Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (AU4000)

Amazon.com Review

It's a great idea, and, for the most part a great product: a watch that keeps time with atomic clock accuracy and displays useful, timely information. The Smart Watch gives you stock prices, news, and weather, and personal messages, all right on your watch face. You get all that stuff on your cell phone already, right? But the idea of the Smart Watch though is that it offers this information in glanceable form, and on a device that is always at hand. Simplicity and unobtrusiveness are key--you can rapidly navigate through all the different types of information quickly, and immediately read your text messages the moment they arrive with a discreet little beep.

MSN Direct is the subscription service that broadcasts data to the Smart Watch via an FM signal. The first thing you have to do when you get your watch is set up an account and customize your information channels. It's a fairly quick process, though you have to jump through a few Microsoft hoops (like getting a .NET Passport). Immediate gratification junkies should be warned, however, that you most likely won't start getting any data until about 12 or more hours after set up. Also, the channels are very much a work in progress--the news I was getting initially had a random quality to it, but more recently the watch's timeliness has compared favorably with CNN.com in breaking major stories.

Information delivered to your watch includes:

Stock quotes: Get updates on the stocks you care about, as well as information on the major high-volume stocks and indices. News: Get headlines and the full text of local, national, international, business, entertainment, sports, health, and travel news stories.

Time: Wrist Net watches display the current time, automatically updated for different time zones, and include a chronometer, an alarm, and a timer. You can choose from a wide variety of watch faces for just the right look. Weather: Get the latest reports for cities all over the world. Local city weather information includes current conditions, a three-day forecast, sunrise and sunset information, humidity, barometric pressure, and ultraviolet (UV) index.

Text messages: Receive messages from friends and family through MSN Messenger version 6.0 or later. Sports: Continuous sports updates keep consumers current on game times, scores, pre- and post-game stories, and standings for their favorite collegiate and professional sports teams.

Daily Diversions: Currently, consumers can select from Word of the Day, Quote of the Day, Born on This Day, and This Day in History. Horoscope: Consumers can receive a personalized horoscope based on their specific time and place of birth.

The need to recharge frequently--a single charge will last two to seven days, depending on usage--has some users unhappy, but for me it is a non-issue. You charge the watch by simply placing it on its cradle, so if you set the cradle up wherever you stash the watch at night, the watch will always be charged.

There are a few real drawbacks, however, most prominent (literally) being the size of the watch, which is on the humongous side of fashionably chunky. Another downer is the strap which is hard to close and, since it contains the watch's antenna, tends to spring open. The most serious complaint however is that reception can be sporadic--there were entire days that I got no new data at all. When MSN Direct improves service--and it has shown signs of doing so since the watch launched--they will have a truly revolutionary product on their hands (and the nation's wrists). --David Stoesz

Pros

Geek factor is through the roof
Intuitive navigation
Recharging is a snap

Cons

It's HUGE
Coverage can be sporadic
Strap is unwieldy

Amazon.com Product Description

The Wrist Net watch with MSN Direct receives information wirelessly, so you're in the know while on the go. Find everything from stock quotes to the latest news, all at a glance. Along with a glanceable, seamless connection to your world, there are tons of watch faces to choose from, for just the look you want. Set-up is easy: simply charge up, activate your watch online, and set up the content channels you want. A subscription to MSN Direct--available in top cities across the U.S. and Canada--is required to take full advantage of all watch features.

FAQ

What's included?
Wrist Net Smart Watch, Reference Guide, Quick Start Guide, Charger, and AC Adapter.

What is MSN Direct?
MSN Direct is a new, specialized wireless service that delivers personalized information through an FM network. Watches with MSN Direct provide you timely, glanceable information conveniently available at the flick of a wrist. Stay connected to the information that matters to you most, including news, weather, stocks, personal messages, appointment reminders, and more. Find the latest info and get a subscription at www.msndirect.com.

