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Apr 12, 2001
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As many users in the United States slept Thursday night, Apple began slowly emailing Apple Watch pre-order customers with a confirmed April 24 delivery date about a "Personal Setup" program designed around the Watch.

Aimed to visually guide new users through the Apple Watch's setup process and beyond, the Personal Setup program is a video session with an Apple employee where the company does its best to answer every question a user has about the wrist-worn device.

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As with in-store try-on appointments, the Personal Setup video session requires a scheduled appointment, with dates as of writing ranging from early Friday morning all the way through the evening on May 7.
Your Apple Watch will be in your hands shortly. Once it is, we can help you get started right in the comfort of your own home with online Personal Setup. It's a video session* where we show you how to set up Apple Watch with your iPhone, walk you through some key features, and answer your questions. We'll also point out some great apps, and help you personalize your device.

Of course, you can always visit an Apple Store and request a Personal Setup session with a Specialist.

Thank you for choosing Apple.
Interestingly, the times of each appointment fluctuate everywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, so it appears Apple may be letting customers choose a time they think is best for their own personal setup and knowledge of the Apple Watch, although the company has yet to confirm the max length a session can go.

While the email from Apple does make mention of visiting a retail location, the move does fall in line with retail chief Angela Ahrendt's recent move of keeping the Apple Watch launch as brick-and-mortar free as possible.

The first Apple Watch deliveries should begin making the rounds in just a few short hours in the United States, with worldwide deliveries already resulting in some positive first impressions and teardowns of the wearable.

Article Link: Apple Offers Virtual 'Personal Setup' to Soon-to-Be Apple Watch Owners
 

FieldingMellish

Suspended
Jun 20, 2010
2,440
3,108
They had to have predicted a tough go at it if done in store. From waiting, to try-ons, to security, the works. Apple has no glass cases in which to keep watches and doing so would interrupt a strict ordered floor layout. Finally, you can simply sell more watches and do so faster online.
 

hortod1

macrumors 6502
Jan 26, 2009
461
1,265
iPod/iPhone/iPad didn't need this because of their simplicity and intuitiveness. I've read there's a bit of a learning curve to the watch. Apple seems to think so too. That's unfortunate.
 

Eorlas

macrumors 65816
Feb 10, 2010
1,246
1,913
iPod/iPhone/iPad didn't need this because of their simplicity and intuitiveness. I've read there's a bit of a learning curve to the watch. Apple seems to think so too. That's unfortunate.

No it's not. This is available to any apple product a user purchases.
 

hortod1

macrumors 6502
Jan 26, 2009
461
1,265
I've preordered a couple of 1st generation devices and I've never, ever received an email prior to its delivery offering a personalized web session on how learn to use the thing.
 

petsounds

macrumors 65816
Jun 30, 2007
1,493
519
iPod/iPhone/iPad didn't need this because of their simplicity and intuitiveness. I've read there's a bit of a learning curve to the watch. Apple seems to think so too. That's unfortunate.

The original Macintosh computers came with a floppy disk "Introduction to Macintosh", which took customers through a guided tour of the Mac's new interface paradigms (no one had used a mouse before, or a GUI for that matter). This has some new interface interactions as well; better to offer customers a hands-on video walkthrough than to expect them to read a manual.

Having said that, I do think iOS is more intuitive to new users, but the Watch doesn't have the luxury of multi-touch gestures to mimic real-life actions.
 
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