2 ms·

I was skeptical about the Apple Watch when it was released. No one had made a compelling use case for wearables and it seemed like Apple was set to follow in th

by jmyeet 4y ago

I was skeptical about the Apple Watch when it was released. No one had made a compelling use case for wearables and it seemed like Apple was set to follow in those footsteps. People forget but the Apple Watch was originally market as a luxury product in the same way brands like Gucci and Louis Vitton are. I mean Apple hired the former Burberry CEO to head up their retail stores. This wasn't an accident. There was even a $10,000 edition of the first Apple Watch, which was the stupidest thing ever. Luxury watches work because mechanical watches are essentially timeless. Digital rot ensures the Apple Watch will be unusuable in 3-4 years. I really don't think the Apple Watch was envisioned as a device for health, safety and fitness/activity. Some of that was present early but if you pay attention to the features and the marketing this really switched a few generations in. It seems like every generation gets a new feature. One got a (certified!) ECG. Now we have temperature sensors and crash protection. This trend will only continue. If someone can figure out how to get the watch to measure blood sugar it will be an absolute game changer for many people. There is a huge market for these kinds of devices. Lots of people live alone. Particularly old people have these Life Lock devices to help them in case they fall and can't get up. Is this really "selling fear"? Preventative medicine and emergency protection is a huge market. These things do happen. At some point I'm sure these devices will be able to detect the early signs of heart attacks or strokes. This absolutely provides value.

TrueGeek 4y ago
I hated the Apple Watch when it came out. It's just so ugly. It reminds me of the Hitchhikers to the Galaxy line about digital watches. If I'm going to wear a watch it's going to be analog. But I had to wear one for a few weeks while working on a mobile app. I ended up asking to keep it, I had no idea it would end up being so useful. It really let me cut down on my screen time. And the less you take your phone out of your pocket the less chance you get sucked into the "oh, while I'm on my phone let me bring up the social media site".
jfengel 4y ago
Even now, the Apple Watch can connect to a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor. A friend uses it, and finds it indispensable. A flick of the wrist and you know your glucose, and which direction it's going. It would be extraordinary if they could manage that without having to puncture the skin, but it's vastly easier and more effective than repeated finger pricking. The big needed improvement seems to be the insulin pump, which is great when it works but is finicky and requires frequent monitoring (and changing the infusion site, which is a rather distressing process to watch).

by jmyeet 4y ago

TrueGeek 4y ago

I hated the Apple Watch when it came out. It's just so ugly. It reminds me of the Hitchhikers to the Galaxy line about digital watches. If I'm going to wear a watch it's going to be analog. But I had to wear one for a few weeks while working on a mobile app. I ended up asking to keep it, I had no idea it would end up being so useful. It really let me cut down on my screen time. And the less you take your phone out of your pocket the less chance you get sucked into the "oh, while I'm on my phone let me bring up the social media site".

jfengel 4y ago

Even now, the Apple Watch can connect to a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor. A friend uses it, and finds it indispensable. A flick of the wrist and you know your glucose, and which direction it's going. It would be extraordinary if they could manage that without having to puncture the skin, but it's vastly easier and more effective than repeated finger pricking. The big needed improvement seems to be the insulin pump, which is great when it works but is finicky and requires frequent monitoring (and changing the infusion site, which is a rather distressing process to watch).