I finally received my Nike+ SportBand on Monday after pre-ordering from Nike.com. I decided to take it out for a spin today. Here are my observations:
Design: Pretty cool, very lightweight
Function: Weeell…
- The USB connector is poorly designed when it comes to actually inserting it into your laptop. It has a slight curve to it so as to fit the contour of the band but if your laptop is on a flat surface (such as a desk), it won’t plug in properly or at all. So weird that Nike didn’t think of that - did they test it at all?! This reminds me of the Nokia N-GAGE case we read for IT Strategy…sidetalkin’…haha.
- Also, Pause vs. Stop Workout is sort of unclear. Perhaps I should read the manual but since there’s only one button it’s kind of hard to figure out. I really do like the audio cues you get when using the iPod+.
- The battery life is only two hours. Not that I can run for that long, but it means you have to be conscious about keeping it charged. It does have a battery indicator on the screen so that helps.
- The screen is easy to read and toggling between Distance/Pace/Calories while running is also pretty simple.
Botom Line: Eh. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I’ll still listen to my iPod while running, but I’ll continue to use the SportBand (partially out of necessity, since my Nano screen is busted and I can’t navigate to the Nike+ menu). It’s not bad for $60.
BTW - am I the first person to use this thing? I couldn’t find reviews by people who had actually used it anywhere!
5 responses so far ↓
spery // May 6, 2008 at 8:33 am
Hi! I’ve found your blog looking for Sporband review and information. I’ve the same feeling.. looks like Nike’s PR could have done a little more to promote this product. It is also hard to find it in nikestores here in Italy.
(mine has been shipped today so i’m waiting for it!)
Mike // May 6, 2008 at 2:58 pm
About the battery life, http://stuff.tv/blogs/sport/archive/2008/04/16/nike-sportband-review.aspx says that it takes 2 hours to charge…. and lasts 14 hours.
I ordered mine today and I guess I’ll have to wait and see.
la petite princesse // May 6, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Yeah, I’m curious to see what the general response will be once it’s been out on the market for a while. The design definitely needs improvement.
In general, though, it’s weird that more people aren’t aware of the whole Nike+ thing. Or maybe they’re aware of it and don’t get the functionality or don’t care. Personally, Nike+ iPod has revolutionized my life.
Mike - thanks for the battery life info. That def makes me feel better!
angel // May 21, 2008 at 1:42 am
hi guys i have a question
what does pace means? what is showing my band, i dont get those numbers, dont laught i just dont speak many english, thanx in advance
la petite princesse // May 21, 2008 at 8:12 am
The pace is the rate at which you’re running, or the length of time you’ve been running divided by your distance. So if you ran 3 miles in 30 minutes, you’ll see your pace as 10 minutes.
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