ring tones.
    * 1.5 hours of talk time, and 80 hours standby.
    * Voice activated dialing.
    * Built-in phone book.
    * Speakerphone.
    * Bluetooth.

According to Samsung’s own press release, these things should already be on the wrists of Europeans. Hopefully, I’ll be doing an actual hands-on review sometime within the next year or so.

Telson 1150

Telson TWC 1150

The Telson TWC 1150 — by far, the most bizarre looking of the three  — is built by a South Korean company, and is already available in India. It’s packed with features, though for its size, it had better be.

    * Speakerphone.
    * Voice recorder.
    * Voice recognition.
    * Infrared earpiece.
    * Polyphonic ring tones.
    * 100 minutes talk time, and 150 hours of standby.
    * 330,000 pixel digital camera (detachable). The watch can store up to 80 images.
    * Phone book capable of storing 200 entries with up to four phone numbers, an email address, a URL, and a photograph.

Wristomo

DoCoMo Wristomo

The Wristomo is my personal favorite. Naturally, it’s only available in Japan for use with the NTT DoCoMo PHS network. The Wristomo is made by Seiko Instruments, and is not so much a phone built into a watch as a phone that wraps around your wrist and opens into a full-size handset (full-size by today’s standards). It’s a strange concept, but one which I think actually has a lot of potential. Features of the Wristomo include:

    * Waterproof. (Very cool!)
    * Access to location-based content (restaurants, weather, transportation, etc).
    * Data transfer rates up to 64 kbps.
    * Email support.
    * Automatic data synchronization. Information is automatically exchanged between the Wristomo and your PC over the wireless network. (A data cable can be used, as well.)
    * 120 minutes of talk time, 200 hours of standby.

To see what else is going on in the world of wrist-phones, check out the Watch Report wrist-phone photo gallery.
 

There’s not much information available on these new Porsche Design watches yet, but apparently they have recently announced a new PTC 911 limited edition. The most notable features of the new Porsche Designs include:

    * 40mm titanium case.
    * Double sapphire crystals (one on the face, obviously, and one on the back so you can see inside).
    * Interesting looking rotor which looks like a wheel, visible beneath the sapphire crystal on the back.
    * Available in black, yellow or red.

The Porsche Design PTC 911 watch starts around $4,800 for the least expensive. You can also purchase the entire set of all-titanium models along with matching miniature 911s for roughly $16,000.

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The Nike HRM Triax Inspire is a simple and solid watch that pretty much does one thing, and does it well. Although it is equipped with basic versions of your standard sports watch features, it’s primary purpose — with the help of the included chest transmitter — is to optimize your workout by helping you keep your heart rate squarely in a predefined zone.

Features of the Nike Triax Inspire include:

    * Heart rate monitoring. Decide what kind of workout you want, configure the minimum and maximum heart rate that corresponds to your goal, and adjust your pace accordingly in order to keep your heart rate "in the zone." The Triax Inspire calculates and reports your heart rate in beats per minute from data received over a short-range radio signal broadcast by the chest transmitter.
    * Stopwatch. Nothing fancy. Your standard chronograph that supports a single split time and maxes out at 23:59′59".
    * Alarm. Again, very standard. Sounds a little on the quiet side for 20 seconds.
    * Time and date. Day of  week, too.
    * Nice big numbers. When you’re running, biking, jumping rope, aerobisizing — whatever it is you do — you really don’t want to have to squint at your watch. The Nike Triax Inspire is very easy to read.
    * Ergonomic watch face orientation. I don’t know if the word "ergonomic" is supposed to be used outside the office, but what I’m trying to say is that the face of the watch is rotated probably a good 35 or 40 degrees clockwise which means you can glance at it while keeping your arm in a very natural bent position, and the numbers will appear straight.
    * Backlight. Adequate, considering you probably don’t do a lot of running in the dark.
    * Water resistant. 50 meters, 5 ATM, 5 BAR, or 165ft. That should keep the sweat out.
    * Mineral glass crystal.
    * Rugged construction . Resin case, polyurethane strap, stainless steel back and buckle.
    * Compatible with most treadmills. The watch and chest transmitter use the same frequency as most treadmills in gyms, so you can monitor your heart rate either on your watch, or using the treadmill’s console.

So How Does it Work?

The chest monitor fits snuggly around your chest, on your rib cage and just below the breast. The sensors should be slightly moistened with saliva or water before being applied against the skin. (If you’re in public, I recommend water.) Then all you have to do is switch to the pulse mode on the watch, and as long as your wrist is within three feet of the transmitter, and assuming you actually do have a pulse (not recommended for zombies), you’re in business.

I found the transmitter to feel awkward for just a few minutes, primarily because although it was tight around my chest, I kept feeling like it was going to slip down. The feeling passed very quickly after I realized that it actually wasn’t going anywhere, and I soon forget I was even wearing it.

To help you keep your heart rate in your target zone, you can easily configure an upper and lower heart rate limit. If your heart rate falls below the lower limit, the word "LO" will flash on the watch face, and if your heart rate exceeds the upper limit, you are alerted by the word "HI" flashing on the face. The instruction booklet contains a chart to help you pick the right zone for your age, and for the type of workout you want to get.

Out in the field (or rather, on the treadmill), I found the Nike Triax Inspire worked exactly as I expected it to. At a 3 MPH walk, my heart rate hovered in the low intensity range, at a 5.5 MPH jog, it rose into the medium intensity range, and at a 7 MPH run, it began to ease up into the low end of the high intensity workout. I then set an upper and lower heart rate limit consistent with my age and a medium intensity workout, reduced the speed on the treadmill, and I found I had no problem staying within my targeted zone. Sorry, but I did not test the minimum and maximum beats per minute that the Triax Inspire is capable of measuring, and I recommend you don’t, either.

What I like about the Nike Triax Inspire:

    * Nice big numbers and ergonomic face orientation make the watch easy and comfortable to glance at while moving.
    * The watch and the transmitter use the same size battery. Smart.
    * Good button feedback. The buttons (along with the entire watch) feel sturdy, and are accessible and responsive.
    * Very simple to use, and very good at what it does.

