Microsoft is releasing their fitness band, called the Microsoft Band, available today for $200.
I was never into the smartwatch fad (I really see it as a fad as opposed to a "trend"), but this looks like an awesome device. The fact that this is being advertised as a fitness band actually makes it look way cooler than the ugly, boxy, clunky smartwatches already available. Also, it is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
Good on Microsoft for actually making an interesting product that is cross platform. Anyone else interested in this or other fitness devices?
(I deleted my original thread on this when I forgot to put the NFT tag. Gotta get with the bbi rules :)
Microsoft Band - (
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I guess all future iterations of smartwatches could benefit from being smaller. But with this device, I think Microsoft could become relevant in the wearables category real quick and get ahead of the competition.
I'm actually surprised they even released this thing, it goes completely against the corporate vision that Nadella has laid out for the post-Ballmer MS. Maybe it was too far along to completely scrap, but who cares about this thing?
I'm actually surprised they even released this thing, it goes completely against the corporate vision that Nadella has laid out for the post-Ballmer MS. Maybe it was too far along to completely scrap, but who cares about this thing?
Interesting viewpoint here. I agree that Microsoft hasn't been successful with several of their product releases, but this is the first time I've actually been interested in a fitness tracker/smartwatch/wearable device. And with that market still being relatively new, I think Microsoft has a chance here.
Seems like the really big play here is the Microsoft Heath service and they probably felt they needed their own widget to drive that.
MS is very late to the party and doesn't have a large enough population on their proprietary software to drive anyone to purchase it. That it is cross-plat compatible really tells you all you need to know about MS's rather dismal performance in the consumer market.
The price is also an issue, as you can get a comparable Fit Bit for $50 less (allowing that they figured out how to stop giving people rashes with their materials).
You hit it on the head - its pushing a platform (MS Health). This will do horrible numbers, but may get some to pickup their software/app platform.
Eh, like with everything, they'll market it like shit. I can see it now: posters of the device against an aggressively off-putting green background. TV Commercials that either a) show the device being worn by a nerdy guy with his polo shirt tucked into his khakis, b) show it worn by some pseudo-alternative girl who spouts some impotently female-empowering line about the product while a Katy Perry song plays in the background, or c) show the device next to its Apple competitor and take potshots at it that just sound desperate.
If they can screw up Zune, they can screw up everything.
Reading comments from tech sites, people genuinely seem positive about Microsoft Band. And that may not necessarily mean much since the same happened with Surface and we know what happened there. Also, a few nerd/geek comments on a tech site don't accurately represent the consumer population, but it still may be a positive note for Microsoft. We'll see I guess.
If anything, I can see the iWatch making this category mainstream, no matter how late their release. Microsoft just can't beat Apple's mindshare.
Reading comments from tech sites, people genuinely seem positive about Microsoft Band. And that may not necessarily mean much since the same happened with Surface and we know what happened there.
I'm sure they are, but positive reviews don't have nearly the same powers of persuasion as marketing campaigns, product design, and even packaging. Apple has MS beat on all three counts handedly and always will.
I wish this weren't the case, I really do. I use a Surface Pro 3 for work. For the most part, it's lived up to the "Tablet that can replace a laptop" thing, though its screen is a tad too small to truly do so as a work device for long periods of time. I had a Zune HD and absolutely loved it until they replaced it with Xbox Music one year later. I've got two models of the Windows Phone, but also a Nexus 4 that I use much more frequently. Microsoft can make really good products, but internally they're such a clusterfuck that they can't commit to fully developing any of them.
I think this fitness band will likely fail in the market. First, it looks very clunky and lacks sleakness. Second, because of the led screen and electronic processing it does it will need a recharge every 2 days. Its ugly, expensive and inconvenient.
Microsoft is making a mistake if they think the functionality of the band alone will create sales. No one wants to pay $200 to have something count how many steps they take. For that money most people looking to monitor their workout would just join a Planet Fitness or put a down payment on a treadmill.
Reading comments from tech sites, people genuinely seem positive about Microsoft Band. And that may not necessarily mean much since the same happened with Surface and we know what happened there. Also, a few nerd/geek comments on a tech site don't accurately represent the consumer population, but it still may be a positive note for Microsoft. We'll see I guess.
If anything, I can see the iWatch making this category mainstream, no matter how late their release. Microsoft just can't beat Apple's mindshare.
The surface pro 3 is doing very well. You should probably eliminate that from your negative assertion.
http://www.windowscentral.com/
http://www.windowscentral.com/
Oh man, that sucks. That's just more people who will be irritated when MS changes/downgrades the service substantially.