How do I set the time on my watch?
MSN Direct uses an atomic clock (an extremely precise timekeeping device that uses atomic measurement for absolute accuracy) as its time standard, and broadcasts this time to your watch over local FM radio waves. You do not need to set the time your watch will automatically receive the time and remain accurate. If you travel to another time zone, your watch will update to the correct local time, as long as you are within an MSN Direct coverage area. If you are outside an MSN Direct coverage area, you may need to manually set the time on your watch.

How will I know when my watch is activated?
To activate your watch with the MSN Direct service, go to the MSN Direct Web site -- www.msndirect.com -- and click Activate. Follow the instructions on your screen to activate MSN Direct and personalize the content you want to receive. Once you complete this process, the service will send a Welcome message to your watch. When you receive the Welcome message, your watch has been activated. After the message arrives, your watch will continue to receive other configuration information to complete its initial setup. The activation and configuration process is complete when the channels on your watch match those you have selected on the Web site. This initial process may take several hours to complete. To see the available channels on your watch, press the Channel button repeatedly.

How do I replace or recharge the battery in my watch?
The battery in your watch is rechargeable, not replaceable. To recharge your watch, simply place it on the charger supplied by your watch manufacturer. For more information, see the user manual that came with your watch. Recharging your watch may take up to 2 hours. For best results, we recommended that you recharge your watch daily.

How often do I need to recharge my watch?
Your watch battery will run 3-7 days on a single charge, depending on usage. For best results, we recommend that you recharge your watch daily. You can recharge your watch at any time. There is no need to wait for the battery to drain completely. For more information about your watch battery capacity and recharging your watch, see the user manual that came with your watch.

What happens when I leave an MSN Direct coverage area?
When you travel to a different MSN Direct coverage area, your watch is automatically updated to the new time zone and information such as local news and weather are updated for your new location. And no matter what, your watch will always work as a watch, continuing to tell time. Information you already received will remain on your watch.

How do I view more information on a news story?
On the MSN Direct Web site, click the Channels tab, click News, and then click View Latest News. To view an entire article, click Read Full Article for the article you are interested in. To sort alphabetically by headline, click Headline at the top of the list. To sort by date, click Date. To sort alphabetically by news category, click Category. Note: You may see articles on the MSN Direct Web site that you never saw on your watch. These articles may have cycled through your watch before you had a chance to read them. If you want to increase the number of news articles stored on your watch, go to the News Settings mode of the News channel.

Does my watch automatically adjust for time zones and daylight savings time?
Yes. MSN Direct references an atomic clock (an extremely precise timekeeping device that uses atomic measurement for absolute accuracy) as its time standard, and broadcasts this time to your watch over local FM radio waves. Your watch should automatically receive the time and remain accurate, without needing to be set by you. If you travel to another time zone, your watch should update itself automatically with the correct local time, as long as you are within an MSN Direct coverage area.

Customer Reviews:

MSN still supports this watch.......2007-05-05

MSN Direct still supports this watch; personal info gets sent to me just fine.

Discontinued support?.......2006-11-27

It looks like MSN Direct may have discontinued support for this particular watch. They had disabled my watch even though I still had about 9 months left on my account. Then, when I tried to re-add my watch, I lost access to the msn direct website. Now everytime I try to go to the website, with the watch listed on my account, I get an error and it won't let me do anything. If I delete the watch from my account, I can access the site fine. Can't ever get a hold of MSN Direct to find out what's wrong. I wouldn't buy this watch if you want the customization features.

great watch for 8 months.......2005-11-04

Great watch for 8 months. No problems until this week when it would not hold charge for more than 6 hours. Seems the battery or charging ciruit is not functioning fully. Called FOSSIL for help: send the watch in (my cost~10$) and include a money order for 10$ return. Seeing that the watch was only worth 50$ it hardly seems worth it, except for the 4 months remaining of my ~25$ year suscription to MSN direct. Like the watch, hope it would have lasted longer... RIP ABACUS.