What I don’t like:

    * No audible alarm. About the only thing I found I didn’t like about the Triax Inspire is that it doesn’t have an option for an audible alarm for when your heart rate slips above or below your zone. It’s hard to fault the watch too much, however, since there are other Nike models that do offer that feature. If an audible alarm is something you really want, you’ll just have to upgrade. (Upgrading can also get you 100-lap memory, detailed workout logs that can be downloaded to your PC and analyzed, and additional features for the more dedicated athletes among us.)

The instruction booklet for the Triax Inspire starts out "We’ve tried to make this watch as easy to use as possible," and Nike certainly achieved their objective. The watch is about as simple and straightforward to use as I think it’s possible for it to be, and it seems to perform precisely as promised. And considering the fact that you should be able to pick one up for between $40 and $70 from most sporting goods stores, running stores, or online, I’d say Nike has also done an excellent job  keeping the price tag "in the zone," as well.

The Xonix MP3 watch is essentially a simple quartz analog watch embedded inside a small and equally simple MP3 player on top of a 256MB USB storage device. Although the Xonix MP3 watch packs a fair amount of functionality into a single device (including the USB cable, tucked neatly away in the band), Xonix manages to keep both the size and the price very reasonable. If you’re really into watches, or you’re really into MP3s, I’ll warn you right from the beginning that the Xonix MP3 watch will seem like too much of a compromise in both respects. However, if you just need something that tells time, and you just happen to want to have a few of your favorite albums with you at all times, the Xonix MP3 watch could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Features of the Xonix MP3 Watch

    * Built-in MP3 player. The Xonix also plays Windows Media Audio (WMA) files, and WAV files.
    * 256MB of storage. At least my model has 256MB. The capacity of Xonix MP3 watches ranges from 32MB to 256MB. (There’s a table below that shows how capacity actually relates to music quantity.)
    * Portable hard drive. The Xonix MP3 watch stores more than just MP3s. You can copy any file that will fit onto the Xonix and use it as a backup device.
    * Built-in voice recorder. There’s a microphone built in next to the headphone jack that allows you to record up to 18 hours of voice notes. Listen to this sample recording to get a better idea of the quality.
    * Simple analog quartz watch. It’s not fancy, but it does its job.
    * Multiple equalizer modes. Choose between pop, rock, jazz and classical.
    * Built-in 2.5mm headphone jack. You won’t be using your Bose QuietComfort headphones with this watch without an adapter, but 2.5mm is still a standard size, often used for things like phone headsets.
    * Built-in USB 1.1 jack. The Xonix MP3 watch actually has a short USB 1.1 cable and jack tucked into the rubber strap (the watch comes with a USB extension cable for less accessible USB ports). The USB cable is used for both recharging and data transfer.
    * Five hour battery. This is no exaggeration. I tested the battery and found it lasted almost exactly five hours. It takes about two hours to fully recharge.
    * Automatic power off. Stretch that five hours out as long as possible. When the MP3 player is paused, it will automatically shut off after two minutes. It will also shut off two minutes after all the tracks on the watch have played, just in case you’ve fallen asleep.
    * Upgradable firmware. Firmware is software that runs in read-only memory and usually manages specialized and relatively simple devices. As the name implies, it is somewhere between software and hardware. You want firmware to be upgradable so bugs can be fixed without having to replace the hardware. The process of upgrading the Xonix MP3 watch’s firmware is very simple.
    * Sequential and random modes. Either play tracks in order, or let the watch decide what track you hear next.
    * Simple file management. When you plug the watch in to your computer, it gets mounted just like an additional drive or volume (Mac) as though it were a digital camera or a portable memory card. Once the watch has been mounted as another drive or volume, just drag and drop or delete MP3s and other files from Windows Explorer or the Macintosh Finder. (After deleting files, be sure to empty your trash so that the files are actually removed.) You can also delete tracks and voice notes from the watch itself.

What’s Included

    * The watch, of course. The case is both plastic and metal, the caseback is metal (with a cheat sheet reminding you of all the different modes, and how to get to them), the band is rubber, and the buckle is metal. The watch is not water resistant, and probably should not even be exposed to splashes.
    * USB extension cable. The watch has a short USB cable and jack built in, but depending on the location of the USB ports in your computer, the cable may be too short without the extension. The extension is 41 inches long, so it should easily solve most proximity issues for you.
    * Stereo headphones (earbuds, actually) with a 2.5mm jack. They plug right into the watch, and sound just fine to me.
    * Miniature CD containing the firmware upgrade utility and USB drivers. If you’re using Windows 98 or any operating system prior to Windows 98, you will need to install the USB drivers on the CD before you can connect the watch.
    * Replacement USB cable. The watch comes with a curious cable that seems to be a replacement for the USB cable connected to the watch. It’s about a 1.5 inch cable with a USB jack on one end, and a four-pin connector on the other, which I assume connects to the watch. It also comes with 6 tiny springs. There is nothing in the instructions about this cable, so just hope you never need it.
    * Quick start guide.
    * Instruction manual.

Putting the Xonix Through Its Paces

Honestly, I was skeptical about the Xonix MP3 watch at first. I was expecting a mediocre MP3 player grafted to a mediocre timepiece to form a bulky and mediocre hybrid. What I found, however, is that the Xonix MP3 watch is a perfectly capable device. It’s neither a Rolex nor an iPod, but it is not intended to compete with either. The intent of this watch is to combine two important elements of our lives — time and music — into a simple, convenient, and affordable new gadget.

I started playing with the watch for a few minutes before reading the instructions to see how far I could get with it — always a sure test of intuitiveness. I had to glance at the quick start guide a couple of times for hints, but I found I was successfully playing music from my wrist within just a few minutes. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the sound, as well, even with the included no-name earbuds. In fact, I could easily hear the background chatter and the clinks of cocktail glasses during sessions of live jazz, and the scratchy cracking of old vinyl used in DJ mixes. To fully understand and appreciate all of the Xonix’s capabilities, I did have to delve into the instructions further, but after gaining a little experience, I have no complaints regarding the watch’s usability.

