
Apple’s Watch Is Smarter, but My Casio Keeps Getting the Job Done - eigenschwarz
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/business/apple-watch-iphone-casio.html
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quake
About 5 years ago I bought probably the last watch I'd ever need. It's a solar
powered Casio with timezones, and the normal 'digital watch' accoutrements.
The little energy-saving details are fantastic. It has analog hands with a
small digital screen. Why waste energy on backlighting when you can use glow
in the dark paint that charges with the same light as the energy source? Too
dark or too still? Turn off the screen until you move the watch. There was a
time when it was in a drawer for a couple months while I was traveling, and
when I got it out and put it in the sun, it fired right back up, and adjusted
the time itself. I've seen it drop into a low charge maybe twice. It feels
like it's meant to last forever, and I believe it's probably some of the best
50 bucks I've ever spent.

I've used a Fitbit and a couple friends have Apple watches, but the entire
concept of charging an always connected timepiece just makes no sense to me.

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Waterluvian
How did it adjust its own time? I'm guessing GPS receiver?

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gargravarr
Casio have a brand called WaveCeptor that picks up radio time signals
transmitted from around the world; GPS is an enormous power-suck (receiver and
processing) so using it for time is impractical on a low-power device.

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mikestew
The Casio is from a time when there wasn’t a clock staring at you every time
you turn around. If the choice were Casio or nothing, I’d just stick with
nothing. A time keeping device on my wrist solves no problems for me (except
running, in which case the Garmin comes out). A Casio “gets the job done” in
the same way a buggy whip still gets the job done: it’s a job that kinda
doesn’t need doing anymore, at least for me.

If there were a wrist-worn device that can track my runs, open my garage door,
turn on the lights, remind me to water the neighbor’s plants tomorrow at noon,
play me some music and...oh, what the hell, tell me the time, too...THEN we’d
have something worth wearing on my wrist all day. Which is why I have an Apple
Watch and not a Casio.

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sieabahlpark
I've found that sometimes I want to know the time without pulling out my
phone, had a citizen eco drive that was solar, loved the thing until it just
created a rash on my wrist.

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Obsnold
I think this is why I like my dumb watch. I already spend too much time on my
phone and checking the time on it just triggers further procrastination.

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psadri
A relative of mine recently got an Apple Watch as a gift. He has since been
transformed by it. The health/fitness reminders/achievements are huge
motivators for him - he was fairly fit, but now he is in the best shape since
I have known him. Im thinking of getting one too :-)

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dpkonofa
This is the same for me. I don't know what it is about it but when I get the
notification that there's an award available for a certain holiday or season,
I _have_ to get it. I don't really even share that I've gotten the award or
tell people about it even though I should. Just the thought of not being able
to do one of these challenges physically makes me so much more motivated to do
every one of them. It's almost like I'm trying to prove to myself that I'm not
out of shape. Once that got me hooked, then I got to where I wanted to close
all my rings every day. Now, it's just something that isn't really an option
for me anymore unless I absolutely can't (because I'm on a long plane flight
or somehow otherwise incapacitated). I'm not in the best shape of my life but
I'm in much better shape than I have been in a very long time.

It's so stupid but this watch plus my AirPods are kinda life changing. I swear
I'm not being paid by Apple to say this, either. There are still some issues
obviously but, on the whole, it would take a lot to get me to stop wearing
this thing.

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gshakir
I too love the Apple Watch and the AirPods combination. Seems like the iPhone
is becoming the computer and the watch is the new smart phone.

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syntaxing
All I want is another Pebble...such a shame how the company folded and
"acquired" by Fitbit. I own a Versa and I can definitely see the similarity to
the Pebble app but it's not quite there. I wish Fitbit will bring back the
E-ink like screens.

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sp9301
I own two classic watches and a Fitbit Versa. Personally, found notifications
from the watch to be more distracting as a I try to escape my phone screen.
Additionally, having all that health data may seem like a blessing, but for me
it was just more worry in disguise. I’d constantly analyze the data, research
anomalies, and maybe even give myself health anxiety all while my health was
perfectly fine. Smart watches are certainly not for everyone!

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brlewis
I keep email notifications completely turned off, and only turn on app
notifications for a few select apps.

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kiba
I use my smartwatch(A fitbit versa) to tell me my heart's rough bpm, steps I
walked, notifications from my phone, time and as a stopwatch. I could
certainly take out my already 'obsolete' smartphone, but the wristwatch is a
more convenient form.

That's it.

All I wanted is e-ink for longer battery life so that I can charge less, and
bluetooth that actually fucking work.

I wasted so much time trying to troubleshoot bluetooth issues to sometime to
no avail.

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dpkonofa
I used to be a huge fan of the FitBit. I've got multiple FitBits from multiple
product lines (meaning I have more than 1 of the same device for multiple
devices) and I have all the accessories that went with them (Aria scale,
watches, etc.). Every single one of them has been replaced either under
warranty or purchased specifically to replace another device that failed
within the first six months of the 1-year warranty. The customer support has
been pretty fair about replacing them and even replaced one that we admitted
accidentally went through the washer because we had emailed about the same
issue while it was in warranty still.

