Shop RadioShack for Great GiftsFossil Abacus AU4000
Manufacturer: Fossil, Inc. Part number: AU4000
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Abacus AU4000 is a decent-looking SPOT watch, but its band is poorly designed.
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CNET editors' review
Fossil Abacus AU4000 price range: $199.99
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Reviewed on: 01/23/2004
- Updated on:06/12/2006
- Released on: 01/08/2004
The good: Relatively inexpensive; easy integration with Outlook Calendar; physically attractive.
The bad: Not terribly comfortable; requires a monthly or yearly service fee; needs frequent recharging; receiving instant messages takes too long.
The bottom line: The Abacus AU4000 is a decent-looking SPOT watch, but its band is poorly designed.
To build the initial hardware for its new MSN Direct service, Microsoft partnered with timepiece manufacturers Suunto and Fossil. Of the four smart watches Fossil is making for the launch, the least expensive is the $129 Abacus AU4000, a fairly attractive, high-tech gadget that will definitely get you some attention if you strap it on your wrist. But the device--one of the first to employ Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT)--does suffer from a couple of design flaws.
The receiving antenna of Suunto's $299 N3 surrounds the watch face like a frame, but the AU4000's is embedded in the plastic wristband, where the flat, slim strip of metal has a propensity to get somewhat twisted and bent over time. Furthermore, the band's metal clasp mechanism is hard to open and can be downright uncomfortable, particularly for those with smaller wrists. A Microsoft spokesperson did say that the Fossil's antenna is more receptive than the Suunto's, but we didn't notice a major difference in our tests.
Your subscription to MSN Direct, which costs $10 a month or $59 a year, lets you sign up for as many as 12 channels. You can receive various types of news abstracts, which consist basically of a headline and a summary sentence. Current selections include general news; business, technology, and sports reports; and up-to-the-minute weather updates. Eventually, Microsoft will add more options, including sports scores from ESPN. This Abacus can also display a week's worth of Outlook Calendar appointments, and your friends can send you instant messages via MSN Messenger 6.0, though you can't respond. Additionally, the watch has a lap timer, programmable alarms, and a clock for a second time zone.
All in all, we had no major complaints about the watch's interface. Getting accustomed to it took a few days, but we liked how the Abacus can change its faces; it stores up to 12, and you can opt to have a new face sent to the device each month. Integration with Outlook Calendar was also good, but the instant messages were sluggish, taking around 30 minutes to arrive.
As for MSN Direct, which is available in many metropolitan areas, it also suffered a few hiccups. That said, Web setup was fairly simple, and we did manage to pick up service in Las Vegas when we roamed out of our local area (New York) on a business trip. Hopefully, Microsoft will smooth out the glitches in time.
Battery life wasn't terrible, but you'll have to recharge about every four days, and the provided desktop charger, a stand with a power adapter, is somewhat bulky. The watch slips onto the unit and charges itself on contact--no cable connection required. Such frequent recharging is sort of a pain, but it's the price you pay for being cutting-edge.
As we said in our review of the Suunto N3, we're not sure whether consumers will be willing to pay for MSN Direct--on top of their cell phone service--when some might argue that it isn't truly compelling in its present form. But if you're a gadget lover, you'll find that this Abacus always tells perfect time and gives you convenient and quick on-the-go access to a smattering of useful info. The AU4000 stores more watch faces than the N3, and the Suunto, like Fossil's snazzier step-up models, is costlier. But we do recommend that you try on the Abacus before you buy--for some, the discomfort of the band will be a deal-breaker.
User reviews
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A Definitely Amazing Super Watch But a Definitely Lacking Chic Watch
by Gamer_chIck on April 5, 2005
Pros: Amazing Possibilities, Love Receiving Messenger Messages, Love the Endless Features from News to Sports to Stocks to Movie Listings to etc, in the end a true smart watch ;)
Cons: Not the Most Flattering Design, Too Bulky, Tends to Lose Reception Under Certain Circumstances, Information Takes too Long to Be Received, Payment Plans Are Not that Flexible, Not Much Memory Space
Summary: Well I myself am a teen highschool gal who you probably wouldn't imagine to be into these sort of gadgets and gizmos but I'll be honest this watch ...
Summary: Well I myself am a teen highschool gal who you probably wouldn't imagine to be into these sort of gadgets and gizmos but I'll be honest this watch is such a nice little as they say "smart watch". I'm on the go alot when it comes to helping out my clubs and such but it's always nice that I can get appointment reminders or last minute messages from my club mates right when and where I need them most.
Now besides getting communication or schedule needs this watch has such a plethora of features for so many different people which drew me to the watch the most. Keeping you always informed with regular news alerts and reports. For the sports fanatics up to the minute score updates and standings for your favorite sports teams. For the stock crunchers you get the checks and balances of the stock market recieved regularly. For you movie goers some regular listings for theaters in your area. Outlook Sycronization and MSN Messenger Messages which I mentioned earlier. And a whole truckload more which would take awhile to list.
The coverage areas as far as I know of seem pretty expansive across the U.S. but reception is a problem every now and then. Not to mention information being relayed is not quick as what MSN describes.
As far as price the watch falls I think reasonable. But the payment plans should be made more flexible rather than leaving a choice of only monthly or yearly payments.
In the end this watch is worth the cost and the effort. Past the not so great look of this particular model I still find this little "smart watch" a "smart buy" for anyone
.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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SPOT not ready for prime-time or any time
Pros: In concept - neat technology.