I connected the Xonix MP3 watch to both an IBM ThinkPad running Windows XP Professional and a Macintosh PowerBook running OS X 10.3.6, and both machines immediately mounted the watch as a external storage device, although Windows had a hard time deciding whether it was a USB mass storage device, or a generic MP3 player. I don’t know which one it settled on, but either way, it worked fine. I was able to use the integrated USB cable for the ThinkPad which has its USB ports on the left, and I used the included USB extension cable with the PowerBook since the USB ports are in the back. I have a newer PowerBook that has the ports on the side like the IBM, and I found that with it, I did not need the extension cable. The integrated USB cable tends to add some bulk to the band, but it’s nice to know you can connect the watch anytime, anywhere without having to carry an additional cable with you.

The watch comes with three sample tracks obviously intended to demonstrate the MP3 player’s capabilities. Two of them I couldn’t identify, and one was a live version of "California Hotel" (somehow they managed to get the name this Eagles classic reversed). As expected, I was able to play the MP3s on my PowerBook from the watch, just as though it were an external USB drive or a dedicated MP3 player. I then started copying some albums over to the watch to test the capacity. I ran out of room while transferring a Dave Mathews album after already copying over entire albums from Coldplay, Portishead, Amad Jamal, and The Police for a total of 42 tracks, plus the three sample tracks. Although I typically encode MP3s at a higher bit rate than this watch can actually use (higher bit rates mean greater ranges of sound which you are likely to only notice with higher end stereo equipment), I think four or five albums are about what you can expect from the 256MB version (see below for more information on the Xonix MP3 watch’s capacity).

Copying the music from an external firewire drive to the watch via USB 1.1 was a little on the slow side (if you’re used to using firewire or USB 2.0 with your iPod, you may need to keep an open mind here), but since it was only four albums, it wasn’t horrible. Just play a little solitaire or check some sports scores while you wait.

After some real-world experience with this watch, I found the best way to use it is to activate the random track selection feature and put the watch in charge of your listening itinerary since scrolling through individual tracks one at time with no visual cues to let you know where you are is a little cumbersome (the watch actually has a memory of its random selection, so you can scroll forward and backward through the randomly generated play list). Due to the limitations of the interface, I actually think 256MB is about as much room as you would want with something like this. Maybe 512MB, but once you hit 1GB, 5GB, etc., the capacity of the watch will have grown beyond the interface’s ability to manage it. (Here’s a hint for Xonix: future versions should have the ability to scroll through albums in addition to just tracks — that alone would be a huge usability boost.)

I found the watch to be fairly comfortable to wear, if a little on the long side. The headphone cord has enough length that even with my long arms, I wasn’t yanking the ear-buds out of my head whenever I stretched or reached for a cup of coffee. I even found that the headphone cord could be easily threaded through a shirt sleeve to keep it nice and inconspicuous (just don’t try to board a plane that way). The USB cable, microphone, headphone jack and MP3 capabilities in general are concealed well enough that girls probably won’t roll their eyes at you at parties if they catch a glimpse of your Xonix while you’re feeding them lines. On the other hand, don’t expect it to attract attention from across the room, either. Although the Xonix is not bad looking, the only people it’s likely to actually lure into a conversation are geeks who recognize it from pictures online. The only real complaint I have (keeping in mind the Xonix MP3 watch is in no way, shape, or form a luxury timepiece), is that it could use one more loop to keep the excess band from flapping. The one that it does have doesn’t move down far enough because its primary job is to secure and conceal the USB connector.

The Bottom Line

If you’re an MP3 junky, don’t sell your iPod or Archos Gmini to buy the Xonix, and if you require a highly reliable, accurate, and durable timepiece, the Xonix MP3 watch is probably not for you. However, as a supplement to your existing MP3 solution, or even as a complete solution for those with modest MP3 ambitions, the Xonix MP3 watch can save you the burden of lugging around an additional device. Waiting in line at the Hair Cuttery? Why not kill some time by listening to a few of your favorite tracks? Sitting in your doctor’s waiting room surrounded by Car and Driver magazines you’ve already read? Drown out the easy listening compilation with your own secret stash of sounds. The Xonix MP3 watch means never being caught without something to listen to again.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you transfer files on to the Xonix MP3 watch?

    Simply connect the watch to your PC or Mac via the integrated USB cable, and drag and drop your MP3 files onto the watch. No additional software is required.

Will music in subdirectories get played, or do I need to put all my MP3s in the root directory of the watch?

    Music in subdirectories will be found and played. I created a top-level directory for the artist (Coldplay), then a subdirectory for the album (A Rush Of Blood to the Head), and put the actual MP3s in the album directory. Worked perfectly.

What music file formats does the Xonix support?

    MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), and WAV files.

Can I store files other than MP3s (and other supported music file formats) on this watch?

    Yes, as long as there’s space. When looking for files to play, it will simply skip over file formats that it does not recognize as playable. That means the Xonix MP3 watch is also a handy USB storage device.

How much music can I fit on the Xonix MP3 watch?

    I was able to fit four albums totaling 45 tracks. The chart below will give you a general idea based on capacity (assuming a 128 kbps bit rate):
    Size (MB)     Time (min)
    32     30
    64     60
    128     120
    256     240

How many voice recordings can I fit on the watch?

    Short answer: a ton. Long answer: see the chart below:
    Size (MB)     Time (hours)
    32     2
    64     4.5
    128     9
    256     18

Is this watch waterproof?

    No. This is in no way to be confused with a sports watch. In fact, I wouldn’t even want to get caught in a heavy rain wearing it.

Can I use my favorite headphones with this watch?

    Yes, but you will probably need an adapter (not included). The headphone jack built in to the watch is 2.5mm and your favorite headphones are probably 3.5mm.

