[BAND] Sold out!!!

[msualum]

Well - so much for waiting until I got home and talked it over with the wife before spending $200! All sold out and they don't let you even place an order... bummer

 

[TheZuneLune]

The Band is sold out at the Pittsburgh store (kiosk.) They said they thought they had originally received about 100 of them.

 

[Yonic Boom]

I hope they replenish pretty quickly. I was hoping to swing into a store this weekend to try one out for myself and maybe pick one up.

 

[smurfalarm]

Yonic, they will have demo models at the store that you can try on, even if there aren't any available to sell. I would highly recommend you try it on before you buy if you have the opportunity. I ordered a large, and it is way too big for me, so I will have to return the large and get a medium instead.

 

[jojoe42]

Yonic, they will have demo models at the store that you can try on, even if there aren't any available to sell. I would highly recommend you try it on before you buy if you have the opportunity. I ordered a large, and it is way too big for me, so I will have to return the large and get a medium instead.

By chance, how tall is your wrist? I'm trying to figure out which size I fit (and since New Zealand will probably be THE LAST country to ever receive the band I will probably order it online). I fit in the medium bracket by a few millimeters according to the PDF, but I'd rather have a bit more flexibility over the sizing

 

[smurfalarm]

By chance, how tall is your wrist? I'm trying to figure out which size I fit (and since New Zealand will probably be THE LAST country to ever receive the band I will probably order it online). I fit in the medium bracket by a few millimeters according to the PDF, but I'd rather have a bit more flexibility over the sizing

I measured the height of the small of my wrist at around 41mm, but I felt a little unsure about my measurement so I ordered a large instead just in case figuring that it would be more comfortable, and it turns out that it is just way to big for me to wear. The large rattles around on my wrist, which is far more intrusive than having a close fit. I am wearing my wife's small right now (39mm, apparently), and it is able to fit on my wrist, albeit barely and a bit too snug. I went in person to the Microsoft Store to try on the medium, and it fit perfectly, so I back ordered it. I can't say for sure what the right size is for you because it's all about personal comfort, but if you are several mm beneath the medium, chances are pretty good that you will feel more comfortable with the small unless you are planning on wearing the medium really far up your wrist.

 

[jojoe42]

I measured the height of the small of my wrist at around 41mm, but I felt a little unsure about my measurement so I ordered a large instead just in case figuring that it would be more comfortable, and it turns out that it is just way to big for me to wear. The large rattles around on my wrist, which is far more intrusive than having a close fit. I am wearing my wife's small right now (39mm, apparently), and it is able to fit on my wrist, albeit barely and a bit too snug. I went in person to the Microsoft Store to try on the medium, and it fit perfectly, so I back ordered it. I can't say for sure what the right size is for you because it's all about personal comfort, but if you are several mm beneath the medium, chances are pretty good that you will feel more comfortable with the small unless you are planning on wearing the medium really far up your wrist.

Think I'll probably go with a medium. I seem just a couple of mm off a large....thanks for your help though!!!

 

[smoledman]

MS really dropped the ball here. People want to walk into the store and leave satisfied with their Band, not put it on backorder and have to come back in a week or 2.

 

[smurfalarm]

Think I'll probably go with a medium. I seem just a couple of mm off a large....thanks for your help though!!!

Ah, I thought you were saying a couple mm in the other direction, smaller than the medium. If you're a couple mm larger than the medium, I'm not really sure. I don't really have any special insights. I will say that the small is slightly uncomfortable because it's a little too snug on me, and I'm a couple mm larger than a small, so it is possible that if you are 43mm or so then the medium might be slightly uncomfortable on you. Hard to say though.

 

[jojoe42]

MS really dropped the ball here. People want to walk into the store and leave satisfied with their Band, not put it on backorder and have to come back in a week or 2.

The initial limited run makes sense - to gauge interest (obviously huge) so they don't overproduce like what happened with RT, to get feedback and to refine the overall product before it is released to the entire world, because when it is it will receive even more scrutiny than it does now. Although, in saying that I reckon they should release internationally within the next few weeks or people will forget about it over time

 

[smoledman]

The initial limited run makes sense - to gauge interest (obviously huge) so they don't overproduce like what happened with RT, to get feedback and to refine the overall product before it is released to the entire world, because when it is it will receive even more scrutiny than it does now. Although, in saying that I reckon they should release internationally within the next few weeks or people will forget about it over time

So we're just beta testers and people in 2015 will get a better v1 Band? I feel ripped off already.

