Rating: 
Summary: Great Toy
Review: Bought this watch in Vegas when it first came out, have had it for 3 weeks now and except for one static discharge where it went dead on me and I had to reboot it has been perfect
It does what it advertises and is very convenient, Messenger feature is a good enough reason alone to buy this watch
Rating: 
Summary: Not ready for prime-time or any time.
Review: Do yourself a favor - wait on this technology!I live in suburban Chicago - clearly within the published coverage area of MSN Direct service. I was unable to receive any signal with the watch. $179 is a lot to pay for a bulky digital watch. Be aware - it is quite a bit larger that it appears in the pictures and the strap is very cheap for a watch of this price. Also, it must be charged on a stand at least once per week (the stand is well made and has a great cool factor though) Technical support a Microsoft was simply no help. In one call they told me they were giving my case to a upper-level support tech who would work on it and call me. In my follow-up call (I initiated after not receiving a call), they stated that it must be the watch. They could not tell whether the network was up or down, or what an upper-level tech support person could do - maybe they are flying someone out to look at the watch. In conclusion - Unless you live in the HEART of a coverage area, do not count on the product working. If you have trouble, do not count on MS technical support. If you want to know what time it is, do not count on this watch.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this watch
Review: Don't buy the watch. Here are the criticisms in brief:
It's big and ugly. It crashes. The battery dies within 2 days of use without frequent charging so you can't travel without the big charger. It isn't water resistant. Half of them die within 24 hours from the time you get them out of the package. MSN tech support is horrible. The coverage is spotty. The text messaging is full of glitches. The amount of information that you can get is about what you would get from the marquee at a bank. The documentation is sparse. The price isn't justified, the subscription price isn't justified. Don't buy this watch. Amazon recently removed a half dozen reviews that detailed the serious flaws in these watches. These reviews were the most detailed, and thoughtful and received the most "helpful" votes. The star-rating was considerably lower before. I'm sure that their sales of these defective products went up immediately after removing the negative reviews. I am in awe that Amazon shows such disregard for their customers.
Rating: 
Summary: Nirvana, baby!
Review: Finally, a watch that tells more than time! If you gotta thick wrist (like most white men do), you gotta love this. It gives you uptodate news, stock quotes, weather updates (way cool, man!), and even your worthless daily schedules. Of course assuming you are still sane from information overload! This is better than your cell, man, cuz you can use it on that transUSA flight. I love this new gizmo! It runs MS software, but who cares. It's a Fossil watch!
Rating:
Summary: The first computer-data watch I will actually keep using
Review: First, I have to admit I am an incurable early adopter and gadget lover. But, regardless of that bias, I have to say this watch reaches a new level of usefulness (and coolness). (And no, I don't work for Microsoft or Fossil.) I have tried several other watches in the past that offered data storage and synching with PC data, either through a cable or through an infrared connection. I gave them up within days as clunky and impractical. With this watch, though, I can put it on, and (once the MSN Direct account was activated, which was easy)I can forget about it until I want to check the news, weather, stock quotes, time, calendar, etc. I don't have to take any steps such as dialing a cell phone to get the news; I just press a button and get headlines, and more of the story with another press. The functioning is quite user-friendly and intuitive; I have spent very little time with the reference manual. The radio signal has been fine inside my office building downtown, and I was easily able to send myself a text message from MSN. The subscription price is very reasonable. I don't mind at all sticking the watch on the charger every night; the instructions say there's no "memory" effect, so it's OK to charge it before the battery runs down. There have been some problems. The watch band is a little clumsy to manipulate, but it's manageable, and works OK with a little effort. The watch is a little big for my wrist, but after a couple of weeks I'm used to it, and it feels fine. The worst problem was that, after about a week, the watch stopped receiving the time signal or any data. I made numerous calls to MSN Direct tech support, and got through to them quickly, but they were unable to solve the problem. I think they were trying, but evidently were located somewhere halfway around the world, and had only minimal suggestions to make. Finally, with one quick call to Fossil, I found that the problem was that the metal band was not completely snapped together, and that the antenna therefore was not functioning. I don't recall seeing any mention of that issue in the documentation, which is not very thorough. Anyway, now it's working again with no problems. All in all, this is the type of product I have been waiting for. Having all this information so easily available on my wrist is, in my mind, a quantum leap forward in useful (and fun) technology. Maybe not everyone cares about having the exact time, brief weather information, and news headlines on their wrist, but if you do, you should appreciate this watch. The text messaging only allows a small number of words; so tell your friends to be brief! The bottom line is, it works, the service is not expensive, and it seems to be very reliable, at least in the Washington, DC metro area.
