Fossil Wrist PDA Available

Posted By: Ed Monday, April 29, 2002 1:31:16 PM

Late last year, Fossil announced that it would be releasing the Wrist PDA, a watch that can communicate with via infrared with a Palm OS handheld and store addresses, to-dos, memos, and appointments. It is available now for $145. The watch's built-in applications provide read-only capability and can store up to 190 KB of information. It can send and receive business card info and store twenty business cards.

An application needs to be installed on the Palm in order to be able to connect to the watch. This can be installed directly from the Wrist PDA.

Naturally, with only 190 KB of storage, space is at a premium. The Fossil app helps the user determine how much space will be required to store the different types of info. It also lets the user customize which entries will be copied to the Wrist PDA.

Its address book can store about 1100 contacts. This includes name, two phone numbers, two fax numbers, two call numbers, e-mail address and miscellaneous notes. Drop-down menus allow users to view different categories.

The date book can store about 40 KB of info, or up to 800 appointments. It includes day, week, and month views and supports repeating appointments, notes, and alarm reminder windows.

The memo pad can hold up to 350 memos with 400 characters each.

The To-Do list can hold up to 5000 to-dos with independent category viewing through convenient drop down menus.

It has a 102 by 64 pixel LCD. It uses an 8-bit Epson CPU. On the front is a button that acts as a joystick plus Home and Back buttons.

It is water resistant down to 30 meters.

Thanks to JoshD for the tip. -Ed

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Are you kidding??

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 1:44:16 PM #
Man, wearing something like this is just asking to take a beating.
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 1:45:38 PM #
What kind of redneck hell do you live in? Its a watch!!! If you go to a school where people get beat up for wearing watches, do you also get beat up for chewing the wrong brand of tobacco? Or dating someone besides your sister?
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 2:28:22 PM #
I have to agree. A "kick my ass" sign around your neck would be only slightly more likely to cause trouble.

If you ever see me wearing something even remotely as geeky as this, shoot me in the head immediately.

RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 2:34:07 PM #
Seeing people in denial is really sad. Sit down and prepare yourself for a shock. YOU ARE A HUGE GEEK ALREADY!! The fact that you own a Palm and hang out at Palm Infocenter shows this clearly.

But there is help for you. I'm going to tell you how to no longer be a geek. Throw your Palm away. Now. Never again use your computer for anything besides playing Deer Hunter 2002. Forget everything you ever learned about a computer. Begin all your sentences with "Uhhh". Never again talk about anything but wrestling, football, and hooters. Last but not least, never visit this site again. I know it seems drastic but if being a geek scares you that much, it's what you'll have to do.

RE: Are you kidding??
PR @ 4/29/2002 2:36:28 PM #
and the beating would be well deserved:)

RE: Are you kidding??
PR @ 4/29/2002 3:21:15 PM #
"Seeing people in denial is really sad. Sit down and prepare yourself for a shock. YOU ARE A HUGE GEEK ALREADY!! The fact that you own a Palm and hang out at Palm Infocenter shows this clearly."

yeah, you're right, we're geeks already, but wearing a pda watch is beyond geekness in my opinion. palms are mainstream enough that you can get away with it by pretending you're just a casual user, like most palm owners. if you're wearing a pda watch, you are advertising your geekness for all to see!

RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 3:25:02 PM #
Lighten up Francis, one of these men may save your life someday
RE: Are you kidding??
sandbuck @ 4/29/2002 3:34:45 PM #
This watch will attract geek-beaters like cops to a "Lo-jack".
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 3:48:06 PM #
like cops to lo jack, good one! First let me say it's big and ugly. Okay that's shallow of me. However if the thing is that big it ought to have more memory. Remember the page watches a few years back, they didn't last long too big. My husband had one and said he needed form as well as functionality. I don't know a lot of men who want a watch that big and a woman forget it. Definately a niche item. For those who still dream of being Dick Tracy, it works though
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 3:49:00 PM #
I'm sure this watch will figure prominently 20 years from now when we are all guffawing over "That 00's Show".
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 4:24:10 PM #
Perhaps it will attract she-geeks! :-)
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 4:33:34 PM #
I always want to beat up fat guys with phone and PDA dangling on their belt. What's up with that? Since when phone and PDA suppose to be dangling on the belt like some sort of utility belt. Is this guy the missing person in the vilage people singer?

