Fossil announced that the device will be available in early 2002 for US$145. The launch is significant in that Fossil is a major consumer brand, but the gadget could have a difficult time of it in a market where the handheld computer industry saw a 9.5 percent drop in shipments for the third quarter.
The Wrist PDA is not a handheld computer in itself: the owner uses the infrared transmitters built into most personal digital assistants (PDAs) to input read-only information like to-do lists, memos and contacts. The watch can also receive up to 20 business cards beamed from other Wrist PDAs or handhelds.
The watch has 190KB of memory, the equivalent of 1,100 contacts, 800 appointments, 5,000 to-do notes or 350 memos, Fossil said in its announcement.
Industry observers are unsure whether gadgets like Wrist PDA can carve out much of a market for themselves, given their limited functionality and dependence on already owning a handheld computer. "My first impression really is that it will attract gadget people," said Roberta Cozza, analyst with Gartner Dataquest.
"It seems a little bit redundant," she added. "The market doesn't need to think about another gadget to carry around with them."
What's more, a wrist-based "connected" organiser is nothing new. For several years, Timex and others have offered watches that can download data from PC-based organisers through a cable or even, in one case, via a pattern of flashing lights on the PC monitor.
There are actually a lot of these PDA watches on the market and they didn't do good at all. I think PDA's are to expensive, to much of a risk taking it everywhere you go and overall a waste of money. I have a ton of gadgets from the Vaio C1VN to the OnHAND wrist PC watch which does more than the fossil one. But I don't like having a lot of things. I want one single thing that can do EVERYTHING all my gadgets do but is on a watch. Ever since I was a kid I wanted one of those watches Seiko made that had the TV in it. I have had a fascination with what companies might put in watches. I am tired of companies making PDA after PDA and not giving the public a say in it. There are SO many PDA's out there and none of them will ever take off. NONE OF THEM. Plus they aren't well advertised and they serve no purpose really, let's see I'll spend $500 on a pretty LCD screen that has the same features as a $10 Casio Electronic Organizer. It plain and simple is illogical. But, BUT a watch doing this could be good and if the stupid companies making these gadgets would listen to us they might just sell things! We know what the public wants! I want a gagdet that can eliminate a lot of my gadgets and put it on my wrist in one small package.