Do the MP3 player and the quartz watch share the same rechargeable battery?

    No, they use separate batteries which means you can completely deplete the MP3 player’s battery without affecting the watch. I assume the watch uses a standard watch battery which any competent jeweler can replace, though the manual does not specify the model.

How accurate is the watch?

    This is not a racing, diving, or professional flight watch, so don’t expect great things from the quartz movement. I didn’t conduct a painstaking test since accuracy is not really a selling point of the Xonix MP3 watch, but I found that seems to gain about a second a day.

Xonix claims the battery life is 5 hours on this thing. What’s the real battery life?

    My tests showed the battery life to be almost exactly 5 hours. Actually, slightly more. Perfect for a coast to coast flight. I would expect this to decrease gradually over time, but even so, I think it is well within the range of acceptable.

How does the watch recharge, and how long does it take?

    It recharges while connected to your computer via USB. You can also buy a wall charger if you plan to be away from your computer for an extended period of time. Recharge time is about 2 hours.

How is the quality of the voice recordings?

    Somewhat low, but definitely sufficient. The tradeoff is that the 256MB version of the Xonix MP3 watch can record up to 18 hours of voice notes. Listen to this sample to get a better feel for the quality.

Can I back voice recordings up, or copy them off the watch to make room for more?

    Yes. The Xonix MP3 watch creates one WAV file in the "VOICE" directory for each voice memo you create. When the watch is connected to you computer, you can do anything you want with those files.

Is there a random mode?

    Yes. In fact, since the watch does not have much of an interface for navigating through tracks and albums, I think listening to randomly selected tracks is the best way to use the watch.

How does the equalizer work?

    There are 4 predefined sound configurations: pop, rock, jazz, and classical. Use the mode button while an MP3 is playing to select the most appropriate mode. Little lights on the left side of the watch will indicate which mode is selected.

What operating systems is the Xonix MP3 watch compatible with?

    It is compatible with both Mac and PC operating systems, though I only tested it with Windows XP Professional and OS X 10.3.6. If you’re using Windows 98 or earlier, you will need to install USB drivers from the included CD.

Is the watch’s firmware upgradable?

    Yes. Mine came with the most recent firmware version, but I installed and ran the update utility anyway, and it looks like it should work just fine.

How is the sound quality?

    Very good, in my opinion, though I can’t really convey the quality in quantitative terms. I guess the safest thing for me to say is that the sound quality is definitely not bad, and to my ears, quite impressive.

Why does it appear that the watch is out of space when I’ve deleted everything on it?

    Try emptying your trash or recycling bin while the watch is connected. Otherwise, the files are just marked for deletion, but they aren’t actually deleted. This is behavior we generally appreciate on large hard drives, but doesn’t work so well on small capacity removable media. This has nothing to do with the watch, but rather is a function of the operating system.

How much does the Xonix MP3 watch cost?

    About $120 for the 256MB version, and maybe around $90 for the 128MB.
 

There are two things which distinguish the Abacus Wrist Net from the other dozen or so MSN Direct watches currently out there: 1) It is the cheapest ($129 retail), and 2) it is, in my opinion, probably the best looking. If you’ve been toying with the idea of taking the MSN Direct service for a spin, the Abacus Wrist Net might be just be the price point you’ve been waiting for. And now that MSN Direct watches get national news and high and low temperatures in your area for free, you can even get a taste of what it’s like for your wrist to be constantly connected before committing to a subscription.

In terms of functionality, the Abacus Wrist Net is identical to the Fossil Wrist Net (FX3005) that I recently reviewed. In fact, to get the full story on the Abacus Wrist Net, you should definitely check out my Fossil Wrist Net review since I’m going to try not to be redundant in this article. The three primary differences I found between the two watches are:

   1. Appearance. Although the designs of the Abacus and the Fossil Wrist Net watches are similar, there are a few subtle differences. For instance, the Abacus comes with either a black or brown leather and rubber strap while the Fossil is only available in black; the buttons on the Abacus are elongated while the buttons on the Fossil are round; and the Abacus lacks the screws in the four corners of the face which give the Fossil its distinctive look.
   2. Watch Faces. The abacus comes with 18 watch faces while the Fossil comes with 26 (not including the two user-selected faces). If you’re wavering between the Abacus and the Fossil, I wouldn’t make the number of faces a deciding factor, however, since both come with a nice and perfectly sufficient selection (far more extensive than the Swatch Paparazzi).
   3. Price. The Abacus Wrist Net retails for $20 less than its Fossil counterpart. The next closest in price is the Swatch Paparazzi which retails for $150, and then the somewhat outdated Suunto n3 which generally goes for around $200.

I really like the bands on both the Abacus and Fossil Wrist Net watches. They are handsome, comfortable, well contoured, and easily adjusted. The buckles are fairly inconspicuous, and easy to operate. In contrast, the band on the Swatch Paparazzi is thick, rigid, and actually has to be cut down to size (which is more permanent than I’d like since it then makes the watch difficult to sell, trade, loan, or give to a friend). I found I was able to get accustomed to wearing the Wrist Net watches much faster than the Paparazzi which, by the end of the day, had left some pretty nasty bite marks in my wrist from the surprisingly inflexible band. There are a lot of things I like about the Paparazzi over both the Abacus and the Fossil Wrist Net watches, but the band is most certainly not one of them. (For a detailed comparison of the Fossil Wrist Net and the Swatch Paparazzi, see my review of the Fossil Wrist Net FX3005.)

I also really like the charger that comes with both Wrist Net watches. Although they are less portable than some of the other MSN Direct watch chargers, they are probably the easiest to use, and definitely the coolest. Rather than actually plugging the watch in to charge it, you simply set it down on top of the charger where it sort of hangs there, slurping up power without actually having to be hooked in to anything (see the Abacus Wrist Net photo gallery for pictures). Just make sure the clasp is closed and the two ends of the antenna are in contact so the watch can continue to receive data when not in use.

