For months I’d been noticing people in my approximate age bracket wearing Apple watches. Like the man waiting for his Macchiato at the Starbucks at SFO airport.
“Is that an Apple watch, “ I ask.
He lights up in the affirmative.
Do you like it, I ask.
He LOVES it! Especially the way it monitors heart rate and, should he fall down and can’t get up, he’s got peace of mind because he’s WEARING his emergency call button.
I can relate. So I order one. Red because I love red. I AM a RED. And because I lose black things.
It arrives exquisitely packaged – Apple is a complete genius when it comes to packaging. With minimal instructions that show me how to attach the band and fasten it on my wrist. Genius. Like the packaging.
Then I pressed (what I think is) the on button and… nothing happened.
Hours later I am online with Apple’s usually helpful HELP.
Turns out that the watch needs to be charged before any of it works. I know, this should be self evident, but to me it was not. Plus this is bit of information is not in the HELP agent’s script. I have to ask a friend who has an Apple watch.
The power adapter (charging plug), which is different from any of my other charging plugs (cell phone, mac, ipad…), is not included.
Why don’t electronics come with compatible power adapters and instructions that begin STEP 1: CHARGE YOUR NEW TOY.
And why is STEP 0 not: ORDER A COMPATIBLE PLUG.
A month in, I am very happy with my Apple Watch. The plug was not expensive and it works. The watch charges on my bedside table overnight… where at midnight on July 4 it alerted me that my heart was going bananas. I was asleep so I’m thinking maybe it was triggered by fireworks? I wonder what it does in an earthquake.
The most useful thing it can do, it turns out, is call my (as usual) misplaced cellphone.
Are you experiencing the latest in technology or sticking your fingers in your ears and humming?