It worked. It failed. It worked........2005-07-23

The watch set-up seemed to take too long. It didn't get the signals, etc. but finally began working. It worked fine for about a month. Then after taking off a jacket that occasionally generates static, the watch stopped working. It had a blank screen. That's when I found out the hard way that static drives it crazy. I waited, hoping the watch would cure itself. It didn't. I tried to charge it. It didn't help. I read that some people take out the battery to reset it. After a few months of having a blank screen I opened the watch. Messing with the battery looked like too much of a job. So, I closed up the watch and put it on the charger. Nothing, again. I stick the watch in a drawer for a couple months. I put it on the charger. Nothing. I put in the drawer for another few months. I notice from my credit card bill that I am now getting charged $10 a month for the "service." Before cancelling the service. It put the watch on the charger and amazingly enough it started charging. The first charge and use was wierd, but after the second recharge it began acting normally. Well, it has now been about six weeks and it seems to be working fine. And I have no idea why. My guess is that the battery had to go totally 100% dead before it would "reset."

So to me it is a fine watch when it is working, and a pile of junk when it isn't.

Bad Idea, Bad Implimentation.......2004-12-29

This is just another gadget that MSN and others have come up with to make some easy money. If you really think that this is a good idea by these companies just send them money directly for R & D. Most likely the money will go toward stock options and more marketing hype. Don't bother with the S&H and the frustration of the junk you just bought. Hope they can get a better product in the future.

The huge watch is quite useless. You can get the same information easily on the net or over the radio w/o the $60 per year fee. Only works where there is the FM signal. Needs to be charged every other day. btw, you must remove it do recharge with magnetic coupled charger.

Not guaranteed to work where you live. You have a local area, so if you travel you can encure more fees like a cell phone.

The only nice thing is that you do not have to set the time (usually). Other watches do that as well. Gee, I bought an alarm clock for $14 that does the same. And, oh yeah, it gets PRI and NPR as well for the information I need within ten minutes.

One star only because I had to give it some rating.

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3001)

Average customer rating:

3rd defective and counting...
immature technology: 4 resets / 24 hours, big billing issues
Functional but Unconfortable
Sorry, not quite ready for prime time...
Smart Watch!

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3001)

Manufacturer: Fossil
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

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Product Features:

Stocks, news, personal messages, and more--delivered wirelessly to your watch
One of the first devices to use MSN Direct, a wireless subscription service
Automatically updates to the correct local time when you travel
Customizable data channels and watch faces
Syncs up with your Outlook calendar

ASIN: B000153MWW

Amazon.com Review

Information delivered to your watch includes:

Pros

Geek factor is through the roof
Intuitive navigation
Recharging is a snap

Cons

It's HUGE
Coverage can be sporadic
Strap is unwieldy

Amazon.com Product Description

FAQ

What's included?
Wrist Net Smart Watch, Reference Guide, Quick Start Guide, Charger, and AC Adapter.

Customer Reviews:

3rd defective and counting..........2004-10-09

I was quite interested in having a 'news ticker +' on my wrist all day. I would like to say that the MSN Direct service is pretty good for what is is meant to do, and that is provide interesting information in an otherwise boring day.

BUT- Fossil needs to figure out what is wrong with the Wrist net watches. Like clockwork, I have had to return two (and as of tonight, three) of the Wrist net-Round watches for the exact same symptoms. The watch will 'reboot' itself randomly prohibiting your ability to tell time until a signal is again received. The event seems to occur approximately 45-55 days after you activate the watch. Perhaps it is just circumstancial, but it is the exact pattern that I have encountered three times over. I hope the warranty will cover and honor my third claim, as the warranty only covers a 90-day period and I was told "Oh yea, this is happening alot with those."

If you must have MSN Direct, consider other brands. I cannot recomend the Fossil/Abacus watch line.

immature technology: 4 resets / 24 hours, big billing issues.......2004-05-29

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.

