6 ms·

Apple's digital crown mess

5 points by ricw 11y ago

dianeivy 11y ago
Seems like as long as the hardware doesn't crash - apple can do no wrong in the consumers' eyes.
- mands 11y ago
  Aesthetically it's great - but that user interface just seems incredibly confusing to me. Perhaps it works when you use it in person. Does anyone know how the Android Wear UI compares?
  - JohnTHaller 11y ago
    In this iteration at least, Android Wear has taken an Apple (simple) approach and Apple Watch has taken an Android-of-old approach (more complex). Android Wear doesn't have an app launcher except for a buried start feature in the options menu. Android Wear is not supposed to be used to launch apps. It's supposed to be an accessory to your phone, showing you phone notifications and allowing you to respond and address things that pop up. It is mainly interacted with by vibrating and showing you a notification and swiping it away. Or by talking to it by holding it up at the angle you'd look at a watch and saying OK Google followed by "Text Susan I'll be 5 minutes late" or "When did Georgia become a state" or "How do I get to the nearest post office". For the final one, a single tap confirms that you want to enter navigation mode. One of my friends loves his. I got one for developing but haven't used it much. The array of app icons and the crown on the Apple Watch makes it seem like it's trying to take over functionality that is much better handled by your phone with its larger, more mature UI. Perhaps the end goal is that Apple Watch is supposed to be more of a standalone device, which is why it has beefier hardware and a much beefier price tag (starting at $349 as opposed to the $80 I got my LG G Watch for).
tammer 11y ago
I find it funny that in all of these critiques of the watch's complexity the comparison is always to an iPhone/iPad. Compare it to the type of watch the average consumer might buy. "Hold buttons A & C for 8 seconds then press button B 6 times to set the alarm" etc. This thing is lightyears ahead in terms of usability.
- donkeyd 11y ago
  Or compare it to a competitor, like Pebble. Pebble has 4 hardware buttons and works very intuitively.
  - tammer 11y ago
    I don't think Apple sees Pebble as a competitor. In terms of sales, you can find their competitors right here.[1] [1]: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Watches/zgbs/watches http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Watches/zgbs/watches
    - donkeyd 11y ago
      So you really think they see a $5 quartz watch as a competitor for a $400 smart watch? Also, Pebble is "#1 Best Seller in Women's Wrist Watches" on Amazon.

5 points by ricw 11y ago

dianeivy 11y ago

Seems like as long as the hardware doesn't crash - apple can do no wrong in the consumers' eyes.

mands 11y ago
Aesthetically it's great - but that user interface just seems incredibly confusing to me. Perhaps it works when you use it in person. Does anyone know how the Android Wear UI compares?
- JohnTHaller 11y ago
  In this iteration at least, Android Wear has taken an Apple (simple) approach and Apple Watch has taken an Android-of-old approach (more complex). Android Wear doesn't have an app launcher except for a buried start feature in the options menu. Android Wear is not supposed to be used to launch apps. It's supposed to be an accessory to your phone, showing you phone notifications and allowing you to respond and address things that pop up. It is mainly interacted with by vibrating and showing you a notification and swiping it away. Or by talking to it by holding it up at the angle you'd look at a watch and saying OK Google followed by "Text Susan I'll be 5 minutes late" or "When did Georgia become a state" or "How do I get to the nearest post office". For the final one, a single tap confirms that you want to enter navigation mode. One of my friends loves his. I got one for developing but haven't used it much. The array of app icons and the crown on the Apple Watch makes it seem like it's trying to take over functionality that is much better handled by your phone with its larger, more mature UI. Perhaps the end goal is that Apple Watch is supposed to be more of a standalone device, which is why it has beefier hardware and a much beefier price tag (starting at $349 as opposed to the $80 I got my LG G Watch for).

tammer 11y ago

I find it funny that in all of these critiques of the watch's complexity the comparison is always to an iPhone/iPad. Compare it to the type of watch the average consumer might buy. "Hold buttons A & C for 8 seconds then press button B 6 times to set the alarm" etc. This thing is lightyears ahead in terms of usability.

donkeyd 11y ago
Or compare it to a competitor, like Pebble. Pebble has 4 hardware buttons and works very intuitively.
- tammer 11y ago
  I don't think Apple sees Pebble as a competitor. In terms of sales, you can find their competitors right here.[1] [1]: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Watches/zgbs/watches http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Watches/zgbs/watches
  - donkeyd 11y ago
    So you really think they see a $5 quartz watch as a competitor for a $400 smart watch? Also, Pebble is "#1 Best Seller in Women's Wrist Watches" on Amazon.