SportBrain Personal Fitness Manager Review Comments

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Author	Topic: SportBrain Personal Fitness Manager Review Comments
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 01-22-2001 06:23 AM Post your comments here on the SportBrain Personal Fitness Manager Review. http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/sportbrain-review.html Just click the POST REPLY button on this page.
Q Member Posts: 337 From: Alexandria, VA USA Registered: Aug 99	posted 01-22-2001 08:50 AM Looks like a must-have for us wannabe-non-couch-potatoes! One thing about the review--the comments in red are TINY!!! I realize that with the journal format, there's a lot of text, but it doesn't look like that needs to be that small...
Nick Yates unregistered	posted 01-22-2001 09:43 AM Julie, Normally I agree with all your reviews and always check the gadgeteer before making a purchase. This time however I have to disagree. I purchased a sport brain as soon as I saw the link in the new gismos section. I returned it a week later. I found it to be VERY in-accurate. I bought a med-ranged pedometer and used them both at the same time and there was a huge difference between them. Placement on my belt wasn't a factor (unless the place where they show you to wear it is incorrect). The other complaint is that if Sport Brain goes out of business you are left with a worthless piece of equipment that you spent some decent cash on. I would recommend that anyone interested in tracking their activity, go to a sporting goods store and buy a good pedometer and one of the polar heart monitors. If you really want to keep a log of the data, I'm sure there is a palm app to do it.
waage Member Posts: 47 From: Minnesota, USA Registered: Sep 2000	posted 01-22-2001 10:09 AM To: Q If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer you can change text size yourself by going to: View Text Size Hope this helps!!
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 01-22-2001 10:50 AM Nick: Regarding the accuracy of the Tracker, I did notice some differences in what my treadmill reported and what the Tracker reported as far as speed and distance. I do know that SportBrain is going to be creating a way to calibrate the tracker to each person's pace. As far as if they go out of business, that is a really good point. It could happen, you never know. I think they do need a way to download the data both to your computer and to the web. I'll make sure to send this comment directly to my contact there. I think what makes this product much better than a regular pedometer is the fact that you can see quite a bit of statistical data about your work out, and that you can compare your progress with other people. Julie
gmerin Member Posts: 12 From: new york, ny, usa Registered: Jan 2000	posted 01-22-2001 01:26 PM I've been looking at it for a few weeks now, and I really wish there was some way to directly download the data onto my PC instead of, or in addition to uploading it to their website (maybe I missed that feature?). I prefer to own my own data, as well as my words... [This message has been edited by gmerin (edited 01-22-2001).]
dng Junior Member Posts: 1 From: Registered: Jan 2001	posted 01-31-2001 04:21 PM I've had a SportBrain for about one month. I've found it to be very fun and motivating. I've done some tests. First I went to the local high school track and ran 1 mile in 10 minutes (ok, I don't run very fast). I was amazed to see that the SportBrain reported that I ran 1 mile in 10 minutes. Another test I did was to compare two different SportBrains. I put one on each side of my body and walked for about 20 minutes. The number of steps reported was within 0.68%. On the topic of SportBrain going out of business: I suppose that if everybody was concerned about the company going out of business and decided not to buy a SportBrain, then they would go out of business.
Judie Clark unregistered	posted 01-31-2001 05:05 PM quote: Originally posted by dng: On the topic of SportBrain going out of business: I suppose that if everybody was concerned about the company going out of business and decided not to buy a SportBrain, then they would go out of business. Hahahaha! Well put! Judie :0)
Mighty Squid unregistered	posted 02-06-2001 07:35 AM Me and my husband got our SportBrains about 3 weeks ago largly do to reading your review. One thing the the SportBrain site is it's lack of a user group. Do you know of any?
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 02-06-2001 08:44 AM Mighty Squid, No, I don't know of a user group, but that is an excellent idea that I will pose to the SportBrain people. It would be relatively easy for them to setup a message forum such as this for their customers. Julie
jrv unregistered	posted 02-26-2001 05:22 PM My wife got a pair of SportBrains for us. It does give one an incentive to exercise. No trouble to use, either. I would like to upload directly to my PC. To a Linux application, actually. I am curious about exactly what it's uploading, though. Has anyone hacked a SportBrain to see what it is sending? Or what sensors it has. (Who knows, maybe the thing has a microphone...:-)
Steven Broyde unregistered	posted 03-15-2001 06:30 PM Hi, Julie, Just one thing: steps, per se, are a meaninless unit unless accompanied by an elevated heart rate (% depends on age). So, if one simply "strolls" around town at a leisurely rate, even 20,000++ steps, one gets no cardiovascular advantage. If not that, why bother?