Functional but Unconfortable.......2004-04-05

This is perhaps one of the most innovative (yet imcomplete) inventions since the watch (time piece). Incomplete in that, it is also the most unconfortable thing to where. Not to mention very bulky. A leather (or some kind of elastic) band would have solved all of that. I returned it in one week. ...did I mention it needed a leather band. Oh yeah, LEATHER BAND PLEASE.

Sorry, not quite ready for prime time..........2004-02-03

The short story---I returned the watch 3 days after receiving it.

Now here's the long versino.

Originally, this watch had been on my Christmas list, and so it was with great anticipation when it finally showed up at my door on January 19th.

I opened the box, followed the directions and immediately signed up for the $59 MSN Direct Annual subscription (mistake #1). Within about 20 minutes, I had my MSN channels setup, and I was receiving signals and the watch was working fine. Setup was quick and easy.

I waited until the next morning, after letting the watch charge overnight, to try and get it on my wrist---much as I tried, the watch was just too clunky to fit suitably on my wrist. Now when I ordered it, I realized the watch wasn't going to be a fashionable one---but at this point, its clunkiness really bothered me and made me doubt my purchase. It was just either too loose or too tight.

Second problem. I follow a group of about 20 fairly large size companies on the NYSE and NASDAQ. Only 3 of them were available on the Stock channel of MSN Direct. And there seemed to be no rhyme or reason. 2 mid sized companies and one small company were all I could add to my Stock Watch list--leaving me 17 short.

Third problem. I realized I wasn't getting any Sports information displayed on the watch. Guess what? The Sports Channel is coming soon...

For nearly $200, plus a $59 annual subscription to MSN Direct, I expected to be able to get up to the minute Stock reports and Sports in addition to the News and Weather channels. Unfortunately, I couldn't, and so I returned the watch.

Amazon refunded my money yesterday (minus the shipping charges since the return was 'my fault').

I've been trying to get Microsoft to refund my $59 with less success. They claim they have issued me a credit card refund, but all I have on my credit card statement is a charge for the annual subscription and now a new monthly charge for the service. I'm about to make my 3rd phone call to them.

In summary, for me anyway, the watch didn't fit, and the MSN Direct Service didn't meet my expectations.

Smart Watch!.......2004-01-31

I live in Chicago at the very edge of the coverare area. I found the watch setup to be quite easy and configuring channels via MSN Direct is easy as well. It took a bit of time before the data started flowing to the watch, but once the initial "download" was complete it updates quickly. The screen is very readable even for news articles, which is remarkable given the screen small size. The watch is a bit bulky, but given all the it does (time, stop watch, alarm, news, weather, calender and appointments) it is pretty amazing. I have loaded the Outlook addin that allows appointment to sent from Outlook to the watch. This is very, very cool. I really love my smart watch.

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (AU4003)

Average customer rating:

Great for news junkies!!!
It's nice when it works
DON'T BUY IT!!! This whole line has huge problems

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (AU4003)

Manufacturer: Fossil
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

PDA Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Smart Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

All Electronic Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

New out-of-the-box channels from MSN Direct
Leather and polyurethane (rubber) strap with integrated antennae
Cable-free charging solution included (no plugs on the watch)
Automatically changes time as you cross time zones
Chronograph with up to 99 lap times

ASIN: B0003QER6O
Release Date: 2004-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Great for news junkies!!!.......2005-09-12

I've owned my Fossil Net Watch since Nov. '04 and have had zero problems. I think it cost me about $35-$40 per year for unlimitied news, sports and weather...on your wrist. Great conversation piece. I even pulled a great joke and pretended it was a cell phone to Michael Ashby who leads the Nashville Palm Users Group (got cha Michael!).

Cons: It's too darn big. Much easier to wear in the summer with short sleeves, my long sleeves won't button over it. Also, I wish it was a little classier looking. Too big and too much black plastic.

All in all, I like it, but don't wear it every day, maybe once or twice a week.

