The Microsoft Band is a $199 fitness tracker and smart watch that works on its own or with iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. It’s available in one style and three sizes. Credit: Microsoft
In today's Digital Savant column, which appears in the Tuesday print edition of the American-Statesman and on MyStatesman.com, I talk about the Microsoft Band, the latest attempt to make wearables a thing, this time in a way that seems a little too hasty.
This is maybe the fifth or sixth fitness wristband I’ve tried over the last couple of years, and while it’s got some great ideas, I found it to be a bad fit, at least for me.
Here's an excerpt from the column:
Even turned around, the Band is still no ergonomic wonder. The beautiful screen is not curved. It sits like a flat slab on the wrist, unyielding and balky, and only small portions of the wristband are flexible. It juts and prods, begging attention. Wearables should be a joy to wear, comfortable and built to our human form. This thing felt like a handcuff. It took nearly a week for me to stop noticing I was wearing it. A Microsoft rep offered to trade me for a larger size, but I don't think it's the size of the device that's the issue, it's the shape and unyielding materials.
After two nights of trying to wear it to track my sleep patterns, I decided the Band itself was adversely affecting my sleep, skewing the data. And as a final insult, I also developed what felt like an itchy rash the size of a quarter the first few days. It turns out it was from wearing the Band too tightly; it was pinching my skin. I stopped wearing the Band and then committed to wearing it more loosely a few days later. The skin irritation went away and didn't return.
You can read the rest here. Also in the column, I talk a bit about a new mobile game from Rooster Teeth and recap my video review of a Keurig 2.0 coffee brewer.
Have you tried the Microsoft Band or have any interest in buying one? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments.
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