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 03-16-2001 07:55 AM Steven, I don't think that's completely true. The whole idea of the Sportbrain is to let you see how much of a slug that you are and then to increase your activity (walking). When I don't walk my 1.5miles on the treadmill, my average daily steps are maybe 3000 which is pretty pathetic. But when I walk on the TM, that jumps up to over 6,000 for the day. Just that little extra (30mins every other day for me) activity has helped me slim my thighs a bit and drop a couple lbs. Mainly though it has given me more energy. Now, if I could increase that even more, I think I'd start seeing more results. So, even if you just increase your daily activity, I think it REALLY matters. Even if you don't 'workout'. When you are standing and walking, your heart is beating faster and you are burning more calories than when you're just sitting down.
mrdartemis Junior Member Posts: 1 From: Registered: Mar 2001	posted 03-25-2001 03:00 AM FYI: I understand that Sportbrain had layoffs in February 2001. This is a very interesting product, but I don't think web access (with all the costs it entails: database servers, webservers, nationwide dial-in service, backup servers, disk arrays, etc, etc) is really vital to the product. A decent PC software package could provide almost the same set set of services for a fraction of the cost of the web-based delivery. But whether they could get the funding to develop the software and phone-usb/serial adapter at this point in this market.... Michelle, who REALLY likes the product, but is concerned about their current business model.
vclem47 Junior Member Posts: 1 From: Registered: Apr 2001	posted 04-01-2001 09:06 AM I recently ordered a sport brain in hopes that it would get this burned out walker-runner motivated again. Sometimes a gadget helps when nothing else will. I ordered the model that came with the heart band. Has anyone tried it? What are the best ways to use the product to minimize the inaccuracies? Thanks for the help. Vicki
Judie Clark unregistered	posted 04-01-2001 08:11 PM vclem47 Julie has the model with the heartband - I think she mentioned that in the review. It is definitely a feature that I am tempted to get...but I keep hoping that they will make it a prize for one of their contests! J :0)
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 04-01-2001 08:41 PM Yes, I have the heartstrap. It works fine. You just have to moisten the electrodes first.
Peterr Member Posts: 12 From: Registered: Mar 2001	posted 04-05-2001 05:27 AM Does the SportBrain also work in Europe? I'm curious about how it uploads the information to the Internet. Does it upload via an 800 number, or do you have to dial in to you ISP provider?
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 04-05-2001 01:34 PM Peterr: According to the FAQ on their site, the SportBrain currently is not supported in Canada or other countries outside the US. It dials in using a number local to it. If there isn't a local number in your area, it uses a 1-800 number. Julie
Peterr Member Posts: 12 From: Registered: Mar 2001	posted 04-13-2001 04:55 AM The company contacted me and confirmed your comment - SportBrain is available only in the US, but they hope to expand into other markets "soon". This inspired me to go to a local sports store,and pick up a $25 digital step counter. In the five days I've used it, I've registered between 8,000 and 17,000 steps per day. I'm only able to surpass the 10,000 mark when I make a conscious effort to go out for a walk - even with all the stairs I climb, my daily routine still isn't consistently over 10,000 steps... Thanks for giving me the idea about a step counter in the first place - pretty simple and efficient. Had one once as a kid, but it was much bigger and far less accurate than the one I have now. Peterr [This message has been edited by Peterr (edited 04-13-2001).]
Erika Junior Member Posts: 2 From: Minneapolis, Minnesota Registered: Apr 2001	posted 04-24-2001 05:17 PM I got my SportBrain about three weeks ago and LOVE it. However, I was even happier when they implemented forums about two weeks ago. There are tons of postings and lots of information. The community aspect of the product has just taken off. If you were condsidering a SportBrain, check it out now!
TheDreamer Member Posts: 10 From: Dublin, OH, USA Registered: Mar 99	posted 06-25-2001 09:04 AM Well, I've had my SportBrain for over 6 months now....and it has had little impact on my daily steps... I might occasionally take the stairs instead of the elevator, but I have bad knees.... It was interesting to see the graphs and such...but I suppose only exercise phreaks do 10,000 steps every day. I might hit it occasionally, but usually only the special days. My more acheiveable goal was 7,500 steps a day. Basically, a little bit more than the walk to and from work and the walk to and from the mall for lunch. Of course, on the weekend, sometimes I'd be luck if I broke 2,000. Usually, only if I go out for coffee. However, one weekend I went on a hike...halfway out I realized I had left my sportbrain at home... A couple weekends later I did the same thing. Two days where I logged lots of steps, but SportBrain logged 0 steps....makes it hard to get a reward. Especially since most of them require an average of 10,000 steps a day or more. Well, my interest dropped after that...and one Monday as I was heading to work...I realized I had forgotten my SportBrain again....but after some pacing of indecision...I decided that I didn't care anymore, and I haven't worn it since. And, to think that I originally got it to show my parents that I did plenty of walking....they are treadmill freaks...keep saying I should get one. But, I never showed them the website, etc.
Fitnessguru unregistered	posted 07-03-2001 01:41 PM If you think that the SportBrain is good, check out the Stayhealthy CT1 Calorie Tracker which actually records your movement, uploads via a PC to store and track readings and shows an LCD display of how you are doing for instant feedback. Stayhealthy.com
Marcus unregistered	posted 08-07-2001 02:22 PM I have been using pedometers for several years when walking, hiking, and running. Truly great pedometers can easily be purchased for well under $40 and guess what? You can view the data anytime you want. It is laughable to imagine buying one (I could buy 4 pedometers for the price of one of these jokes)that you have to plug into a phone line, and then view the data on somebody's specialized website. Let's compare: I can look down at my $30 pedometer, type 12482 into a spreadsheet. Heck why do that when I can take my $99 SportBrainless, plug a phone line into it, upload the data to somebody's website, connect to the internet, and view the data on their website! Sooo much nicer!