It's nice when it works.......2005-08-24

My watch did actually work -- at least for two weeks. Then there seemed to be nothing I could do to make it work. It apparently got zapped by a discharge of static electricity as I was taking off my jacket. For about 9 months it was dead. I would try to recharge it. It wouldn't take a change. The screen remained blank. I thought I would try to remove the battery like I read about one person doing to provide a "hard reset" for the watch. But after looking inside, I decided against it. But just before throwing the thing away, I decided again to attempt a recharge, and (surprise!) it started to charge up. It also managed to sync up with the signal, obtain the correct time and provide my news, sports and weather updates. It has been working sucessfully for almost three months. How's that for a long-lasting product? It is nice when it works, but when you are being charged a monthly MicroSoft "service" fee (or worse yet yearly fee)when the watch is malfunctioning, it can drive you mad.

DON'T BUY IT!!! This whole line has huge problems.......2005-07-15

I have owned about 4 now, got it for Christmas. Fossil keeps replacing them. They just all stop working, at all, wont turn on. This last time, they sent me a shipping envelope, I sent it back, they lost track that my case even existed! After convincing them that they really did have my watch, the agreed to replace the watch. It never showed up, I called, they said they were out of the black strap, but would go to the warehouse and get one by hand. Never showed up, called again, then they shipped it. They even gave me the latest model, but, it arrived dead, will not turn on. I'm calling them today.

MSN said after I get my watch back, they would credit my down time. The person there agreed that Fossil watches are very problematic.

I wish MSN would put some pressure on them to make their products reliable. I'm paying them for the data service.

I guess the technology is not really there yet with this product, or Fossil can't make this watch actually work.

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3005)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Fossil Watch
BEWARE
Clean and stylish

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3005)

Manufacturer: Fossil
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

PDA Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Smart Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

All Electronic Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Stocks, news, personal messages, and more--delivered wirelessly to your watch
One of the first devices to use MSN Direct, a wireless subscription service
Automatically updates to the correct local time when you travel
Customizable data channels and watch faces
Syncs up with your Outlook calendar

ASIN: B0006N3IFA
Release Date: 2004-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Fossil Watch.......2006-02-08

I have had this watch for several months now. Since the first week of activation I have had no problems. There was one day when I had to resend my channels but the problem was fixed in a couple hours logging into the website.

I use 920/1000 blocks of service including Outlook syncing. While there are some channels I would like to see updated and have more information, overall I have been pleased with the service and the performance of the watch and the variety of channels in this little package. One drawback though, I thought there would be Outlook contacts syncing! Only events/appointments, Arrgh!

The clean design of the watch is nice to look at on the wrist. One drawback however is the metal is prone to scratching. One other complaint is the scroll bottom button is a little hard to depress after hitting it several times. A redesign should include a more responsive button.

Battery life is 4-5 days and updates are throughout the day, sometimes, more rapid than at other times. I recommend this watch to anyone who likes the slightly industrial look of this geeky watch and who values staying connected when no other access is available.

BEWARE.......2006-01-12

Now, I normally don't complain...normally. I recieved my Fossil watch in the mail 1/5/06 from the MSN Direct website. I took the watch out of the box, charged it for 10 hours, (recommended initial charge is 8+ hours), and registered the watch on the MSN website. From here, the watch was supposed to start downloading content in less than 24 hours. It has now been 1 week and I have had the following problems:

1. Charger overheats when watch is charging.
2. Watch only reaches a 72%-86% charge.
(the watch has never charged to 100%)
3. Watch has not recieved ANY content from MSN.
I have tried to resend the information, as well as re-
register the watch.
4. Called MSN and was told that it was a Fossil problem.
5. Called Fossil and was told that it was a MSN problem.

Now, here I am, out $126.00, annoyed and angry. I was told by Fossil that if I wanted to send in my watch, I would have to pay all applicable shipping and handling charges, including the repair price of the watch. Because of the fact that I had recieved the watch from an outside vendor, and not Fossil, the warranty was N/A. I am outraged. I know that it really does not matter but, I have been buying watches from fossil for years and I will NEVER buy another. Please make sure that you do your research before buying this watch. I happened to read up on the watch a day after I got it, and immediately regretted my decision. This is new technology that has not yet been perfected. The idea is a good one, but the hardware, and internal software of the watch is too unstable.