........oh look, balding office worker geek wannabee with phone and PDA dangling on their belt.

.....let's beat him up.

or something.

(This message brought to you by Society for clueless-random-Violence)

RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 5:20:47 PM #
I have a phone and a PDA on my belt, they're kind of useful there. I'm also 6'3" tall, 225lbs, have long full hair, and a blackbelt 4th degree.

(This message brought to you by thoes who have a life)

RE: Are you kidding??
kezza @ 4/29/2002 5:21:07 PM #
> Perhaps it will attract she-geeks! :-)

I feel fairly confident speaking for the rest of the she-geeks in these parts, so I'll say without much hesitation that that watch has got to be the least attractive thing I could picture on a man's wrist, aside from maybe that PDA-Keyboard getup from last year. http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=2099

--------------------------------------
"Well, if it isn't the leader of the wiener patrol, boning up on his nerd lessons"

RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 5:42:12 PM #
LoL ...a cool looking Yepp or Sony Mp3 player might be more attractive to she-geeks :)
RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 6:27:51 PM #
"I have a phone and a PDA on my belt, they're kind of useful there. I'm also 6'3" tall, 225lbs, have long full hair, and a blackbelt 4th degree."


So I should fear your hair?? Well, I have heard of "fearing the mullet", which sounds like as safe assumption as to your hairstyle of choice.


RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 6:32:55 PM #
I'd buy it if it had functions that I could use while working out, such as being able to take my pulse, MP3 player so I could listen to music, etc. Of course, it would need *alot* more memory...

However I wouldn't be caught dead wearing it outside the gym. Man, you could seriously injure someone with that thing.

RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 7:45:25 PM #
"I have a phone and a PDA on my belt, they're kind of useful there. I'm also 6'3" tall, 225lbs, have long full hair, and a blackbelt 4th degree.

(This message brought to you by thoes who have a life)"


apparently too much beating sure damage your brain function to understand irony.

RE: Are you kidding??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 11:05:33 PM #
One thing, though, it is a fossil watch, and in my school that would actually keep you from getting your ass kicked, as fossil watches are popular in my school....i have a fossil brain, it has a whole bunch of cool crap, and it's very geeky, but everybody wants to look at it.....
RE: Are you kidding??
mrhockey @ 4/30/2002 2:22:53 AM #
I must agree that the thing would make you a target for geek haters. Almost as big of a target as one of my employees, who has a phone, PDA, walkie talkie, multi tool, flashlight, 2 pagers, and a tape measure on his belt. He also has a mullet. He gets taunted a lot in bars. If you buy this, expect people to laugh. Not because of how ugly the contraption is, but at how you got conned out of the cash for it. The only possible excuse for it is the alarm thing. Only reason to by it IMHO.

-mrhockey

To the winner who posted the first response
Pentagonal @ 4/30/2002 2:28:19 AM #
It seems like you are making a career out being the first to post on news stories, and always it's some inflammatory rot intended to drive the quality of conversation straight into the ground. You are to be credited for your faithfulness to your cause, no matter how pathetic it may be.

But it's time you let someone else say something (I know, I know--it might be intelligent), because your Depends are overflowing and the toilet is actually just down the hall. Let go of your desk. It's been three weeks now. If you stay in that seat of yours any longer, you'll have to call 911 to have it surgically removed.

WHY?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 1:52:46 PM #
?
RE: WHY?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 2:02:32 PM #
1) Because it isn't always convenient to carry your handheld with you everywhere you go.

2) Because its cool. That used to be enough. Since when did everything have to be completely practical? Hell, most of what you buy isn't necessary. Why should this be any different?

RE: WHY?
popko @ 4/29/2002 2:33:02 PM #
I don't know man ... I really don't think it'll look cool ... instead, people will think I got it at Wal-mart for $19.99 ...

RE: WHY?
popko @ 4/29/2002 2:34:48 PM #
(To clear things up)

I said that because it seems to be too big ... from afar, it looks like one of these kid's watch.

RE: WHY?
trevor_d @ 4/29/2002 3:35:49 PM #
I saw a demo of a beta at COMDEX last year. Very cool, but very big. I like my ol' Timex Data Link better. Looks more like a watch. Too bad they aren't made anymore.

Now, if the Fossil was more "watch-size", I'd look at it. As it is, my Casio Wrist-Cam is way too big to use.