There are two types of people for which I think the Abacus Wrist Net is well suited:

   1. Those who want to experiment with the MSN Direct service while minimizing their initial investment. Since MSN Direct allows you to add two different watches to your account with a single subscription (which I think is an excellent feature, by the way), you can always spring for the higher-end Suunto or Tissot once you’ve thoroughly evaluated the service with the Abacus.
   2. Those who are more concerned with the look of the watch than with the quality of the electronics. That’s not to say the Abacus is shabby, but’s also not a Tissot. It’s designed and built to appeal to a young, hip crowd (as most Fossil watches are), and is not about to fit comfortably under a tight, starched shirt cuff. In fact, I’d say the Abacus Wrist Net is most at home when worn with a pair of jeans or cargo pants. (The MSN Direct watch best suited for an office environment is the Suunto n3i with its handsome, slim profile.)

In my experience, being happy with MSN Direct has more to do with your MSN Direct watch than with the actual service itself. I’ve enjoyed the MSN Direct service since the very first time I used it, and nothing about it has disappointed me (for a detailed review of the MSN Direct service, see my review of the Swatch Paparazzi). Yes, cell phones can provide most of what MSN Direct watches can provide, but I have never seen a cell phone that can make information so easily accessible. Even when I’m sitting at my computer, I’m more likely to check stock prices and weather on my watch than I am to use one of the hundreds of different widgets and services available on my Mac. MSN Direct makes glancing at important information as easy as glancing at the time. So if maintaining a constant flow of easily accessible, relevant information is appealing to you (and if you happen to live in an MSN Direct service area), I recommend you spend your time picking out the right watch rather than fretting over the MSN Direct service. If you want the best and most feature rich watch, go with the Tissot High-T. If you want the most business oriented, go with the Suunto n3i. If you want one the most sports oriented, consider the Suunto n6-HR with the built-in heart rate monitor. But if you want something simple and stylish that will get you connected without you having to worry about how your wife is going to react to the credit card bill, the Abacus Wrist Net might be the MSN Direct watch for you.

According to this article on Bloomberg.com, the US if facing a very dangerous shortage of watchmakers. Brands like Rolex, Breitling and Omega are selling like crazy, but there are fewer and fewer people around who are qualified to work on them. It seems that while appreciation for fine Swiss mechanical and automatic watches is on the rise, interest in a career as a watchmaker is clearly waning. Swiss watch companies have responded by investing millions of dollars in US watchmaking schools and programs:

    Rolex, Swatch Group AG, Breitling SA, Audemars Piguet and other Swiss companies are spending millions of dollars on schools to make sure the watches they sell in the U.S. can get fixed. The U.S. now needs about 4,000 watchmakers in addition to the 7,000 it has, says Jim Lubic, executive director of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. As many as 4,000 will retire in the next 10 to 20 years… By contrast, about 140 students are now in U.S. watchmaking programs.

To help attract would-be watchmakers, Rolex is waiving $40,000 worth of tuition for their two-year program in the Amish town of Lititz, Pennsylvania. The school teaches 24 people at a time to diagnose problems with mechanical and automatic watches, repair them, and to make parts by hand. The bad news is that watchmakers of this caliber are only looking at pulling down about $38,000 a year after graduation (ok for those just getting started, but not overly attractive for people looking to switch careers). The good news is that this number is expected to increase by about 30% in the next couple years.

So if you’ve been trying to think of ways to turn your watch obsession into a profession, now may be your chance. Sales of fine Swiss watches have finally adjusted to the introduction of the Japanese-made quartz movement, and are increasingly finding a new place in our culture as essential luxury items. But in order for this trend to continue, we are going to need people who can repair them.

Over the last three weeks, I have been in the process of moving from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Although I’ve been very busy with housing, hotels, commuting, working, and coordinating my relocation, I’m never too busy to do a little watch shopping.

I picked up a Tissot T-Touch primarily for the compass function to help me get oriented in the city. I’ve been to San Francisco dozens of times, but I’ve always taken cabs, so now I’m having to adjust to finding my own way. I have a terrible sense of direction, but fortunately, the T-Touch has a pretty good one. I wrote a very thorough review of the Tissot T-Touch a few months ago, but I wasn’t able to keep the watch I reviewed, so I ordered a new one with a black rubber strap. I typically go for watches with stainless steel or titanium bracelets, but the black rubber strap and the black dial of the T-Touch make a great combination.

I stayed in a hotel right on Union Square (the historic Westin St. Francis, for those of you familiar with the area) for about a week while I waited for my household goods to arrive, and I found a little watch store nearby that had a Seiko Sportura SLQ017 in the window. The SLQ017 is a limited edition Kinetic chronograph which is one of the most unusual and striking chronographs I’ve ever seen. Seiko only made 1,500 of them, and only 400 of those made their way to the US, so I was thrilled to come across one in person. I visited the SLQ017 a few times during my stay on Union Square, tried it on a few times, and even started negotiating on the price, but in the end, in the spirit of trying to control moving costs, I ended up not buying it. I hope I don’t regret it, but I probably will.

I found a Tourneau watch store in a mall on Market Street that had a decent selection of Rolexes, among other brands. In the used watch case was an 8-year-old white-dial Rolex Daytona for almost $14,000. I learned that the movements in the older Daytonas were actually made by the Swiss watchmaker Zenith which surprised me because Rolex is known for making their own movements (the newer Daytonas have Rolex movements). It was an extremely beautiful watch, though overpriced. New Daytonas go for about $7,000, but they are in such high demand that when retailers are not bound by Rolex’s pricing policies (as in the case of used watches), they often can’t help but partake in a little price gouging. I asked the manager about putting my name on a waiting list for a new stainless steel Daytona, but I was told in a very snobby tone that only customers with excellent purchase histories could be put on the list (meaning customers who had bought Rolexes for Tourneau before). Apparently, Daytonas are in such high demand that poor slobs like me aren’t even allowed to wait for them. Maybe if I’d been wearing something more respectable than jeans and a t-shirt, and if I’d bothered to shave sometime that week, I would have gotten different results.