When I contacted both companies again, I was given the same advise: It was nobody's problem. Well, like I said...unfortunately it is now my problem. Don't get stuck in the situation that I did. DO NOT BUY THIS FOSSIL WATCH!!!!

Clean and stylish.......2005-12-17

I just got the Fossil smart watch and I like it a great deal.
I got mine from the shop@homenetwork and it was $59.00, it's the cheapest place I could it and they were in stock as of 12/10/05.
I love having the internet on my wrist and the time displayed in such fun ways,even when your at work and the time seems to drag so slow,it's nice to kill a few minutes playing with your watch and reading the latest headlines and stock quotes.

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3000/Square Face)

Average customer rating:

Nice idea, HUGE watch, HORRIBLE service agreement
Loved it!
A LOT more than the time...
It's crappy...
Not ready for prime-time or any time.

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3000/Square Face)

Manufacturer: Fossil
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All Handhelds & PDAs | Handhelds & PDAs | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics

PDA Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Smart Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

All Electronic Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Product Features:

Stocks, news, personal messages, and more--delivered wirelessly to your watch
One of the first devices to use MSN Direct, a wireless subscription service
Automatically updates to the correct local time when you travel
Customizable data channels and watch faces
Syncs up with your Outlook calendar

ASIN: B000153MWM

Amazon.com Review

Information delivered to your watch includes:

Pros

Geek factor is through the roof
Intuitive navigation
Recharging is a snap

Cons

It's HUGE
Coverage can be sporadic
Strap is unwieldy

Amazon.com Product Description

FAQ

What's included?
Wrist Net Smart Watch, Reference Guide, Quick Start Guide, Charger, and AC Adapter.

Customer Reviews:

Nice idea, HUGE watch, HORRIBLE service agreement.......2004-11-14

OK, I did my homework... researched extensively in as many web sites as I could, for reviews and ratings, and finally decided to go for it and get the watch with the most favorable reviews (Fossil, Square Face). What a DISAPPOINTMENT!!

Seriously, the watch is scaringly ENORMOUS!! As in UNWEARABLY BIG (over 1/2 and inch thick!! 2 inches long!! 1.5 inches wide!! WOW!!!)... my wife and I actually laughed when I took it out of the box! It looks like some kind of weapon or wearable instrument (sci-fi movie like), but definitely not like a watch. G-Shocks are considerably smaller than these!!! I do not know how big the other reviewers--with favorable ratings--are, but I can tell you that on a 5'7" person like me (average height of the population in the planet, and the one used in ergonomics designs), it looks like a bad joke. Good luck if you wear long sleeved shirts!

But, since the gargantuan thing had arrived, I decided to, at least, test its functionality. After all, that is why I got the watch on the first place.

My funcitonality test endeded when reading the MSN Direct service agreement's "fine print". There are so many provisions AGAINST the user, that it is actually fun to read: they take no responsibility, whatsoever, for any service disruption or if the service does not work at all (and will charge you anyways)... they limit the number of instant messages and calendar notes AND will charge you MORE MONEY for receiving more than the limit (which is not stipulated ANYWHERE in the agreement--scary!)... there are no refunds WHATSOEVER, for any reason... there is no clarification if the "first month free" is the same "trial period" mentioned in the contract or not, so I could not tell if after testing the service for less than a month and cancelling it, I would still be charged the yearly fee (as in other services, "first month free" could mean that the yearly service cost is for 11 months + 1 "free" month... where the latter is NOT a trial period, but a package deal)... and it goes on and on... NO WAY I AM SPENDING AN EXTRA SIXTY BUCKS FOR A SERVICE I WILL POSSIBLY NEVER GET!!!

This puppy is going back to the store, I'll just wait a few more years till the technology matures and someone other than MSN, with a true concept of "service", offers and alternative solution. On the meantime, back to my old, faithful Tissot and my cell phone... which together, do more than these watches ever could.