Rating:
Summary: A LOT more than the time...
Review: Given all the negative words written about these watches, I thought I'd chime in with a positive review (and no, I do not work for Fossil or Microsoft). I love it. Period. After wearing my Wrist Net Square for the past couple of weeks I can't imagine wearing a simple "watch" anymore. Being able to glance at my wrist and have access to news, stocks, weather, IMs, and my Outlook calendar appointments is nothing short of amazing. And yes, I do own a wireless-enabled PDA and cellphone, but there are plenty of times when using them is inappropriate or inconvienient. Mind you, keeping your expectations grounded in reality is helpful. You're not going to be receiving the entire NY Times on these watches, nor will they serve double duty as dedicated Bloomberg Stock feeds. If, however, you're looking for quick updates and news alerts, SPOT can't be beat. The display is crisp and clear, the backlight can double as a flashlight in a pinch, and the ability to change watch faces depending on mood/situations is a nice touch. Of course, it also functions quite nicely as a watch, with all the usual features present: dual alarms, stopwatch/lap timer, countdown timer, dual time... True, the band can be a bit of a pain to adjust, but it certainly doesn't require a trip to your local jeweler. Just use a thumbtack to push the pin in, and you're good to go. Now that mine is sized correctly, it's actually quite comfortable - and I have thin wrists for a guy, in spite of the fact that I'm six feet tall and weigh 170lbs. My advice to potential buyers: Don't cheap out, get a Fossil Square, Round, Dick Tracy, or Suunto. They won't crap out on you, and at least in the case of the Square, it actually looks cool (I've never received so many compliments on a watch - and that's before people see what it does). Also, be sure that you live in a supported area, and do not sign up for the yearly plan. You get a free month's service, so use it. See if the watch is useful to you before you commit to longer contract.
Rating:
Summary: immature technology: 4 resets / 24 hours, big billing issues
Review: Great idea, $5/month (annual subscription) is good deal for news, weather, your Outlook calendar, 15 stock tickers, very good user interface BUT:
1. My watch suffered up to 4 resets in 24 hours - it would just go to 12:00 noon and forget everything.
2. Once I returned the watch and cancelled my subsription, MSN kept charging me even though they acknowledged I did cancel the account. They also said they "can't" delete my credit card information from their records so they can't guarantee they won't "accidentally" charge me again... Also, over 10 minutes of waiting on line for a person to speak to. Really awful service. In short, great technology and I'll try it again but not for another 6-12 months - let it mature first on both technology and service. Also: watch design is VERY dorky and was too geeky even for for geekiest friends. you might want to wait for more "earthly" desings to come out.
Rating:
Summary: Fossil Spot - Ready and Able
Review: Had the Fossil watch for over a week now and it has performed flawlesly. Short of a wrist PDA, this is the next best thing. The screen is extremely readable and the backlight is very bright. Yes, the watch needs to be charged, but unless you insist on wearing it 24/7 this shouldn't be a challenge. The charging stand is well-designed - no wires to attach to the watch - just sit the watch on the ergonomic stand and you're set. The MSN site is well-designed and there is a good selection of data sources. One nice feature is that the MSN service provides a local news channel. I've had lots of static zaps over the past week with no problems to the watch. The band takes a little getting used to, but is comfortable. Basically, it's just a fun watch, and if you like the geek factor - it's there - but not THAT geekie that you'll be mistaken for a Borg. If you want data and appointments at your disposal without juggling a PDA or cellphone, this is an excellent alternative. The only small caveat is the coverage area, so make sure you go to the direct.msn.com website and check out your zipcode.
Rating:
Summary: Works Great For Me
Review: I absolutely LOVE this watch. I am able to get up to date news and weather (local, national and international for both), messages from friends via MSN messenger, synch (without plugging in) to Outlook, and get stock quotes (if I wanted to!). All this and a lot more. I have had more compliments for this watch than any other (antique Rolex included) - and that's before they see what this baby can do. I haven't been this excited about a new toy since I was a kid :) ! Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I brought this recently for my husband and I must say I think it is great. Everything right at your wrist. I am able to send him messages; get my lotto numbers; get my horoscope and he is able to keep up with his sports and select what teams he wants to get updates on. Excellent, Windy today, humidity, just look at your watch. Excellent. You do have to have a subcription for 60 a year. but its worth it. Your also able to change the face of your watch. COOL!
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