Cons: In reality - coverage maps apparently not accurate. In Chicago's O'Hare airport (world's busiest still) & vicinity (clearly within the coverage area) 0% signal strength = $$$ for a digital watch. Poorly trained customer support. Even given the new
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Innovative, Flashy, I like it!
by gokartboy3 on May 7, 2005
Pros: News, Stocks, Sports, etc. all on your watch. Easy to use Interface. Easy to read screen. Flashy look. Band locks securely. Not too bulky for a mans watch.
Cons: Wristband may be a little uncomfortable until you get used to it. For all features except weather, national news, stocks, and time, you have to subscribe. Customer support isn't amazing.
Summary: This opinion may be helpful to the slightly younger croud. I'm 17 and I recently purchased this watch via ebay. Anyways, there's alot about this watch that amazed ...
Summary: This opinion may be helpful to the slightly younger croud. I'm 17 and I recently purchased this watch via ebay. Anyways, there's alot about this watch that amazed me when I wore it for the first day. I'm deffinately more up to date with national news and weather if someone decides to bring it up(and time... it's a watch). Overall the watch felt great on my wrist the first day after calling up msn to ask how to get the band undone(i didn't want to break it) the call was free though so I can't really complain about that. What I can and will complain about is that msn directed me to fossil because "they don't handle the technical features". So I called fossil... and I was of course redirected to msn. This may sound strange but once again... back to fossil where they put me on hold so they could find a watch to see how it opens. They told me how and I couldn't exactly pop the thing open with my fingernail... it broke(my fingernail) so i got a handy dandy pair of scissors and pried that beast open. Further instruction said to yank on it a little. "It might feel like you're going to break it but you won't" oh thanks. Anyways, I can't really blame this on the watch but beware if you need customer support(unless you want to subscribe! they seem to like that.) after taking the watch off and putting it back on for a few days the "snapping" parts loosened up just right. For anyone having trouble with the band, there's a trick; after you unsnap the first part, give the metal piece a good push in the opposite direction of the opened part. You might have to get the "feel" first but it works. Everything else about the watch is amazing, I'm wearing the watch as I type this. I've been shocked by a spark-plug cord to an engine on the watch arm and the thing was fine. Earlier today some water splashed up on it. It was fine. It's really an innovative piece of technology. The subscription is kind of a downside but it's not a fortune, 10 bucks a month or 40 a year(without messenger I think). If you're worried about getting good reception I couldn't help you. I live near Buffalo, NY and the reception is usualy very good. Lets see, what else... aha the battery life. The first day I tried this bad boy out, the battery only went down 10 percent by the end of the day. Not that I have anything to really compare that too but I think that's pretty da.mn good for a watch that gives you news, weather etc. When I go to sleep I just put it back on its' charger. The charger is also very innovative, it charges through induction; no wires, no contacts. Oh yeah, the watch interface is amazingly easy to use, even with only 5 buttons(if you include the backlight one). Besides the backlight button, there's a menu button, an enter button and a scroll up and a scroll down button. The menu key brings up the menus, the other keys scroll and select(pie). All in all, I wouldn't change too much, it's a good watch and i'm sure i'll have it or one of its' brothers for a very long time.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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One very small step
Pros: The value of this product would increase dramaticly if it were not dependant on MS services.
Cons: It tells time and look cool.
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Wait-Wait-Wait
Pros: Sharp design and relatively small footprint left this watch the clear preference over the other brands with SPOT technology
Cons: I live squarely in the Seattle coverage area with only Puget sound obstructing my view of Seattle. I receive 0% most of the time AND if I leave watch plugged in and on a high dresser on the top floor of my house, I receive signal. Have made multiple tri
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Neat Technology, a few bugs, but a generally positive review.
Pros: $200 for a Fossil digital watch is a bit pricy, especially for something that?s not terribly comfortable. But, the wow factor on this watch is nearly worth the price of admission. I purchased my watch on 01/26/2004 and signed up for a year of service
Cons:
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WAIT TO PURCHASE THIS WATCH
Pros: DEFINITELY AN ATTENTION GETTER. IT WILL BE MORE VALUABLE ONCE YOU ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE SPORTS SCORES IN REAL TIME. THE SELECTION OF FACES IS EXCELLENT. I LIVE ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY FROM WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE RECEPTION BUT NEVERTHELESS I
Cons: BAND IS UNCOMFORTABLE. NO SPORTS CONTENT CURRENT AVAILABLE. NEEDS SLIGHTLY LARGER SCREEN. THE BAND CONTAINS THE ANTENNA AND IT MUST BE FULLY SNAPPED OR YOU WILL RECEIVE NO SIGNAL. BAND IS UNCOMFORTABLE. IT SAYS THAT THE WATCH CAN RECEIVE MESSAGES UP
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Fossil, Inc.
- Part number: AU4000
- Bottom Line: The Abacus AU4000 is a decent-looking SPOT watch, but its band is poorly designed.
Style
- Product type Watch (combo device)
Tech
- Water resistant 30 m
Training
- HR Monitor details N/A
- Workout tools N/A
Manufacturer info
- Fossil, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Fossil, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.fossil.com/
- Address:
2280 North Greenville Ave., Richardson, TX - Phone: 972.234.2525
- Email: info@fossil.com
- Fax: 972.234.4669
