Been waiting for the band, but now I wonder...

[JEiffel]

I went out the day of its release to get the MSFT Band, but I was too late.
I've been waiting every day since to get a call/email from MSFT telling me they have it back in stock.
At first the reviews raved about the success of MSFTs first smartwatch, and that was making me want it even more!
But now the reviews seem to be more and more negative, more lackluster. Do I want to spend $200 on this, or would the Fitbit surge be a better deal for $50 more? hm...

 

[Bkr11]

I still love mine, and my wife went to being "meh" about hers to completely stoked. The ability to load their custom workouts (to be clear, no customizing ones own) has been something she has found extremely useful.

 

[jfdavis17]

It is a Microsoft product, if Microsoft had a cure for cancer, it would get mixed reviews. I have had fitbits, and a vivofit, I really love my band. Is it perfect? No. But it is very good as is, and has so much potential with a few updates and more app partners it will be hands down the best in show.

 

[dbregman]

I'm with Jfdavis17 on this. It is not perfect, but it is leaps and bounds ahead of what the competition is releasing Gen 3 (Basis, UP, etc).

 

[JEiffel]

Okay, it's good seeing positive feedback x)
I'm still on back order, and I think I will jump in when it becomes available.
To be fair, for every "bad" thing I see about it, theres a lot of good to match. As long as software updates can continue to improve on it, I'm fine. It seems that the hardware is pretty solid from what I've read.

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

I've had mine for over a week now, and I love it. I've actually learned quite a bit about my sleep habits that I need to improve upon immediately. It has really made me a lot more aware of my general health and fitness level. Nothing but good things to say about it from me.

 

[Upstate Dunadan]

I'm actually seeing more and more reviews that say the opposite, that if you are looking for a fitness band, it hits all the marks.

Just read this one tonight....

Microsoft Band Review: A few instruments shy of an orchestra
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/neowin-main/~3/SXVb8YGxhfM/story01.htm

What I don't think most people realize is that Microsoft can expand functionality and tweak algorithms on the fly, just like they are doing with Cortana. For anyone who has been using Cortana, they can attest that she is growing by leaps and bounds and it's only in beta.

The band is a great piece of hardware, but the brain resides in house on Microsoft's servers and they are going to build that out for all its worth.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[DroidUser42]

My take on the OP's question:

• Do you want it now or after Christmas? The Surge seems to be "2015"
• How important is the fitness? Are you a health/numbers nut or just want encouragement? It looks like the FitBit ecosystem is more mature - for now.
• Can you live with the monochrome display? At this point Band isn't using it's color for much, but that could change. Personally, I think the Surge looks a bit "Casio-ish".
• Are you an indoor or outdoor person? With a LCD display, the Surge could have the more readable "outdoor" display.
• Do you swim? The Band isn't that water resistant.
• What smart watch features are important to you? I'm not seeing much detail on that for the Surge.
• What do you want your information to sync to? Be sure to look at the ecosystem behind the device, and just how it supports syncing to other apps.

 

[DroidUser42]

But now the reviews seem to be more and more negative, more lackluster.

How many of those negatives comments posted in the forum have indicated returns? I haven't noticed very many. I think most of it is picking at a device that overall they love, not deal-killers.

 

[WhiteNiteLite]

You should also remember, this device will get better over time. There's still a few dormant sensors that Microsoft hasn't tapped into yet, like reading your stress level. Plus when their analytics rolls out, it'll be neat to see how certain seemingly unrelated things can impact your body. I love my band as is and it's exciting to know that it will only get better as time goes on!

 

[sanva]

2 in this house and its great. Friends have been digging it to, some really liked the style and look of the band.
I run and workout 4x a week this thing is perfect for my needs.