But... I'm over the regular hassle of everything just suddenly not working at
all. On some of them it's the strap which is less of a deal. On others it's
the display. On other things it's the motion sensing. On another it's the
pairing and bluetooth. Everything is just such a headache that, cumulatively,
I couldn't do it anymore. The fact that they also don't sync to anything
except their own portal unless you pay for a third-party app to connect to it
is another nail in the coffin.

Haven't so far and don't ever plan to go back to the FitBit world. Once this
latest scale and tracker die, I'm out.

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rufius
I recently went back to traditional watches because I was frustrated with
being able to control notifications in a granular way.

Ultimately, I need the time, preferably in two time zones, and the date. I've
got a GMT watch now and a Casio I use for when I'm working on the house of in
the yard.

I like my Apple Watch for workout tracking, but that's the only mileage it
gets these days.

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dpkonofa
What's your use case for the notifications? I took some time to pick which
notifications get sent where and it helps me keep off social media and keeps
me focused on what I'm doing. If it doesn't come to the watch, it's not
important and if it comes to phone and watch, then it's not time-sensitive and
I can respond whenever. If it just comes on the phone, then it's an alert for
a game or something mindless that I only care about when I'm bored.

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rufius
It's not so much a problem with the watch as it's not really in line with the
way I want to interact with my watch.

As I've gotten busier, I prefer a pull model, not a push. I block off parts of
my day and don't want to be disturbed. It became a hassle to police and that's
okay.

I originally bought it to give me a better sense of my activity level. I now
understand that and will continue to use it for workouts but it's just not
interesting as an every day wear sorta thing.

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dpkonofa
Hmm... you can't set up Do Not Disturb to turn on during those times? I'm not
trying to be argumentative, I'm just surprised because I've experienced the
exact opposite. As I've gotten busier, the watch has helped me prioritize what
contact is important and what's not. My wife, for example, can always contact
me, even if I'm in DnD. No one else can, though.

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gullywhumper
The two features I probably find most valuable with my Apple Watch are that
it's usually easier look at my wrist to see if I'm getting an important call
rather than having to dig into my pocket, jacket, or bag to find the phone,
and then I wake up 1.5 hours earlier than my wife and the vibrating alarm
means I'm much less disruptive.

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dfee
Question from a non-Apple watch user, but an interested prospective consumer:
if you have to charge your watch at night, how do you use it to wake you up?

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gedy
It charges very quickly, and I usually charge before bed, during shower, etc.

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GhostVII
I prefer my Hamilton Khaki. Never needs a new battery, and looks nice and
clean. About the same price as an Apple watch for almost none of the
functionality, but I really like the idea of a mechanism keeping almost
perfect time, just powered by the movements of my arm.

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mdibiase
Beautiful watch. On top of looking good, it will never be 'outdated'. Your
average _insert here smartwatch_ will be outdated in 2 years as technology
evolves.

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tasogare
I've a series 2 Apple Watch and it surprisingly still do its job well. I don't
except much from it, and it even became better with time with new watchOS
releases.

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gshakir
I don’t know what is the point here in comparing to a regular watch. Does the
Casio allow one to leave the phone behind and pick up a call on watch and
AirPods ? Does it slightly nudge if you have sitting too long in an hour?

Clearly Apple Watch is meant more for that.

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forgottenpass
>I don’t know what is the point here in comparing to a regular watch.

The author is questioning the utility of doing all that bullshit from
something strapped to his wrist.

>Clearly Apple Watch is meant more for that.

You don't say?

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kalleboo
Bah, newfangled DIGITAL watch!? Kids these days... What's wrong with winding
up your watch every now and then? And he even admits when it breaks he just
throws it away and buys a new one! In MY day, watches were built to last for
generations! Why did they have to fix what wasn't broke with all these
electronics!

(looking forward to the day when I'm the one clinging to my old-fashioned
Apple Watch, complaining about the kids with their wrist live-tattoos or
eyeball implants or god knows what is coming)

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SamReidHughes
Sir, disposable watches have been put together with rivets and spot welds
since time immemorial.

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aaron695
I must admit I bought a F-91W just because it's the terrorist watch, but after
wearing it a few times got sold and haven't taken it off.

I forgot the pleasure of wearing a simple watch.

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SN76477
There is so much to be said about mature technology.

I still carry and pen and paper everywhere I go smart phone be damned.

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stevesimmons
> SN76477

... Ah, you're a sound chip! I had one of those. The sweet memories of teenage
electronics projects circa 1985...

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SN76477
Thanks for noticing!

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lucas_membrane
I've got the solar-powered Casio that synchronizes with WWV every night, and
it is splendid. However, I have read that WWV is going QRT this year. Is that
so? When?

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tempo33
Pedantically its WWVB, the LW digital code version, not WWV the SW station.
WWV/H/B were at risk for defunding, but their funding was renewed.

