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Disappointed Woz Sells His "Worthless" Galaxy Gear Watch

curtwoodward (2147628) writes Apple co-founder and legendary nerd Steve Wozniak is a huge gadget enthusiast, often appearing in lines with mere mortals to purchase new Apple products. So you can bet he's tried out most of the smartwatches on the market today. The worst one? By far, the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which The Woz says he sold on eBay after half a day's use. "It was so worthless and did so little that was convenient," Wozniak said at an appearance in Milwaukee. "You had to hold it up to your ear and stuff." So maybe the watch sucked, but just imagine being the one who bought Woz's used Gear---do you think they know?

15 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Agreed. by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Informative

    I did the same, except I returned to ti Best Buy and got a Pebble instead.

    Works a LOT better for what a smart watch is good for, critical Information display.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  2. Re: Legendary nerd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    More than you can say about yourself for sure. Your biggest achievement in life is probably this post on Slashdot.

  3. Re:Did the editor know...this is Google/Android te by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hi did you get the newsletter that Woz left Apple like 20 years ago and has nothing to do with the company anymore? And that he's a huge tech/gadget geek and doesn't care if the device is not Apple? And has even publicly spoken out against Apple?

    Well now you do.

  4. Re:Legendary nerd? by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 5, Informative

    He invented the universal remote control.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CL_9

  5. Re:Legendary nerd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    You mean besides building a disk controller in software that was faster and far more adaptable and reliable than the hardware versions at the time, and cost a tenth as much?

    Yeah, I can't figure why that would be important in 1977.

  6. Re:Legendary nerd? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't forget about the resolution he got out of a video controller. Or the way he mercilessly attacked the IC count. Woz is a populist geek hero to anybody who wants to maximize performance while minimizing cost.

    The big iron folks always look down their noses at the little people with their little computers, but they don't start any revolutions.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  7. Re:Legendary nerd? by iggymanz · · Score: 5, Informative

    No one else designed the circuits and firmware/software of a 6502 based computer system with output that worked on a home TV.

    He holds four patents as sole inventor:
    No. 4,136,359: Microcomputer for use with video display
    No. 4,210,959: Controller for magnetic disc, recorder, or the like
    No. 4,217,604: Apparatus for digitally controlling PAL color display
    No. 4,278,972: Digitally-controlled color signal generation means for use with display

    Please post link to your major contributions to the field of personal computing, we're looking forward to it. Unless as I suspect your biggest contribution is the dried and crusted mass on the underside of your system's desk

  8. Re:Did the editor know...this is Google/Android te by Noah+Haders · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wiz is an infamous gadget hound. Go to youtube to see clips of him babbling over androids, google glass, whatever.

  9. Re:All smart watches suck by Jesus_666 · · Score: 3, Funny

    It'd probably have a 5" display, quadrophonic sound and an octacore CPU and run an unmodified Windows RT. Due to weight concerns most of the battery had to be sacrificed, limiting its life to an etimated fifteen minutes - but no other smartwatch has both Office and HDMI and you can always use the USB port to hook it up to an external power source if you want to use it on the go. You see, Microsoft gets mobile devices.

    Or they decide they actually want to make money and release a generic Android-based smartwatch. Their Nokia arm doesn't seem too hung up about reinforcing the Windows hegemony if it gets in the way of business.

    --
    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  10. Consumers are fickle by Iniamyen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wasn't it only a year or two ago about how we were congratulating ourselves on not having to wear watches, because hey, everyone's got a smart phone and you can just check the time on that.

    I don't wear a watch day-to-day. When I do wear one, it's with a suit as a fashion accessory. And I seriously doubt smart watches will ever look classy. Flashy, yes. Classy, no.

    It's pretty amazing how short the average consumer's attention span is. I guess I can't blame companies for gettin' while the gettin's good.

  11. Re:Did the editor know...this is Google/Android te by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wozniak is still an Apple employee with a salary of $120k/year and he still has a bunch of stock. I doubt he has much if any involvement in Apple operations, but saying "he has nothing to do with the company" is not true.

    You are correct that he calls them like he sees them, regardless of brand. I generally love Samsung and have owned a bunch of their phones, but the Gear has no interest for me for exactly the reasons Woz states.

  12. Re:Did the editor know...this is Google/Android te by jeffmflanagan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This demonstrates the fact that people who are very smart in one area can mistake themselves for experts in an unrelated area where they're totally incompetent. Jobs over-estimation of his own abilities wound up killing him when he confidently went for fantasy-based fake medicine due to his total lack of expertise regarding medicine.

  13. Re:Legendary nerd? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 4, Funny

    You'd be surprised how many people wipe boogers under your desk!

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  14. Re: Legendary nerd? by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No, my toilet does not need a IPv6 connection. I promise you I can still take a shit without it.

    Sorry, as part of the "pay per flush" sewer service billing not only will it be monitored it will also have an override to disable it in the event of a police raid...

    --
    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  15. My wife has one and loves it, for one reason. by smellsofbikes · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There aren't any current cellphones that fit in the pockets of the sort of clothes she wears. Size zero/one fashion clothing often doesn't even have pockets, much less ones that'll fit the half-tablet-sized cellphones these days. She had an HP Veer, the size of a credit card, that she loved, until it died. So now she has the same smartwatch and has what she calls a GIANT cellphone in her purse or stuck in her desk at work, and takes calls using her watch.

    Size zero clothing is probably not on Woz's radar, but there are people who want tiny connectivity.

    --
    Nostalgia's not what it used to be.