Loved it!.......2004-05-25

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!

A LOT more than the time..........2004-02-04

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.

It's crappy..........2004-01-25

I was very excited to get my watch. Unfortunately the excitement faded pretty quickly as I had to let the darn thing charge for six hours before I could put it on my wrist. When it finally finished charging I quickly found out that the clasp and band are incredibly hard to work with. Once I was able to get the band to size and figure out the tricky clasp I was very disapointed with the way it fit. It really bites into my wrist. The service itself is fun, but I am able to get all of the same services on my cell phone. After two days of use, the watch started to malfunction. It would just shut off by itself. I called Fossil and they told me that it sounds like the watch was defective. I returned it the next day.
Maybe I'll cobble up a new watch made of my cell phone and some cheap leather...

Not ready for prime-time or any time........2004-01-14

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.

Average customer rating:

Great watch for the big kid in you! But dont depend on it!

Cool looking - but Timex Internet Messenger watch better

The first computer-data watch I will actually keep using

Hey, its definately cool, but lets not consider it a watch!

outlook calendar sync rocks!

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3002) Dick Tracy

Manufacturer: Fossil
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

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Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3000/Square Face)

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (FX3001)

Product Features:

Stocks, news, personal messages, and more--delivered wirelessly to your watch

One of the first devices to use MSN Direct, a wireless subscription service

Automatically updates to the correct local time when you travel

Customizable data channels and watch faces

Syncs up with your Outlook calendar

ASIN: B000153ZXI

Amazon.com Review

Information delivered to your watch includes:

Pros

Geek factor is through the roof
Intuitive navigation
Recharging is a snap

Cons

It's HUGE
Coverage can be sporadic
Strap is unwieldy

Amazon.com Product Description

FAQ

What's included?
Wrist Net Smart Watch, Reference Guide, Quick Start Guide, Charger, and AC Adapter.

Customer Reviews:

Great watch for the big kid in you! But dont depend on it!.......2004-02-25

The Dick Tracy watch is the coolest big kid toy around. If you always wanted a Dick Tracy watch well here is the first generation Dick Tracy watch. Its cool but not perfect. Text messaging takes 7-10 minutes to receive. Some messages NEVER arrive and are lost in transit. So for the business man that needs to depend on text messages...maybe not the best choice. The calender on watch is very limited. This to me is a big disappointment. It only holds limited info for yesterday, today and the next 6 days...so if you want to use it to check on your appointment 8 days from now ...forget it! Very limited! But if you just want to be the coolest gadget guy/girl around and you think owning a Dick Tracy watch is cool. Buy it just don't depend on it. The news, stocks, and weather seem to work well. Also at this time the service area is very limited so if you dont live in a big city like me...you may want to skip this gadget. The charging adapter is cool and unique. You just rest the watch on it and it charges automatically. Another problem is the wristband YOU CANT CHANGE IT even if you want to. It's connected to the antenna and charging device so it can never be changed...if it breaks you gotta go to Fossil for replacement.

Cool looking - but Timex Internet Messenger watch better.......2004-01-31

These watches are cool looking - but having to recharge your watch every 3 to 7 days seems like a pain. Timex has has the Internet Messenger Watch for a couple of years. Does all the same things - stock quotes, weather, your horoscope, sports, very customizable. Also - can send reminders. Does basically all the same things - the battery lasts a lot longer. Unfortunately they have been discontinued. When you bought the watch for $100 you also got a free year of nationwide service that worked pretty much everywhere with Skytel. You got an 800 with your own voicemail, and unlimited text messages. While these watches might look cool - they're more expensive and aren't really doing much new - plus coverage is a lot less limited. The Timex was was also an Ironman - waterproof - not sure if these are... It's funny how they play the technology as something new - but it's been around for several years now.

The first computer-data watch I will actually keep using.......2004-01-23

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.