So what am I wearing on this particular rainy San Francisco Saturday morning? None other than a Casio Atomic Solar G-Shock. I’m about to head over to a friend’s place to help him paint his new house, and an inexpensive but tough plastic G-Shock is the perfect watch for the occasion.

The first thing I’d like to do is congratulate Fossil for finally bringing the Wrist PDA to market. The Fossil and Abacus Wrist PDAs have been in the works for at least four years, and now they have finally arrived. Thanks, Fossil, for not giving up on the Wrist PDA. In my opinion, it was worth the wait.

Before I get into specifics, I want to answer the biggest question I had when I first started reading about the Abacus and Fossil Wrist PDAs: yes, they do actually work. I don’t just mean that they function, but they really do actually work. The screen is big enough, the fonts are readable, the handwriting recognition is impressive, the synching functions as expected, and the battery life is sufficient. That’s not to say the Wrist PDA is perfect, however. There are still some bugs to be worked out, and a few rough spots that can definitely use polishing (all of which are described below), but generally speaking, yes, this watch really does put a PDA on your wrist, and yes, it is actually usable. Now let’s look at the details.

Features of the Abacus/Fossil Wrist PDA

    * Palm OS 4.1.2. I guess you’d have to say the number one feature of this watch is that it runs version 4.1.2 of the Palm OS and comes with the standard Palm personal information management applications installed. (See below for details.)
    * Built-in stylus. The Wrist PDA comes with a tiny folding stylus tucked into the buckle for writing on the screen.
    * Jot. Jot is a handwriting recognition system that allows you to write letters in a very natural way right on the watch’s screen. I found it to be surprisingly accurate.
    * Backlight. The backlight on the Wrist PDA is just like the one on my old Palm IIIx: blue, and plenty bright (at least by watch standards).
    * Multiple watch faces. Choose from one of 11 different watch faces, ranging from traditional analog displays to unusual digital layouts.
    * Infrared port. The IR port lets you beam data to and from all kinds of devices.
    * Rocker switch. The rocker switch is a sort of three-way button used to make navigation and selection more efficient.

What’s In the Box

    * The watch, of course.
    * One folding stylus stashed in the buckle, and a backup stylus in the box.
    * AC adapter and power cord.
    * CD with Palm Desktop and synchronization software for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
    * USB cable for synching and charging the watch.
    * Getting started guide.
    * Warranty card (one year for people in the US, two years for those lucky Europeans).
    * Three wallet-sized Jot cheat sheets (in English, French, and Spanish).

Specifications

The specs on the Abacus and Fossil Wrist PDAs really aren’t half bad for a watch. In fact, they are much more impressive than my old Palm IIIx which I once thought of as being pretty advanced with its 16MHz processor, massive 4MB of RAM, and two AAA batteries.

    * Palm OS 4.1.2.
    * Motorola DragonBall Super VZ 66MHz processor.
    * 4 MB flash ROM memory + 8MB RAM memory (7.7MB RAM available for use).
    * Touch screen LCD with 160×160 resolution and 16-level grayscale display.
    * Lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

Applications

The Wrist PDA comes with the following 12 applications installed:

    * Address. Manage contact information.
    * Calc. Why buy a calculator watch when you can have an entire PDA on your wrist?
    * DateBook. Manage appointments.
    * HotSync. Initiates the synchronizing operation with your PC.
    * Jot. Configure Jot preferences, tune Jot for improved handwriting recognition, and practice with the Jot tutorial.
    * MemoPad. Manage simple memos.
    * Prefs. Configure and customize your Wrist PDA.
    * Security. Lock your Wrist PDA, and assign a password.
    * Skills. General tutorial on the Wrist PDA and the Palm OS.
    * ToDoList. Manage lists of to do items.
    * Watch. Puts the watch into watch mode (details below).
    * Welcome. Go through the initial setup routine.

Getting Started with the Abacus Wrist PDA

One of the nice things about the Wrist PDA (over, say, an MSN Direct watch) is that you don’t have to wait for it to fully charge before you can start playing with it since it can easily be operated while charging. When you first plug the watch in, after a couple of Palm and Fossil branding screens, you are asked to calibrate the touch screen by tapping in the center of three little targets. Take this step very seriously and tap as accurately as you possibly can. On full sized Palms, it’s not such a big deal, but with the Wrist PDA, you are working at such a small scale that every pixel counts. The first time I calibrated by Wrist PDA, I was too hasty, and I didn’t tap close enough to the center of the targets which made the watch pretty frustrating to use since the ensuing configuration screens have you tapping tiny arrows which are very difficult to hit if the screen has not been calibrated properly. Don’t worry, though — if you screw up your first attempt, you can always go back and recalibrate anytime you need to (go to "Prefs" and select "Digitizer" from the menu). Once the touch screen has been accurately calibrated, I found the watch to be surprisingly easy to navigate.

The next thing you’re going to want to do is set up the desktop software. There are two parts: the Palm Desktop (which you can replace with Outlook, if you want), and the HotSync Manager (the software that manages the process of synching the watch with either Outlook or the Palm Desktop). There are a lot of different possible configurations: Windows, Mac, Palm Desktop, Outlook. It might even be possible to get the watch to sync with Apple iCal and Address Book using iSync, though I didn’t try it. In fact, I only tested the plain vanilla installation of the Palm Desktop on Windows XP Professional, and everything worked just as expected.

Now you’re ready to explore the rest of the watch. I’m happy to report that I found the Wrist PDA to be very intuitive to use, and convenient to operate one-handed (thanks to the rocker switch). Granted, I do have the advantage of having used various Palm devices for many years, but I found I was able to operate every function on the watch without once opening the instruction booklet. If you’re not familiar with the Palm OS, and especially Jot, you will definitely want to take a look through the instruction manual and the various tutorials available on the watch itself. I can say pretty definitively, though, that anyone interested in owning a watch like this, and who has gotten this far in my review, will have no trouble getting acclimated to the Wrist PDA.

