[Macworld]

Post your comments for Brave new network: Why I hope Apple never releases a smart watch here

[mattwardfh]

Brent—I understand this is more about emotion than about logic. But you should consider that if you leave your iPhone behind, your watch will probably revert to just being a watch. Or you, presumably, just disable the Bluetooth connection and your watch would no longer bug you with alerts.

My thinking is the opposite—a smart watch like the Pebble means that you can quickly find out who texted, e-mailed, called, or otherwise contacted you, without having to pull out your iPhone. Glance at your watch, be sure you're not missing anything important, and get back to your life, rather than pulling out your iPhone and getting distracted by your unread RSS count or unplayed Letterpress turns.

Ultimately—Apple, bring on the technological advancements. If they encroach too much, it's up to us to turn them off. And I think Apple is smart enough to recognize that we don't always want to be distracted by our iPhones—features such as Do Not Disturb show the company's dedicated to helping us use the iPhone to improve our lives rather than replacing them.

[lwdesign]

Technology can be a blessing or a curse, depending solely on the user and wielder of that technology: i.e. you. The weak point of any technological invention is always the human involved. TV, for example, can be informative and entertaining, or it can become a life-sucking, time-wasting addiction. Computers, the Internet, cellphones and smartwatches can be valuable technologies as long as their users exercise intelligence and restraint, and have the ability to turn them off or leave them behind at will. However, hoping that technology won't advance or that Apple won't build a smartwatch belongs in the Luddite camp. It is testimony that you consider yourself a highly addictive personality and don't trust yourself to retain the ability to choose when or whether you want to use an item. The Amish are a good example of a group that has largely chosen not to use many of the technologies we consider a normal part of life. As always, the choice is yours. Yes, take a walk in the woods and turn off your phone, smartwatch or mental implant. It's good to get a way and withdraw for awhile. Harmony in life is all about actively and knowingly making your own choices.

[Pretz]

Too late for me. I stopped wearing a watch over a year ago. Now when I want to know the time I pull my iPhone out of my pocket. 'Do Not Disturb' mode is my friend in the wilderness.

[KrasniOktabr]

This whole watch thing leaves me puzzled. For years everybody said that they stopped wearing watched because they can just get their phone out of the pocket to check the time. Now everyone is drooling about being able to look at their wrist again so that they don't have to pull out their phone.

[DocNo]

I have to agree with others - because you lack self control technological developments should cease?

Pulling out my phone is not always easy, convenient or appropriate. However, being able to have alerts that I select on a watch would be hugely convenient and as mattwardfh points out, it can make checking and deciding on how to process an alert faster and more convenient. I'm watching developments of smart watches intently - I find the use cases for them very appealing.

[BL888]

I say why not, it is convenient that is for sure ...

[melvinwalker]

Wrist watches are going the way of the dodo.

Pocket watches existed, and if you wanted to know the time, you carried one around. Then for a brief time, wrist watches took over. Now pocket watches are back, but they also make phone calls, keep your calendar, and etc.

[jimmylittle]

I have to agree with above comments. If you choose to leave your iPhone on the desk and go for a walk, once you get 30 feet away, the Bluetooth connection drops and the smartwatch loses all it's smarts.

Seems to me, if you want to get away from it all (as we all should sometimes), just turn the damn thing off.

I like the idea of not pulling my phone out at a restaurant or on a sketchy subway ride to see why there's buzzing in my pocket.

[FranklinErder]

No, I won't. I love having a watch. A "real one". For me it implies "mechanical" ticking device, totally unuseful of course, as I can easily know the time from my phone... It's the object you see ...

[bigpics]

Brent,

I enjoyed the literary slant of your take - first thing read on waking up today, and a welcome departure from the all-inside-the-tech-bubble analysis one gets in the world of Apple commentary whether readers stand exactly where you do in relation to the "to watch or not to watch" matter itself.

NTM that you blended a number of my fave classics into your case. And as for the "chip in the head," prediction, given experiments already underway in neural/digital interfacing, cyborg-like implants are certainly in a number of peoples' future, and in time, likely many of our futures.

And with that in mind, I'd suggest you add one more allusion to your case here - a deceptively brilliant "black comedy" James Coburn movie from I believe the early '70's called "The President's Analyst" - and if you haven't seen it, you'll thank me, especially for the brilliant plot twist at the end!

[SockRolid]

Re: "I admit that the difference between an iPhone and a watch is arbitrary and emotional."

But the difference between shipping a product and not shipping a product is neither arbitrary nor emotional. How much money could Apple make if they shipped a smart watch? Even if they end up completely owning the market, would it be worth it?

The screen would be so small as to be just a peripheral for your smartphone. A "second screen" for your iOS device. Yes, eventually an iPhone's internals could be shrunk down to watch size (and smaller) but then the user interface would need to shift away from touch-screen to voice. Or something ultra-advanced like holographic 3-d projection / interaction (by maybe 2033 or so).

But getting back to 2013, there are plenty of markets that Apple simply doesn't have the time or inclination or profit motive to get into. Remember the Apple LaserWriter? Great printer, I hear. But printers, like smart watches, are peripherals that Apple doesn't really seem to need to make themselves.

[my2cents]

I know what you mean. I never understand how people were sold into this idea that he/she needs to be connected every second. I don't need to know what my friends do every minute, what my friends eat every meal or what color is my friend's poop. And I like my privacy, I like to keep a portion of my time to myself so that I can think of something meaningful, not to waste on chitchating, making trivial posts on FB. In fact I don't even have a FB account.

I chuckled on your statement though, "What if I get attacked by rabbits and need to call for help?" Well, good luck if AT&T doesn't drop your emergency call or lose your connection.

[gregedwards69]

Firstly, it is more than likely that you would be able to choose what notifications you get as you can on your iphone, and you would probably be able to enable a do not disturb feature. This way you wouldn't get inundated with messages all day and all night as you fear.

However, I'm with you, I wouldn't want a connected watch. Not because I don't want the features of one and that I'd always be connected (I quite like the idea of being able to easily read a message on my watch when I'm wrapped up for winter with my phone buried deep inside my coat). I wouldn't want one because I prefer a quality, classy looking analogue timepiece. Call me old fashioned, but any watch with a digital display, instantly oozes 'nerd/geek', or even 'childish' (think back to Casio and Timex watches of my childhood) and is simply not manly or sophisticated as a proper timepiece is.