Fossil Wrist PDA FX2008

Reviews: Electronics

Digital Cameras | PDAs | Communications

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Bradford Day
Kurtis
Fossil
Apr. 13, 2005

Specifications

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Introduction

The time has finally come. We can now wear our computers. I realize that this has been a reality for some time amongst the l33test of the uber-geeks, but now it seems companies are starting to see profit margins in wearable computers. Enter the Fossil Wrist PDA FX2008.

Fossil has been on the watch-making scene long enough to go from fad to fashionable. With their Wrist PDA, it seems they are combining fad and fashion as well as function. The Wrist PDA features not only a digital chronograph but a micro-sized Palm OS PDA all wrapped up in a stylish polished steel exterior. But will this marriage of timepiece and tech hardware appeal to the gadget-hungry masses?

Manufacturer's Notes

"Check more than just the time with this Wrist PDA watch, a revolutionary personal organizer cleverly disguised as a stylish wristwatch. Powered by the Palm OS platform this watch can store hundreds of contacts, check your calendar, and make a To-Do list from its surprisingly big 8MB of memory. Other features include convenient drop-down menus, alarm reminder window for recurring appointments, a memo pad, and a selection of different time and date displays to give your Wrist PDA its own personalized 'dial' when not in PDA mode. A stylus is integrated into the buckle."

First Looks

What can I say? Upon first glance, this thing looks exactly like what it claims to be, a wristwatch PDA. The large face of this watch is a virtual mini-replica of an early model Palm Pilot. Highly polished stainless steel surrounds the face and adds a distinctive, and quite attractive, touch to the hefty time piece. A sturdy black leather band keeps the chunk of steel chronography tightly lashed to your wrist. Three black buttons and a toggle switch adorn the sides of the watch while a mini USB and top-and-center mounted IR port allow for the connectivity required of the PDA function. A small silver flush mounted hard reset button is nestled between the USB port and the lower left-hand button. The stealthiest feature has to be the miniscule fold-up PDA stylus cunningly hidden inside the wrist strap buckle. All in all, it's pretty amazing how they crammed so many things into this sucker.

On a less positive note, the watch is quite hefty. Weighing in at around 108 grams, it is significantly heavier than a standard wrist watch. I weighed Rich's Seiko in at around 25 grams and a larger Casio G-Shock watch at around 46 grams. My old skool Handspring Visor PDA comes in at 174g (with the battery installed). So essentially you are strapping an early model PDA to the end of your arm!it's just disguised as a watch.

The Fossil FX2008 came packaged in a round tin and contained a number of goodies within. Along with the Wrist PDA there was a recharger unit, USB cabling, instruction manual, software installation CD, spare stylus and some handy graffiti cheat sheets to help you bone up on your PDA penmanship. (Kurtis' Note: When we met up with Fossil at CES, we took a look at this watch and they noted that during initial testing one of the biggest complaints was that people would lose the tiny stylus. This is why they have included an extra one with it.)

Personally I think the design of the Wrist PDA is quite clever. It certainly exudes quality and craftsmanship with its rugged casing and nice leather strap. The buttons are a bit on the large side, but considering the overall size of the watch they are hardly out of place. There is much more to this watch than just good looks, though.

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Page 1: Introduction, Manufacturer Notes & First Looks
Page 2: Getting Started
Page 3: Testing & Conclusion

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1 User Comment

1 - Posted by Guest on April 17, 2005 - 8:10 pm

Wow, this baby is at, or awfully close to, the top of my personal list of things I can do without.

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