It's possible to imagine an ideal Glass device (basically indistinguishable from normal glasses) and how that could be integrated into daily life. But it's hard to imagine how the ideal Watch, when it's finally implemented, would be drastically different than what it offers now; given its inherently small screen and its physical attachment to your wrist, what could a 5mm thin, 8-week-on-a-single-charge, heavily developer-supported Watch change how we use a watch-like device...and how would those changes compare in magnitude versus the changes brought by similar advancements in phone and eyewear technology?
I think the Apple Watch is really cool and I want one. But I'm very much like the author. I hate being ostentatious and I don't want to wear something that will be very noticeable.
The author was still willing to risk it in order to give it a try. There's nothing wrong with that.
(Also, for me the usually-off screen is sort of a dealbreaker, because it really harms the aesthetics of the watch when the screen is off.)
I live in NYC
Generally with jewellery you would expect someone to say something like "that's a nice ring," not "hey is that the new Apple Watch? Can I try it on?"
Of course the latter will fade with time. So if that's her biggest complaint then I imagine it won't exist in a few months.
I thought about it quite a bit before the launch and decided against it. The reason is the same reason I haven't gone for any of these: AW is putting all its effort into being something that it's not (a fashionable watch) instead of being the best of what it is (wearable arm tech).
The watch started out as a utility on the arm and evolved into the time masterpiece or fashion piece that it is today. These 'watches' are attempting to skip all of that evolution instead of defiantly re-evaluating what a modern utility on the arm could be.
I'm personally in agreement with the author but not for the same reasons. I think the AW, Android Gear and what-have-you are definitely going to fizzle out in face of some future revolutionary device, possibly before then: people are going to grudgingly realize that they have a phone in their pocket and that they don't need another one on their arm.
I'd have camped out overnight for something like this: http://toddham.com/blog/iwatch-concept/
That's technology! Exactly the type of revolution I was implying.
The right answer to wearable tech is less interaction. The value has to be in the device presenting you the right 1-second functionality at the right time. (ala notification triage, Apple Pay, and the laundry list of Home Kit integration that's still TBD)
At best, they come off as immature ramblings.
BTW I know 5 years ago many people didn't wear watches then. I'm talking about the relative trend of significantly decreased watch wearing and buying coinciding with the rise of the smartphone.
How do you know you are wearing your Apple Watch?
Everyone will ask you about it.
And they are all looking for me to tell them that it's great, that it's wonderful, and that it changed my life. And when I don't, they inevitably have a glint of disappoint in their eyes.
If I have something which catches attention I don't want and want to end that line of conversation, I introduce the conversation kill switch. I found it at a garage sale, I got it at jc pennys or tj max. I have no idea what brand it is.
No, she's actually doing the inverse of what she claims to want to do. She's calling attention to herself by announcing how she goes out of her way to not call attention to herself.
Reporters, as if their life wasn't about small talk and schmoozing.
--"Granted, all of this would likely pale in importance if the watch were truly transforming my life, as my iPhone has"
--"And the small screen is simply too small to really read on ... when I saw a headline, all I wanted to do was find the rest of the story"
Those sounds like valid points to me.
It suffered from the additional issue of negative social interaction - some people (luckily none that I've run into) are really opposed to face-phone (Glass) as opposed to in-your-pocket-or-hand-phone. I don't really understand why people think you're invading their privacy just because of an unusual device form factor.
So it's not about the form factor, but the fact that in case of google glass, the camera is pointing on your head!