Review: Nike Sports Watch
By Branko Miletic
- iPhone connectable
- Water resistant
- TomTom GPS connected
Nike is a company that aims to equip the sportsperson with all and sundry sporting equipment. Enter, the Nike + Sport watch GPS – in collaboration with Tom Tom – a GPS-enabled device made for the serious runner.
The watch comes in two distinct parts; first is the watch – a 65 gram weight full heavy-duty plastic time device that is 3 cm x 4.5 cm that is also water resistant, something the long weekend's torrential rain helped me prove beyond a doubt.
Coming in at present only in black/ fluoro green, it has three-buttons: one “select” button and two “scroll” buttons. It also has a tap-sensitive screen and a USB cable that you will need to connect to your computer.
The second half of the unit is the so-called 'shoe-pod’ sensor, which could also be called a 'pocket sensor' if you want. Its main aim is to act as the GPS receiver that allows a map of your run or in my case, walk, to be graphically represented on your computer.
Set up of the watch was simple – all it took was connecting the USB cable to the watch strap and a computer and then a wait of about 20 minutes then the watch was ready to go.
The connection to the TomTom GPS was seamless and after going for a short (yet brisk!!) walk, the software allows automatic transfer of this information to the Nikeplus.com website allowing you to view your exercise by pace or map, length, calories, heart rate etc. as well as joining up to the Nikeplus.com – the world's largest online running club.
The Nike website also offers options for creating goals or custom training programs, and with its social media connection, you can post your stats on Facebook or Twitter, but you will have to sign up to Nike+ to be able to use all of this.
You can also download the ($A1.99) Nike+ app for your iPhone/iPod, giving you the possibility to store and share your training data and maps on your mobile device.
Furthermore, the watch's program will eventually send out 'Personal Best' messages, meaning the Nike watch also works like a personal trainer, giving you messages of encouragement to push you to train even harder.
All this information is accessed by tapping the screen and you can even export your data and build up a graph of your progress – if you are so inclined that is. And yes, this watch is also great for bike riders and hikers as well.
About the only thing I didn't like about the device was its hideous colour – black and flouro green should only be seen on kids' toys and as such, I wouldn't use it for anything except a serious training regime.
Fashion accessory it is not. Bar that, the Nike + Sportswatch GPS is a cool piece of tech that any runner, jogger, athlete and sportsperson should use. Oh, and it tells the time too.
Pros: easy to use, GPS connected, water resistant
Cons: awful colouring will not appeal to the more fashion-conscious sportsperson
4 Shacks Out Of 5
RRP
$199