Watch Mode

The "watch" portion of the watch (as distinct from the PDA) seems to simply be implemented as a Palm application. You can select it from the application menu, or you can allow the watch to enter watch mode automatically after a configurable timeout period. This generally works out fine, especially since the Palm OS displays the time in the upper left hand corner so you can still see what time it is even when you’re not in watch mode, although I would like to see a shortcut for putting the watch back into watch mode when you’re done using the PDA. Maybe holding down the rocker switch button for two seconds, or something like that. The problem is that the Palm OS doesn’t display the date, so if you’re in PDA mode and you need to know what day it is, you either have to go into the calendar (not very convenient), or wait for the watch to timeout and go back into watch mode.

Once in watch mode, you can select from 11 different watch faces using the rocker switch. The watch faces range from traditional analog displays to unusual digital layouts. This is similar to MSN Direct watches’ ability to use different faces, and is a very nice touch.

I would have liked to see some very basic applications installed to give the watch more of a traditional watch feel, like an alarm application. Of course, you can set an alarm using the calendar application, but it would be nice if there were a streamlined way of setting an alarm that worked more like a standard watch alarm. Same goes for a countdown timer and a stopwatch application. The A+ application by BEIKS provides a stopwatch, and I’m sure other third-party applications can be downloaded to provide additional functionality, but it would be nice if they were installed right out of the box.

The watch produces plenty of beeps and chirps from it’s internal speaker during normal operation. I found them to be loud enough to be useful audible cues, but subtle enough not be embarrassing in public places. The one complaint I have with the watch’s speaker is that the appointment alarm could be louder. In an office setting, you’ll probably hear it, but while commuting or having lunch in a crowded restaurant, you most likely won’t.

The Design

The Wrist PDA’s case is a well designed, solid hunk of stainless steel. The buckle is stainless steel, as well, and the band is a leather/rubber combination (the manual mentions a model with a metal bracelet, but it is nowhere to be seen on the website, and I think the rubber works better, anyway). The only complaint I have regarding the construction of the watch is the plastic buttons. They don’t have the same solid, robust feel as the case, especially the rocker switch. I’d like to see future versions of the Wrist PDA have a rocker switch as well built as a Sony jog dial, though to be fair, I don’t want to pay Sony prices. Something in the middle might be more appropriate.

The watch is big. No one is disputing that. But considering it has an entire PDA built into it, it’s actually not so bad. And it’s not excessively thick. I think whether the watch looks cool or dorky ultimately depends on you. If you’re a cool guy with carefully tussled hair and clothes from places I don’t even know the name of, it will probably work on you. If you wear taped glasses, slacks from the 70’s, and you only shower when your mother makes you, then the watch will only serve to compliment your dorky ensemble. However if this describes you, then you probably don’t care how it looks or what people think, anyway.

The bottom line is if you like it, get it, and don’t worry about the size. It won’t bother you because it’s not excessively heavy, and it’s actually quite comfortable to wear. And if your mates make fun of you for wearing a PDA on your wrist, just tell them it’s the only way you can possibly keep all the girls’ numbers straight. They’ll know you’re lying, but it’s a snappy comeback, nonetheless.

The Stylus

The Abacus Wrist PDA comes with two styli (technically the proper way of referring to more than one stylus). One is to keep in the slot in the watch’s buckle, and one is to keep in a safe place at home as a backup. The stylus is half metal and half plastic, and unfolds to a length of 1.5 inches (almost 4 cm). It stays very securely in place in the buckle, so hopefully you won’t be needing that backup, but it is actually somewhat difficult to remove when the watch is strapped on because the excess portion of the band covers the tiny knob that you use to slide it out (see the Abacus Wrist PDA photo gallery for details). Ultimately, I found that a full sized stylus is the only way to go with this watch. I have a combination pen/stylus/laser-pointer which works beautifully with the Wrist PDA, and made writing on the LCD surprisingly easy. If you decide to pick one of these watches up, I strongly recommend keeping either a pen stylus, or even a standard replacement PDA stylus that you can buy from any office supply store, in an easily accessible pocket. In fact, this would be a very cool accessory for Fossil to consider including.

Using Jot

Gone are days of the esoteric hieroglyphics known as Graffiti. Although I was once quite the Graffiti master, after using several other handwriting recognition systems, I now recognize Graffiti as the menace its name implies. Thankfully, the Abacus Wrist PDA uses either Jot or Graffiti 2, and it uses both quite well. Data input was my biggest concern with the Wrist PDA, and I’m happy to report that it’s actually far better than I expected.

Jot allows you to write on a large portion of the screen as opposed to confining you to a tiny quadrant as the old Palms did. Use the left side of the screen for lowercase letters, the center for uppercase letters, and the right side for numbers. You can have a little arrow appear at the top center of the screen to help you visually divide the writing surface by checking the "show mode mark" in the Jot configuration application. Selecting is also surprisingly easy. Double tap on a word to select it, or tap and hold until the watch chirps, then drag to select only a portion of a word or sentence.

If Jot is not your thing, you can use the old on-screen keyboard, but for this, you will have to have bionic eyes. You can toggle the on-screen keyboard on and off from the command toolbar. To open the command toolbar from any screen, make a single upward stroke going from left to right.

I have to reiterate that data input is probably the one thing that impressed me most about this watch. I wouldn’t want to write a novel on it, and I still prefer qwerty thumb boards when I can get them (like on my Sidekick II), but for taking down quick notes and contact information, the Abacus Wrist PDA is very usable.

