step tracking inferior if not useless

They are two different devices and work very differently. The Apple Watch is a full health device and deprecates counting steps but tries to do so accurately so it involves arm swing, calibrated stride, etc. It also ties in heart rate, etc. which will not work in your pocket or on your ankle. The original Fitbit was designed as an electronic pedometer and their software is built around how many steps you take. I know several people who have been unhappy with the Apple Watch, no matter how many other things it will do, because they are well into the messages of they have walked to Australia, etc and their frustration that they cannot move the exercise ring with their walks. I advised all of them to return the Apple Watch within the 14 day return period and go back to the Fitbit. I would advise you to do the same, you will not be satisfied with the Apple Watch.

I don't see that anyone has made any references to Star Wars. But, I'm going to provide some background on the whole "10,000 steps a day thing". Do you know who came up with that? A Japanese pedometer company. Do you know why? Not because there's any science behind it but, because it sounds good in Japanese. So, if that's what you're going for, you've fallen victim to a marketing scheme.

Apple has never been interested in tracking steps. The Apple Watch tracks movement, exercise, and standing. Yeah, you can pull out the steps information but it's not a focus. As deggie suggested, you should get the tool that best meets your needs. If that's a FitBit, that's what you should get.

What was Star Wars? And you replied to fieryjack, not me. The watch detects the movement of your arms which is why if you use a treadmill and hold the arms it won't record any steps or distance. I'm not sure how that is in any way remotely connected to Star Wars. But please do so.

No, at my age I am definitely not state of the art now so I'm not sure how you came up with that. As Idris said people need to choose the tool that best fits their needs. For you and my friend Sam that would be a Fitbit. For my friends who are into triathlons that would be a Garmin. For people who are 70 and want to maintain their health I would suggest the Apple Watch.

I knew it was old but I didn't remember it was that old!

The lack of emphasis on step counting was actually one of the (many) things that drew me to the Apple Watch. I'd had FitBits since they first came out and were clips you wore on your waistband. I think I had the first Charge. It was a nice enough fitness watch. But the device I really loved was the Jawbone fitness tracker. The device itself had a tendency to stop working after about six months but the software was, in my opinion, brilliant. Apple is starting to add in some of the things I loved from that app (insights) but I still miss it.

Have you seen that movie? Find it if you can. Cary Grant, Jim Hutton.

If you want to have some fun ask your doctor why they recommend 10,000 steps per day. And then ask does the intensity matter. There were several Jawbone devices that didn't hold up, I had a Borg headphone (oooh, a Star Trek reference) from them that I had to keep replacing under warranty. They finally just issued me a refund. But my neighbor had the same tracker and loved it.

Well, if it's got Cary Grant in it.....

Jawbone was pretty good about replacing the darn things when they failed. In fact, when I moved in 2019, I found the last one they had sent me, still unopened. I smiled a bit wistfully and tossed it in the scarily full electronics recycling box I had going.

I kept both of my Newtons, though.

I never said anything about going to your doctor. My insurance manager gives discounts on the Apple Watch and says nothing about steps. I mentioned to Idris about asking any doctor about where this recommendation came from. And there is absolutely nothing racist about mentioning where the recommendation came from or when. As I said if you are really into steps, and if your insurance company will give you some type of pedometer, or you prefer the Fitbit by all means return your Apple Watch and get the Fitbit. You are now getting the tool that fits your needs. Seems to me you look for things to be disagreeable about.

barbarares wrote:

I never said the doctor recommended anything. I like to keep an accurate count of my steps. but you should know insurance companies offer rebates and prizes if you maintain 10,000 steps. Some even give you a tracker. Insurance companies don't give away ice in the winter so

Yes, being more active is good. It's cheap for insurance companies to give out trackers. But, research also indicates that the idea of having to reach 10,000 steps can be counterproductive. The people who would benefit the most by increasing their steps, the very sedentary may find it an unrealistic and discouraging goal. The important thing is not the absolute number of steps (a FitBit in your pocket probably isn't that accurate). What is important is trying to be more active than you were last week or last month or last year.

there must be something more to it than it sounds good in Japanese (racist comment?)

It's no more a racist comment than saying that the Chinese invented gun powder and forks. It is a statement of fact. And marketing is pretty much the same the world over. There's a very popular soft drink in the U.S (the world) that got its name because of the alteration provided by two of its chief ingredients sounded good. And when a company I used to work for merged with another one, they came up with a new name based on the words "Veritas" and "Horizon". Marketing is pretty much the same the world over.

?? What was the Star Wars reference? Did I miss it?

...and the marking campaign was done in 1964 for the summer Olympics in Tokyo where for the first time speed walking had become an olympic event. See the movie "Walk, Don't Run" for context.

In 2018 Apple sold 45 million watches.