 

[undisputed n00b]

The initial limited run makes sense - to gauge interest (obviously huge) so they don't overproduce like what happened with RT, to get feedback and to refine the overall product before it is released to the entire world, because when it is it will receive even more scrutiny than it does now. Although, in saying that I reckon they should release internationally within the next few weeks or people will forget about it over time

The difference is that the Band is better than everything else on the market now and better than the Apple Watch. The Surface RT was cool, but compared to the competition it was garbage. It was slow, had a low res screen, the cameras were terrible and the kickstand at only 1 angle was stupid. Surface 2 was good.

 

[realwarder]

They do have a sizing chart on the website to help size too.

 

[TheZuneLune]

Sure doesn't look and feel like beta testing to me.

 

[surfacedude]

The initial limited run makes sense - to gauge interest (obviously huge) so they don't overproduce like what happened with RT, to get feedback and to refine the overall product before it is released to the entire world, because when it is it will receive even more scrutiny than it does now. Although, in saying that I reckon they should release internationally within the next few weeks or people will forget about it over time

i don't think this makes sense. tech reviewers will get a hold of the earliest model and review that. i think these short runs are a contrived effort to generate the appearance of appeal. it's a marketing strategy, imo. otherwise, someone or some department is really inept if they can only wildly overproduce (surface rt) or wildly under-produce devices (the band).

i think by shorting the first run, microsoft will miss sales they could have had. you give reviewers more time to talk about the band which might not be the best thing given that microsoft is still very much trying to prove themselves.

lastly, if they're hoping to refine the product my the holidays, then they should take a well worn page from apple: don't release a product until it's ready. why release an undercooked product. tech that's just going to generate negative talk or backhanded complements--"great idea, execution is nice, but wait for version 2.0." i've already seen two tech reviews saying that (i think they're wrong, btw). and if you don't think tech talk has that much of an impact on regular shoppers, keep in mind that the tech community has an influence on how products are talked about. look at what happened to the surface rt and windows 8. they bombed in large part because they didn't impress reviewers and reviewers had a field day dogging them. having owned the products, they are both great...the rt was admittedly half baked and not comparable to the ipad or nice android tablets in terms of performance, but still it certainly was no dog. windows 8 certainly had shortcomings, the changes were fun and exciting, imo. i have fun using it and think it's a beautiful os. i'm not less produce on 8 than on 7.

i'm loving the new microsoft, but i really don't get their marketing/sales decisions.

 

[etad putta]

So we're just beta testers and people in 2015 will get a better v1 Band? I feel ripped off already.

Early version scratched too easily, hope v2 won't.

 

[Daniel Rubino]

i don't think this makes sense. tech reviewers will get a hold of the earliest model and review that. i think these short runs are a contrived effort to generate the appearance of appeal. it's a marketing strategy, imo. otherwise, someone or some department is really inept if they can only wildly overproduce (surface rt) or wildly under-produce devices (the band).

Short production order meant they could keep it a secret. How many leaks were there of this device? Besides some rumors there were no images, no production image leaks, none spotted during transport, etc. You can't keep a secret if you order 5 million to made and shipped internationally.

No, the more logical explanation is (1) They wanted to keep this on the downlow (2) They wanted to gauge interest (3) Wanted early feedback to make changes later on, if needed

You are all also missing the biggest issue: The Band is not some premier device that is meant to take on the health/smart industry. It is a demonstration device for Microsoft's technology and Health platform.

Why else are they licensing the hardware/sensors and software out to anyone who wants it? This Band is the equivalent of a Microsoft Surface. It is meant to set the standard so that their OEM partners can go out and make their own version of it.

Microsoft is not here to crush Jawbone and Fitibt, they want them to continue to make their devices but with Microsoft integration. By having a limited supply and little advertising, they can walk the fine line of getting this device out there and not completely pissing off the other OEMs. This is meant to light a fire under their ***, not destroy them.

I can say with authority that all the other health/fitness band OEMs were briefed within the last week about the Band and Microsoft's plans. It was an olive branch, not a declaration of war.

So no, no marketing conspiracy, just a shrewd business move.

 

[dorelse]

Microsoft is not here to crush Jawbone and Fitibt, they want them to continue to make their devices but with Microsoft integration. By having a limited supply and little advertising, they can walk the fine line of getting this device out there and not completely pissing off the other OEMs. This is meant to light a fire under their ***, not destroy them.

I can say with authority that all the other health/fitness band OEMs were briefed within the last week about the Band and Microsoft's plans. It was an olive branch, not a declaration of war.

That's awesome. So a Fitbit Surge 2016 ed. could be running 'Band OS'...nice.

 

[Yonic Boom]

That's awesome. So a Fitbit Surge 2016 ed. could be running 'Band OS'...nice.

I don't think he means that necessarily, just tying in with the health platform more broadly in the way Jawbone is for instance.

 

[Yonic Boom]

I contacted the Scottsdale store and they have no idea when they'll be getting more in stock. However eBay is full of people selling theirs at hefty markups. I hate the internet.