The Digital Crown paradigm is actually one of the most impressive conceits to reality - fingers on a tiny screen will cover what the heck you're lookin' at. They certainly *could* have stuck with what they had, but I think the solution devised will prove to me the correct one.
No argument there, it is an interesting concept. I can't wait to try it out, but my doubts come from it not necessarily being as intuitive as iOS touch or the iPod click wheel. I think those worked because people are accustomed to pressing buttons and turning dials. How many people regularly interact with a watch crown in modern times? How many people under 20 have ever even used one? Also, every time I have ever used a crown to adjust/wind a watch, I've taken the watch off my wrist because it is more comfortable that way.
I don't know, I think it is just one of those things that the masses have to get their hands on before we find out how effective an interface it is.
The Pebble deals with this with clicky buttons (and completely lacks touch). The DC allows for another implementation of the *result* and *UX* of Pinch/Zoom, without masking the content. Same with scrolling, tho people will be inclined to touch initially.
The Pebble is a little bit of a different animal in that it doesn't try to pack in all the features Apple is, and, their UX is designed solely around the use of 4 buttons without touch and straight forward. it reminds me of the original iPod OS and click wheel. Linear, but easy to use and navigate.
Watch is more like iOS, a complex system with multitasking and multiple input methods. For it to to be approachable you have to have multiple ways to do something to give people room to find their own way, which will encourage them to use the device more and keep the learning curve shallow. If Apple has made the majority of functions operable via Siri, I think that will help a lot.
Wear just...ugh. Maybe by I/O Google will have their ducks aligned so that we devs can really get something out of it.
Well I think it is safe to say that Apple's offering will at least be better than Wear for the time being anyway...
I guess it's been so long now, bu does anyone remember the whole series of videos Apple published teaching people "how to iPhone" because it was all so new?
Perhaps they will do this again for the watch and the UX for the crown and force touch (people will be 'long pressing'...it is velocity/pressure sensitive but people aren't used to that so will be inclines to 'touch and hold')
I'm sure they will, but it really will all come down to how effective of an input device people find the crown to be. Touch was (is) very intuitive for people to learn. I think decades of seeing touchscreen tech in science fiction certainly helped too. It will just take time to see if people embrace the digital crown.
"Heavy is the head that wears the Crown." Well there is certainly a lot riding on this one.