Hey, its definately cool, but lets not consider it a watch!.......2004-01-21

You may want to know why such a great looking, gee whiz product gets such a low rating from me. I looked at the watch in a store locally, and was impressed until I heard the punch line. MSN subscription! I'm not going to go into detail that MS has more money than God does. I will say, they're very clever in keeping continued money streams flowing. The subscription service costs, are roughly equivalent to a low cost Internet dial-up connection. Unless you really have a strong need for this, I don't see the value of getting it on a "watch".

Lets be honest here, if you are a high-powered business type, or imagine yourself to be one, you already carry a high-tech cellular phone. Compared with the capabilities there, using this is just overkill. In addition, most people would agree, that a watch is something that should be low maintenance. They recommend you recharge the Smartwatch "daily"! Do you really want to become a slave to your watch? The FAQ says, the battery on this watch is not even replaceable. I'll assume MS thinks by the time it wears out, in a year or so, (from daily charging) you won't mind buying the next model, probably for more big bucks.

All that said this is an attractive watch, with a strong geek appeal factor. People buy expensive jewelry all the time, to impress others on just a few wearing occasions per year. I can't complain if that appeal is why you are considering buying it. The watch face is just like a little computer monitor, (although not color) and can display many things. I just don't buy this as a practical item, unless it's the only thing you use (no PDA's, cell phones, or notebook computers) for these features.

Down the road, this may become a better technology, one that I may want to use. What it needs is a hot-switchable, rechargeable battery, so you can avoid putting the watch on a charger. In the future I believe there will be some recognition that working people can't afford to pay for dozens of subscriptions for phone(s), Internet, CATV, PDA, beeper, and now a watch. Combine that with all the "net" services, "email", sports, music, news, entertainment features, and others we expect to pay for. When that time finally arrives, we'll see many of these services combined. Then the "smart watch", might be worth a second look.

outlook calendar sync rocks!.......2004-01-17

I got the Dick Tracey version of the watch a week ago. As the other reviewers pointed out it is little bulky. But well, the bulkiness is kinda coolness factor too. The news, stock, weather updates are cool, but the outlook calendar reminders is the killer app. I dont need to write down in which room my next meeting is, even if I forget my pocket PC /PDA. I agree the price is little steep, but I got it through the msft employee discount, so it isn't bad for me, considering that its a Fossil watch.

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (AU4002)

Average customer rating:

Great Watch!

Fossil Wrist Net Smart Watch for MSN Direct (AU4002)

Manufacturer: Fossil
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

PDA Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Smart Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

All Electronic Watches | Electronic Watches | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

New out-of-the-box channels from MSN Direct
Leather and polyurethane (rubber) strap with integrated antennae
Cable-free charging solution included (no plugs on the watch)
Automatically changes time as you cross time zones
28 different watch faces to choose from

ASIN: B0003QIXDW
Release Date: 2004-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Great Watch!.......2006-01-12

This is a Great Watch! It's Cool , Stylish , Full of Great Features! Excellent Buy!

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics

	Stock quotes: Get updates on the stocks you care about, as well as information on the major high-volume stocks and indices.		News: Get headlines and the full text of local, national, international, business, entertainment, sports, health, and travel news stories.
	Time: Wrist Net watches display the current time, automatically updated for different time zones, and include a chronometer, an alarm, and a timer. You can choose from a wide variety of watch faces for just the right look.		Weather: Get the latest reports for cities all over the world. Local city weather information includes current conditions, a three-day forecast, sunrise and sunset information, humidity, barometric pressure, and ultraviolet (UV) index.
	Text messages: Receive messages from friends and family through MSN Messenger version 6.0 or later.		Sports: Continuous sports updates keep consumers current on game times, scores, pre- and post-game stories, and standings for their favorite collegiate and professional sports teams.
	Daily Diversions: Currently, consumers can select from Word of the Day, Quote of the Day, Born on This Day, and This Day in History.		Horoscope: Consumers can receive a personalized horoscope based on their specific time and place of birth.