Customizing the Wrist PDA

The Abacus Wrist PDA can be customized to some extent. Of course you have the 11 different watch faces I mentioned above for customizing watch mode, but the PDA mode can be customized as well, primarily through the Prefs application. You have all your standard Palm preferences (time and date formats, number formats, sound settings, etc.), but there is also a Wrist PDA section which allows you to customize a few additional functions. For instance, you can decide whether you want the Wrist PDA to go into watch mode when PDA mode times out, whether you want the screen to simply go blank (to preserve power), or whether you want the watch to remain in PDA mode (though it still "locks" so you don’t accidentally create arbitrary appointments while thrashing about in your sleep). There’s a section for picking your watch application, though the only choice right now is "WatchA" which refers to the Watch Mode application, but it looks like in the future, you might be able to select different watch applications. There’s also a "Lock Face" option which is supposed to prevent you from changing watch faces with the rocker switch in watch mode. Whatever you do, do not select this option. There is a bug in the Wrist PDA software which will cause the watch to freeze up after it times out into watch mode when this option is selected, and even a hard reset will not bring it back. (I reproduced this bug twice, and both times, spent well over an hour getting the watch into working order again.) Fossil, if you’re listening, this would be a really good one to fix as soon as possible.

Of course, you can further customize your Wrist PDA with third-party applications. How well Palm applications work on your Wrist PDA really depends on how well they adapt to the 160 x 160 screen. You are definitely going to have the most luck with applications created especially for the Wrist PDA like those from the new BEIKS Wrist PDA site. According to this page, a Wrist PDA software store will be coming soon to Fossil’s site, as well. And finally, if you’re the do-it-yourself kind of geek, the Fossil Wrist PDA SDK (software development kit) will allow you to write your own watch software.

Beaming

Beaming data to and from the Wrist PDA is a snap. I beamed several records back and forth between another Palm device (a Garmin iQue 3600) with no problems whatsoever. In order to preserve battery life, you might want to go into Prefs > General and turn "Beam Receive" off which means the watch is not using power waiting for an incoming infrared signal. Just remember to turn it back on before trying to beam data to the watch again, or it won’t work.

Beaming data is nothing new. In fact, we’ve been beaming data using infrared for probably close to a decade now, and more recently, we’ve started using Bluetooth, wireless networking, and GPRS. But I have to say, beaming data to and from my watch put the experience in a whole new context, and it seemed as fun and geeky as the very first time I did it.

Battery Life

According to the manual, "The rechargeable battery on your Wrist PDA should last 3 to 4 days with an average of 30 minutes of PDA usage per day with no infrared port beaming and no backlight usage. This duration may vary depending on the amount of PDA usage, the temperature, and other factors."

I found Fossil’s claims of 3 to 4 days of moderate PDA use to be accurate, though I’d be pretty worried on that forth day. If you use the PDA often, you might want to just get in the habit of plugging it in every night so you’ll never have to worry about it. My cell phone has taught me that it’s better to be on a short but predictable charging schedule than on a longer unpredictable and irregular one. If you charge your watch every night, you’ll never have to worry about it. Since the watch isn’t water resistant, you have to take it off anyway to shower, so why not just take it off at night, plug it in, and put your fully charged PDA back on your nice clean wrist after your morning soak?

If your computer has a powered USB port, you can charge your watch just by connecting it to your computer so that you don’t have to use the separate AC adapter. (It’s always nice to be able to ditch a cable when traveling.) Also, if you completely deplete the battery on your watch, charge it as soon as possible to avoid losing your data. You have about a day to get the watch some juice before your data is forgotten and you have to restore it by synching it with your PC.

Watch Controls

There are three buttons on the watch, and one "rocker switch". The rocker switch is a nice addition which allows you to navigate and scroll more efficiently than you could with just buttons. The rocker switch moves in three directions: up, down, and in (like a standard button). Here is a general description of how each of the buttons are used:

    * Rocker up: Scroll up one item at a time.
    * Rocker down: Scroll down one item at a time.
    * Rocker in (enter): Open the selected application or selected item.
    * Page up (top right): Scroll up one screen at a time.
    * Page down (bottom right): Scroll down one screen at a time.
    * Back (bottom left): Go back to the previous screen or Launcher category.

Resetting Your Wrist PDA

For those of you who found this review by searching Google for "Fossil Wrist PDA reset" (I read my server logs, so I know you’re out there), to perform a soft reset, just use the stylus to gently press the reset button located on the left side of the watch, just below the hinge for the USB port cover. Soft resetting your Wrist PDA will not affect your data. Think of it as rebooting your computer. During the course of this review, I found I had to reset the Wrist PDA a couple of times because it started acting funky. A soft reset takes only a few seconds, and almost always fixed whatever issue I was having (the only issue it didn’t fix was the freezing problem I described above).

Before I explain how to perform a hard reset, note that all of you data and third party applications will be deleted when performing a hard reset, so hopefully you’ve been syncing on a regular basis. If not, let this be a lesson to you. After a hard reset, from a software perspective, your watch will be exactly like it was when you first took it out of the box. To perform a hard reset, hold down the rocker switch and press the reset button with your stylus. When the Palm powered logo appears, release the rocker switch. When prompted, press the page up (upper right) button to complete the reset, or press any other button to abort.

System Requirements

I’m guess if your technology savvy enough to have found your way to this review, you’re computer will more than meet this watch’s system requirements, but just to be on the safe side, here are the minimum requirements for the Wrist PDA as stated in the manual:

    * Windows 98 SE, Millennium Edition, 2000 Professional, XP Home, XP Professional, or Mac OS X v.10.2.1 or higher.
    * Pentium 233MHz with MMX technology (Pentium III 450MHz or better recommended).
    * 64MB of RAM (at least 128MB for Windows XP).
    * 800×600 display resolution with 16-bit color or better.
    * 150MB or more of free hard disk space.
    * CD-ROM drive.
    * USB port (use of a USB hub not recommended).

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that this is an impressive piece of technology. Although Fossil has not actually invented anything new here (both Palms and digital watches have been around for a long time), they deserve plenty of credit for the vision and execution that resulted in finally bringing the Wrist PDA to market. Did they get it right after four years of research, development, and speculation? Yes and no. There are still a few kinks to be worked out, and one or two improvements to be made. But is it close enough? I think so. For $199, I think it presents a pretty compelling solution for someone who wants the convenience of a PDA without the hassle and burden of carrying it around.