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Comment by drewg123 | Hacker News Reader

How about the Band 2?

Unaware of this event, yesterday morning I ordered the first MS Band for a little more than 1/2 the list price of the Band 2. I'd been shopping for fitness trackers for a long time, and settled on the Band as the only tracker meeting my needs that can also act as an Android trusted bluetooth device & keep my phone unlocked.

From what I can tell, the Band 2 adds: - softer, more flexible strap (soft shell vs hard shell) - barometer for elevation - gorilla glass - better touch sensitivity

Is that it? If so, given the nearly 2x price difference, I think I'm just going to keep the old band and use it.

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I've had a Band for most of the year and highly recommend it. Unlike watty, I think it's pretty comfortable. Admittedly it took a couple of days to get used to, but I rarely notice that it's on my wrist. The only exception being that the non-curved display does get in the way when I type on a laptop — which is very rare for me, your mileage may vary.

I'd recommend that you get a screen protector for your band, though. The weird, soft bezel around this version is extremely prone to scratches doing even the most mundane tasks.

Thanks.. I think I'll give the 1st gen band a try. My 1st gen LG Android watch has gotten me used to wearing a watch again, so I'm hoping for a minimal transition. If it doesn't work out, I've got ~30 days to return it, and get the Band 2.

BTW, I read how easy the thing scratches, and purchased some screen protectors along with it.

The first one is uncomfortable to wear, which makes the Band 2 worth the price. No way I'd purchase something for daily use that isn't comfortable.

The new one specs says max altitude is 1200m/3937 feet. That's unusable in pretty much the entire state of Colorado. The previous version was 12000m or 7.45 miles. It must be something to do with the new barometer, but this is a miss.

The specs say the Maximum Operating Altitude is "-300m to +4877m".

Where? I'm getting it from http://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-band/en-us/support/hardwa... and it says Maximum operating altitude: +1200 m (3937 feet)

Your link appears to be the specifications for the old band - there's no barometer listed in the sensors, and there are dual batteries listed (I believe the new one only has one).

I wish there were a better distinction between the two; this should be called the Band 2, not the "new Band." This is made worse by the fact that your link is reachable by clicking "Support" -> "Hardware" -> "Microsoft Band Specifications." Nothing in that path suggests anything about the old Band.

The specs for the new Band are at https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-band/en-us/features - you have to click on "tech specs." This supports the -300 to +4877 meters number.

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