Before I tell you why I love it, let me tell you about the one bad Watch experience...buying it!
I set an alarm for 1:50AM (central, midnight Pacific) the morning pre-orders for the Watch began, giving myself 10 minutes to wake up and shake off the cobwebs. I already had my 42mm stainless steel model with the Milanese loop band pre-configured and saved to my favorites in the on-line Apple Store. So, I got up in the middle of the night, drained my lizard, sat down at my iMac, logged into the Apple Store, opened up my iPad and launched the Apple Store app. (Belt AND suspenders. Just in case. Having had difficulty getting Apple’s on-line store to cooperate in the past, I took the advice of iMore’s Rene Ritchie who suggested the iOS Apple Store App works better for big launches like this when the web store can get choked with traffic.) Anyway. By this time it was 1:57. I called up my favorites on both devices and tried to pre-order my Watch. The button was still greyed-out on both. Well, it was still a couple minutes early. I tried again at 1:59. The same. I watched the seconds count down to 02:00. The iPad app…no luck, grey. iMac, the same. Back to the iPad. Grey. iMac…I got a button! It’s now 2:04. I clicked. Nothing happened. Clicked again. Nothing. It’s 2:06. Back to the iPad. Refreshed. Got a button! Click! BINGO!!!
Estimated delivery: 4 – 6 weeks.
Whaaaaa?
But, it’s only 2:08!!!????
Do I dare try another model? A different band?
Sigh…
Click “Confirm”
I go outside on the patio deck and have a smoke. I’m thinking, “WTF?, I get up in the middle of the night to be (at least) close to the front of the line to no avail. Instead of getting my new, shiny Watch on release day, April 24th , mine isn’t coming till sometime between May 13th and May 27th. I look to the stars and ponder this mystery of the universe. (Not really, that’s bullshit. I just yawned, had another smoke and went back to sleep, pissed off.)
Sure enough, I didn’t get my watch on release day, but it did arrive a little sooner than the web site originally predicted. On Friday, May 8th 2015 at 11:14AM I took possession of my version of Apple’s latest world changer. OK, that does seem a little melodramatic, but signing the UPS or FedEx handheld device upon receipt of a new Apple product is always exciting. That’s especially true when the product isn’t just new, but also the first of a new category like my original iPad in 2010 or the original iPhone in 2007. It just doesn’t happen that often. No, I wasn’t the first to own an Watch, but I was the first of anyone I knew and probably the first in my small town.
I’m not here to do a detailed review of the device. If you want a review just Google “Apple Watch Review” and pick one of the thousands of results. Generally, for product reviews I like Macworld, Mac|Life, 9to5Mac and The Mac Observer, but your experience may vary. Like every newly-released Apple product, the Watch has generated millions of words of descriptions, reviews, critiques, analysis, scrutiny, complaints, bashing…
Well, you get the picture. If it’s a feature-by-feature analysis of the Watch you’re after, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one or thirty.
But like I said a few minutes ago, I love it. Here’s 10 reasons why:
- It saves me lots of time and effort by reducing the need to get my iPhone out of my pocket. I use my Watch to quickly screen incoming info like checking email, text, calendar notifications, the weather, stock ticker and, oh yes, answering the occasional phone call. That's 20 or 30 times I don'd get my iPhone out of my pocket per day.
- Because of that, my iPhone battery life is phenomenal!
- Pay is a great way to purchase things and using the Watch makes it:
a. Twice as fast (you just double-press the watch button and wave your wrist at the NFC machine.)
b. Twice as cool! (People working cash registers were just getting over being bug-eyed when I use Pay with my iPhone. Now they’re even more amazed. I even drew a small crowd at my local sporting goods store the other day and wound up doing an Watch demo for about half a dozen store employees and other customers. I know the cool factor will wear off soon, but hey, I’ll enjoy showing off for a while till it does. - Controlling AirPlay with the Remote app on the Watch is extremely handy. Right now the app doesn’t do as much as I’d like, but hey, it’s version 1.0. You can select which iTunes library you want to control, which AirPlay device (or devices) you’d like to stream to, manage the volume, play, pause skip forward and back. Come to think of it, that’s quite a bit for a damned watch!
- Using Siri on the Watch is a great experience. Before I got my Watch, I didn’t use Siri all that much. Generally, I occasionally asked Siri to set an alarm or a timer. Once in a while I’d ask her to dial someone like, “Call my wife’s iPhone.”, but Siri was way under utilized for the most part. The Watch changed all that. Given the absence of another input method, getting things done on the Watch damn near requires Siri. Finding, then tapping an icon on the watch’s home screen is problematic for someone with sausage fingers and failing eyesight like myself. Raising my wrist and saying, “Hey Siri, open Stocks.” Is much easier and much faster. I don’t think Siri got drastically better with the release of the Watch, rather I think I just discovered how good she is as a result of being forced to use her.
- Taking a phone call on my wrist is extremely cool. Does this really need explanation? C’mon, who hasn’t fantasized about doing the Dick Tracy thing? I really hope Apple decides to put FaceTime on the watch. Hey, if you’re gonna Dick Tracy…Dick Tracy, right?
- Now, I rarely miss a notification. The Watch is so damned convenient, reading notifications happens almost subconsciously. I get a gentle tap on the wrist, a quick glance and done. On my iPhone getting a notification requires a) I hear or see it when it arrives and b) I’m in a position to view it (not driving or in a meeting, etc.) That’s another pet peeve of mine. Nothing pisses me off more than sitting in a meeting that I’ve taken valuable time out of my day for only to have one or more of the attendees bust out their phone and start reading or tapping away. I feel like getting up, walking out and telling everyone to call me when they have time for a meeting. I can watch people ignore me at home.
- The Camera Remote app. This is more of an infrequently used utility, but one that is cool beyond belief for a tech freak like myself. Using the watch as the iPhone camera’s viewfinder and shutter button does have occasional utility, but what’s really geeky cool is using this app to see around corners and into tight places. Have you ever needed to plug in a cable on the back of a computer that’s situated under a desk or in a tight spot? How long do you try to do it by feel before dismantling things so you can see what you’re doing? Well, now I use my iPhone as my eyes behind the computer, viewing everything on my watch! C’mon! You gotta believe that’s cool. That’s the kind of thing only James Bond had just a couple of years ago!
- I’m an Apple guy and a watch guy. I spend a large portion of my day within Apple’s ecosystem, be it on one of my Macs, my iPhone, iPad or AppleTV. Additionally, I’ve always worn a watch and consider myself a fan. While I’ve never seen the value in a multi-thousand dollar Rolex, I do enjoy wearing my Citizen Eco Drive chronograph and Eco Drive Diver. In my mind, owning the Watch is just the next logical step. I wear it all the time. The only exception is when I’m showering or swimming. I have seen the YouTube video of the Watch surviving a dive to the bottom of the swimming pool, but I’m not willing to take a chance just yet. Those instances aside, the Watch has quickly become an integral part of my daily routine.
- I like showing off. I touched on this earlier, but I’m not too proud to admit I get pleasure from being an early adopter. I got the first iPhone and first iPad. I know it’s hard to imagine now, but both those devices drew a lot of attention when they first hit the street. There’s a certain exclusivity to be enjoyed for a while. That’s why I rarely wait ‘till version 2 for anything even if it may be smart to do so. I enjoy being the first with a new toy and yes, I usually buy version 2 also.
Do I recommend the Watch? Absolutely! I own Apple stock, so I hope everybody buys one. Hell, I hope everybody buys two or three!