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 08-07-2001 05:40 PM Marcus: The SportBrain did (I say 'did' because they are now out of business....) a lot more then just report the steps walked. It also computed MPH, time walked, and calories burned. Julie
Q Member Posts: 337 From: Alexandria, VA USA Registered: Aug 99	posted 08-07-2001 10:10 PM quote: Originally posted by Julie: I say 'did' because they are now out of business.... Any recommendations on other devices that are still available?
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 08-07-2001 11:12 PM Q: If you have a Visor, you might like to check out the StepKeeper module that I recently reviewed: http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/stepkeeper-review.html Julie
HeatherCW unregistered	posted 08-09-2001 05:21 PM I was reading through the review getting more and more interested - what a bummer that they've gone out of business! What happened? Did they not sell enough of them, or did they decide not to do it anymore? It sounded like a good thing! Heather
Judie Clark unregistered	posted 08-12-2001 12:30 AM Heather, The SportBrain was a great product! I am totally "wrecked" that they didn't make it. There's no telling what happened - but it would be great if someone could buy them out... Judie :0/
Axel Yup Member Posts: 25 From: Owings Mills, MD Registered: Aug 2000	posted 08-15-2001 06:47 PM The Sportbrain review motivated me to buy a FreeStyle Digital pedometer for $22. It measures steps, average step rate, miles walked, mph, calories burned, and total time walked. It's also much smaller than the Sportbrain. It would make a good replacement for your Sportbrains. I'm also considering the Biotrainer II calorie counter. If it can measure more than stepping activities, then I may buy it. Axel
Wondering unregistered	posted 10-01-2001 11:44 PM quote: Originally posted by Fitnessguru: If you think that the SportBrain is good, check out the Stayhealthy CT1 Calorie Tracker which actually records your movement, uploads via a PC to store and track readings and shows an LCD display of how you are doing for instant feedback. Stayhealthy.com Actually, it seems to do little of this. Go to their web page and you'll find it allows you to track your "calorie use" and go to their website to track it. And, worse than SportBrain, it DOES require your PC, but only as a gateway to the internet, it doesn't allow you to download and analyze the data at the PC. This seems like a meager, even bad, product, given it doesn't allow you to do much more than go to their website (a now known tricky prospect) and look at a graph of your "calorie" expenditure. I want to know more...
Bossbubba unregistered	posted 10-17-2001 09:11 PM SportBrain is BACK!!!! Check out the address WWW.SportBrain.com. Get your unit out and log on with your serial number and get back on line.
Judie Clark unregistered	posted 10-17-2001 09:43 PM YAY! That is GREAT NEWS!! :0)
enviolet unregistered	posted 12-29-2001 07:01 PM quote: Originally posted by Bossbubba: SportBrain is BACK!!!! Check out the address WWW.SportBrain.com. Get your unit out and log on with your serial number and get back on line. Oh thanks for the update. I love this product and was using it for months before they were gone.It really motivated me to push a little harder. Glad I didnt toss that unit.
bsmith16 unregistered	posted 01-21-2002 10:12 AM quote: Originally posted by enviolet: Oh thanks for the update. I love this product and was using it for months before they were gone.It really motivated me to push a little harder. Glad I didnt toss that unit. Has anyone been able to successfully register? Has anyone ever received a response from them since the October notice that theY are back? I have sent numerous emails and no response.
Smilin Jack Member Posts: 28 From: Wilbraham, MA. USA Registered: Sep 1999	posted 01-21-2002 01:18 PM Phew, I thought they were just ignoring ME. My inquiries have also gone unanswered. Maybe they're not as back as originally reported! Keep Smilin!
harry unregistered	posted 03-22-2002 02:48 PM have you seen this? http://www.stayhealthy.com/sportbrain/
Julie Administrator Posts: 2752 From: Columbus, IN USA Registered: Feb 1999	posted 03-22-2002 02:58 PM This looks interesting! I'm going to see about getting one to review. Julie
Debra unregistered	posted 03-27-2002 10:00 AM It looks as if SportBrain really is coming back, the website says US users should be back on in May or June 2002. www.sportbrain.com
magenta321 unregistered	posted 03-15-2003 07:20 PM Sportbrain really did come back!!! The site is back up again, with new owners this time around. It looks like the old sportbrain, but, to keep the company viable, they've implimented a monthly fee. The most it will cost you is $14.95 a month, and it is less depending on if you purchase multiple months of service in advance. So far, everything seems wonderful. I knew Sportbrain's history, although I never owned a Sportbrain before. When I heard they came back I bought one, and I am absolutely loving it! I'm logging in over 14,000 steps a day right now, which is twice what I used to get in a normal day. It's motivating me to take walks, as well as do aerobics. I love my brain!!!

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