RE: WHY?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 4:11:59 PM #
Yikes, dude. Timex data link watch AND Casio wrist Cam in the same sentence? You own both of these? Talk about "asking for a beating"

Cheers

RE: WHY?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 4:36:52 PM #
Pesonally I rather beat up a guy with Patek philips around his wrist. I don't know about you.
RE: WHY?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/30/2002 12:04:02 AM #
I've actually gotten to see/play with one. They are, in my opinion, HUGE. Like wearing a small wall clock around your wrist. Once this "Newton" sized device comes down to "PalmPilot" size, they should be ok. Until then, just velcro a strap onto an old Palm Pro and away you go (I knew there was still a use for the old dust Palm Pro in my desk drawer... clock works fine on it)
RE: WHY?
trevor_d @ 4/30/2002 7:39:48 AM #
Re: Timex Data Link and Casio Wrist-Cam. I don't where both at the same time, obviously, and only have the Casio because it was a freebie.

Still, I concede the point even owning both is a sign of geekness.

RE: WHY?
4s @ 4/30/2002 3:11:40 PM #
Come on. It can't be that big. As long as those G-Shock watches are still on the market, no watch is too big. :)

RE: WHY?
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 10:24:46 AM #
there definately is something to say for having a copy of your contacts / appointments on your wrist but i have to agree...the watch is ugly and big. something around that size made as a keychain attatchment would be more useful [then i could keep it out of sight :-)]. even if it was more in the form factor of the timex datalink.... i have a timex datalink triathalon watch that i dont use much anymore... it was great for the first couple years because i always had a list of phone numbers whenever i didnt have my palm or cell phone w/ me and if i had something really important to remember i could setup an alarm. i finally quit using it because it got to be too much of a pain too keep everything in sync... get a new phone number... enter it in palm, enter it in cellphone, enter it in timex software. i almost bought the fossil "the brain" watch but again.. entering all my information with the buttons on the watch wont be a fun task

while im on the subject of the timex datalink... does anyone know if theres software for the palm thats compatable w/ it? i'm guessing it could be synced via the infared port since timex has a datalink 'laptop adapter' that i think is just a serial infared transmitter..but then again most laptops allready have irda capabilities so that might not be it..

Needs Bluetooth

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 1:53:45 PM #
If it had Bluetooth and was smart enough to automatically update itself from my PDA or desktop, then it would be cool. Having to beam my data over regularly would be a pain.
RE: Needs Bluetooth - I had a dream about this
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/30/2002 4:41:30 AM #
I had a dream about a BlueTooth watch the other night. It could talk to my Palm and could pretty much everything this watch does, but also had GPS capability (for GPS-over-BlueTooth with my Palm/Laptop).

But it had no display for some reason )hey, okay so pretty lousy as watch then :-)

It was Motorola for some reason I can't remeber (I know because it had a Motorola logo on it) and was about the same size as the existing GPS watch.


This this is because (a) I'm a geek and (b) i have a BlueTooth phone, BlueTooth personal handsfree, and BlueTooth Palm SD Card.


Please, somebody invent one and make the dreams stop!

-- Iain

RE: Needs Bluetooth
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/30/2002 7:23:19 PM #
IBM LInux watch actually has a bluetooth receiver. Too bad it's prototype only.

FINALLY!!!

Isaiahp @ 4/29/2002 1:54:33 PM #
I have been waiting for this watch for a while. I can't wait to get one!

For those wondering "Why?" Because sometimes you forget your Palm. Period. And since this also holds appointments, etc., it will be a better reminder for the alarms. My Palm is in a Grinder Gear case. The case is INCREDIBLE, but you can't hear the alarm through it.

IsaiahP

RE: FINALLY!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 3:38:33 PM #
Wonder if it vibrates....
RE: FINALLY!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/29/2002 9:07:58 PM #
"Wonder if it vibrates...."

i wonder why you would wonder that????

you're a horny little geek aren't u )

RE: FINALLY!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/30/2002 7:23:13 AM #
Not a good idea if you are trying to drink coffee when the alarm goes off. Count me out.

SONY SUX!

RE: FINALLY!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 8:40:06 AM #
"Not a good idea if you are trying to drink coffee when the alarm goes off. Count me out. "
Heh heh.
If it would have a vibration alarm, it would be even bigger.

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