Engadget says smartwatch is established produt category

[matrix07]

To say it's "no longer the "hot new thing"" is absurd. However with so many manufacturers and now Apple entering the market with this wide array of product choices signifies that it could be an established product category.

Fix it for you, 'cause you know.. Watch could still fail and people might just be happy with only their iPhones.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

When I purchased the Gear 2 Neo around 2 1/2 weeks ago, it was extremely hard to find in stores. They were sold out in most places.

I see plenty of people in major cities with some type of smartwatch on their wrist. I agree that the smartwatch is an established product, but not necessarily a mainstream item yet. Smartwatches are not going anywhere.

The Apple Watch and future models of existing smartwatches will only increase popularity to a mainstream level.

For me, my Gear 2 Neo has been very useful. The number of times I take my smartphone out my pocket has been reduced over 50%.

 

[Tycho24]

I didn't know anyone who had a MP3 player in 2001 (at least before the iPod debuted).

I did.
The Diamond Rio & Creative Labs Zen were both popular.

 

[Tycho24]

I am just sad in general when I look around Computer/high tech gadget stores at the Damage Steve Jobs has done to the proper computing industry. I'm just so glad he's gone so hopefully over years the damage may gradually be un-done, but I worry it's too late

I watched the computing industry grow for so many years, and in just a very short time he probably did the most damage any one man has done to the entire computing industry ever

And yes, I'm fully aware you will totally disagree with this, and that's fine, as we all have our own views.

Agreed... We all have different opinions... & usually the "debate team" part of me could easily argue either side of an argument convincingly... However, in this case: I literally cannot begin to fathom this absurd sentiment.
We now have far, far, far more people using powerful computing devices on a daily basis! For goodness' sake - there are tons of septigenerians using mobile communications devices with built in GPS, high speed mobile internet, etc.
If bringing enthusiasm for technology & actually physically providing that technology to an enormous percentage of people that wouldn't have cared less previously is NOT a huge win for the computing industry as a whole... I'm unsure what you would consider progress, lol. If MUCH less people were using/enjoying computers, but they were all super fast desktops?? What are you even talking about??

TLDR:
Smh at phrase "damaged the computer industry" with reference to Steve Jobs.

 

[XboxEvolved]

I think unlike say the iPhone, the hype around the watch is mostly manufactured. While it seems to do a lot of very interesting things, a $350 starting price for something that essentially amounts to being an accessory for something that most people pay less than $350 is asking a bit much out of users. Tim Cook said at an All Things D conference about how you should be able to get kids to want a watch and how no one wears watches. I really don't see kids getting these watches in the same way kids get iPhones and iPods. Maybe it could do numbers like Beats, but even that is more of a high dollar status symbol first rather than what its main functionality is advertised as.

I love Apple and all the shiny things they make. I've been an Apple user since 2003 with the 3rd gen iPod and a PowerMac G4. I got my iPhone, iPads, and iMac and love them all. Almost anything Apple has ever revealed has been at least somewhat impressive to me even if I never planned on buying them (Like the Mac Pro, or a Macbook Air) this though I'm just not sure at all and I think secretly everyone else in the tech industry, even the Walt Mossbergs also are probably iffy on the prospect of this really propelling Apple into their next chapter after Steve Jobs.

 

[Trius]

Wow. The most influential man in the history of computing doing so much damage to the industry? I could understand if this was a MacPro forum obsessing about the the infatuation Apple has with iToys, but this is a watch forum. If you're so worried about the "proper computing industry" why are you a mainstay of the watch forum? Remember how bad the Scully years were; emulating Microsoft?

Jobs and Apple's whole philosophy has and is getting technology to the masses, not just IT guys. It only makes sense the direction Apple has taken. While still making some of the best workstation computers, Apple now has integrated computer tech into ordinary devises that outperform the products it has displaced. The man who founded a garage-based company and took it to the most profitable company in the world and brought computing to so many is the person you think most damaged the computer industry? You and Samsung may be happy he's dead, but you are alone. There is not one person more responsible for the success of the computer industry than Steve Jobs.

So you hope the damage he's done will be undone? So let's get rid of smart watches, music players, tablets, phones; hell even laptops aren't proper computers. Apple, please go back to the old MacPro design but bigger and uglier, but get rid of the GUI, as is hard to be an elitist if everyone can do it.

Steve Jobs was to the computer industry what Henry Ford was to the auto industry. Visionaries that brought their products to the masses, creating a mass market where it didn't previously exist. While Ford continues to produce cars, Apple continues to innovate into new products and categories. They didn't get to be the richest company in the world because they had the most damaging person in the computing industry at the helm.

Deleted my response when I saw yours. Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Piggie]

Wow. The most influential man in the history of computing doing so much damage to the industry? I could understand if this was a MacPro forum obsessing about the the infatuation Apple has with iToys, but this is a watch forum. If you're so worried about the "proper computing industry" why are you a mainstay of the watch forum? Remember how bad the Scully years were; emulating Microsoft?

Jobs and Apple's whole philosophy has and is getting technology to the masses, not just IT guys. It only makes sense the direction Apple has taken. While still making some of the best workstation computers, Apple now has integrated computer tech into ordinary devises that outperform the products it has displaced. The man who founded a garage-based company and took it to the most profitable company in the world and brought computing to so many is the person you think most damaged the computer industry? You and Samsung may be happy he's dead, but you are alone. There is not one person more responsible for the success of the computer industry than Steve Jobs.

So you hope the damage he's done will be undone? So let's get rid of smart watches, music players, tablets, phones; hell even laptops aren't proper computers. Apple, please go back to the old MacPro design but bigger and uglier, but get rid of the GUI, as is hard to be an elitist if everyone can do it.

Steve Jobs was to the computer industry what Henry Ford was to the auto industry. Visionaries that brought their products to the masses, creating a mass market where it didn't previously exist. While Ford continues to produce cars, Apple continues to innovate into new products and categories. They didn't get to be the richest company in the world because they had the most damaging person in the computing industry at the helm.

I respect your right to have that opinion, but it's not one I share.
I lived and enjoyed the glory years of computing, with some help from Apple making a GUI popular, and then Intel, AMD, Voodoo (graphics) and then others to push 3D High power graphics (that's the 1st point Apple has always failed on)
Intel pushing hard and hard year on year to make games run better.
ID Software, thanks to John Carmack making games for future hardware than set lines in the sand for the BIG companies to be able to design fast and faster hardware, pushing year on year, harder and harder to match the needs of the software.
The drive was always onwards, The prices were higher, minim £400 for any worthwhile CPU from Intel, but we got good movement, that was where the money was, faster and faster.

Steve Jobs destroyed that, showing hey, Joe Average who knows little about computers is happy with something low power with cheap games, that will do, it will satisfy those people. that's where the money is, low power for the masses.

Other companies saw Apple's massive profits, and well done Apple for capturing the market, it worked well for them.

and that would be fine if everyone else ignored it and carried on as before, but no, Their money men saw Apple's GIANT profits, and changed their focus as well.

The speed drive was killed as they realised they could also make money from the low power mediocre end of the market.

Heck Intel has barely pushed much beyond Sandybridge in any meaningful way as Apple has changed the playing field, and the people who wanted better and better machines are now pretty much ignored.

Apple won't make a PC type MAC any more, just making large screen laptops on a stand, and a Mac Pro that's a bit silly and only really built for video editing, Apple pretty much are sticking their fingers up at Apple fans who want a proper upgradable Mac.

As I say, Apple / Steve has made a ton of cash and well done them, but at the same time killed the market, many were enjoying.

It's all about mediocre power and low prices for the masses now.