Image Gallery: ABACUS Smart Watch 2006
It has been kind of quiet on the MSN Direct front over the last year or so, but ABACUS has released five different models in the last few months that have improved significantly on the older SPOT watches.
The ABACUS watch and Quick Start Guide are visible when you first open up the box.
The A/C adapter has a USB port for the unique cable and is easily stowed for travel.
These 4 contact points are mounted on a magnet that attaches to your watch.
There are 4 matching contact points on the watch.
The magnet is strong enough to hold the cable to the watch, yet releases if the cable is pulled or bumped.
The model I tested had a durable green fabric band that was attractive and strong.
The buttons are solid, well-designed, and work very well on the watch.
The inside of the band is a very comfortable leather material that is MUCH better than the old metal antenna bands on previous SPOT models.
The front of the ABACUS Smart Watch 2006.
While the watch is large, it is smaller than previous SPOT watches and comparable to many other modern watches.
The ABACUS has a cool design on the left side that makes the device quite attractive.
The Sports channel is one of my favorites since I don't have time to watch all of the Mariners games.
The MSN Direct service provides lots of details on the game too.
The backlight is very visible in the dark as you can see.
Local forecasts are another great channel that provide some good information when traveling.
The Traffic channel is still fairly new and officially still in beta. As a Seattle commuter this channel can be very helpful during the afternoons.
The Movie channel is one of my favorite because my family likes to go to the shows and this is an easy way to see what is playing where and at what time.