Review of the Abacus Wrist Net (AU4003)

In fact, I'd say the Abacus Wrist Net is most at home when worn with apair of jeans or cargo pants. (The MSN Direct watch best suited for an officeenvironment is the Suunton3i with its handsome, slim profile.)In my experience, being happy with MSN Direct has more to do with your MSN Directwatch than with the actual service itself. I've enjoyed the MSN Direct servicesince the very first time I used it, and nothing about it has disappointed me (fora detailed review of the MSN Direct service, see my reviewof the Swatch Paparazzi). Yes, cell phones can provide most of what MSN Directwatches can provide, but I have never seen a cell phone that can make informationso easily accessible. Even when I'm sitting at my computer, I'm more likely tocheck stock prices and weather on my watch than I am to use one of the hundredsof different widgets and services available on my Mac. MSN Direct makes glancingat important information as easy as glancing at the time. So if maintaining a constantflow of easily accessible, relevant information is appealing to you (and if youhappen to live in an MSN Direct service area), I recommend you spend your timepicking out the right watch rather than fretting over the MSN Direct service. Ifyou want the best and most feature rich watch, go with the Tissot High-T. If you wantthe most business oriented, go with the Suunto n3i.If you want one the most sportsoriented, consider the Suunto n6-HR with the built-in heart rate monitor. But ifyou want something *** and stylish that will get you connected without you havingto worry about how your wife is going to react to the credit card bill, the AbacusWrist Net might be the MSN Direct watch for you.Additional ResourcesAbacus Wrist Net product page. I really like the charger that comes with both Wrist Net watches. Althoughthey are less portable than some of the other MSN Direct watch chargers, they areprobably the easiest to use, and definitely the coolest. Rather than actually pluggingthe watch in to charge it, you simply set it down on top of the charger whereit sort of hangs there, slurping up powerwithout actually having to be hooked in to anything (see the AbacusWrist Net photo gallery for pictures). Just make sure the clasp is closed andthe two ends of the antenna are in contact so the watch can continue to receivedata when not in use.There are two types of people for which I think the Abacus Wrist Net is wellsuited:Those who want to experiment with the MSN Direct service while minimizingtheir initial investment. Since MSN Direct allows you to add two different watchesto your account with a single subscription (which I think is an excellent feature,by the way), you can always spring for the higher-end Suunto or Tissot once you'vethoroughly evaluated the service with the Abacus.Those who are more concerned with the look of the watch than with the qualityof the electronics. That's not to say the Abacus is shabby, but's also nota Tissot. It's designed and built to appeal to a young, hip crowd (as most Fossilwatches are), and is not about to fit comfortably under a tight, starched shirtcuff.