Maybe the website just isn’t clear (and you can just use it with only a smartphone) but I can’t see why Nike have limited the use of this device to people who have a PC/Mac with USB drive + broadband internet.
Isn’t it obvious that there’s going to be a lot of early adopters (like the ones who snapped up the $99 Jawbone UP) who might have $149 to spend on a wristband but would expect it to be able to work straight out of the box and expect to have the added value of data input (eg. the meal logging you can do with the UP app) with their smartphone?
With the similarities in these devices (which is no surprise when you realise they’re both powered by FullPower’s X-Motion MEMS based technology) it’ll be interesting to see if Nike’s much larger and more established distribution channels have a corresponding influence. If they don’t I think in future we’ll see a lot more focus from mHealth device makers on the direct/mobile store distribution model that was pioneered by Jawbone.
