MSN Direct - Is it worth having?

I have been using MSN Direct service for my Microsoft 'spot watch' (as they were once called) for about 2 years now.  2 years ago my wife (who was then my fiance') got me my first MSN Direct fossil watch for Christmas.  Now, while the watch itself was pretty ugly, the capability I got from it was addicting.  Being as busy as I have been in the last 2 years, I haven't really had the chance to keep up on things like the news, or be able to check the weather.  With the MSN Direct watch, when I have 30 seconds of boredom where I can't particularly do anything else, where ever that may be (there are plenty of examples, in an elevator, etc but I'll leave it to your imagination) I can quickly read all the headlines, check the weather report for the week, etc.  Additionally during the summer, this watch has really helped me out.  I am the whitest white boy you will ever meet.  That means I sun burn very, very quickly.  My MSN Direct watch tells me what the UV index is, and I am able to determine how much time I have in the sun before I burn, or if I need sunscreen or not.  I've really loved that feature.

Additionally, if you have an MSN direct watch, you need to pay for the premium service.  This allows you to have your Outlook calendar synced to your MSN Direct watch, as well as be able to receive instant messages.  My wife knows that my life is in my Outlook calendar.  If she wants me to remember something, it has to get there.  With the MSN Direct watch, even if I forget my Windows Mobile phone, I am still reminded of important meetings or dates.  (Yes, including my anniversary, birthdays, etc.)  I'll tell ya, the thing can really save your life sometimes.  One additional thing, being the geek I am, I have my monitoring software on my servers setup to send me instant messages directly to my watch (as well as other devices) in case of a serious problem.  Again, a great advantage.  I can leave my cell phone off during a movie at the theatre, but still be contacted in a very suitable way should there be an emergency.  (The watch beeps very quietly once, and the backlighting turns on.  Very subtle, but still very noticeable.)

So, are there any things I don't like, or dis-advatanges?  Well, the biggest complaint I have about MSN Direct service is how your Outlook calendar is synced.  You have to download and install a small app that attaches itself to Outlook, and sends updates to your watch via a passport sign-in on the Internet.  Why do I not like this?  For all of us business people, I would far prefer a direct Exchange sync option.  I primarily use a laptop computer, and very rarely do my desktops stay in working condition for too long, or stay on.  (I am constantly destroying and rebuilding my desktops as part of beta testing.)  For my watch to be reliable when it comes to appointments, I must have a PC that is always on, always running Outlook to stay up to date, and always connected to the Internet.  Luckily I have an old laptop that the screen was damaged on that I have sitting in my cable room running Outlook just for this purpose.  I shouldn't have to do that though.  I was hoping to see some MSN Direct support in Exchange 12 (2007) but alas, I have not found any.  I hope it will be added as a service pack, and I won't have to wait until the next build of Exchange, but so far I have yet to hear of any plans to do so. 

My last complaint is Microsoft hasn't rewarded the loyalty of early adopters, such as myself.  My brother, who liked my original watch, purchased one and tried it out.  He decided he didn't want to pay for the service, and didn't sign up.  His watch continued to receive MSN Direct content (no premium content obviously) and went on blissfully after his initial free 3 months.  My original watch broke on me and so I was required to go out and purchase a new one.  Thankfully the version 2 watches were out, and I picked up the Abacus watch designed by Microsoft themselves.  This watch, unlike it's predecessor, is actually a very sleek, well designed, and pretty watch.  I have received many compliments on just the look of the watch before they even know what it is.  Great job on that one Microsoft!  The downside is that soon after purchasing my new watch, my brother received an email from MSN Direct, telling him if he would renew his subscription, they would give him a new version 2 Suuno watch for free!  Of course he jumped on the opportunity, and I was left feeling like a chump.  Not to mention the fact that they have messed up on the billing and start billing me monthly, rather than my annual payment.  (Which I still need to call them about.)

So, is MSN Direct service worth having?  Absolutely.  In fact, during the period when my watch was broken, I really missed it.  Again, if Microsoft did a couple of simple things such as providing more enterprise support for the device, and show more loyalty to their active customers, I think we'll see more and more MSN Direct watches around.  (At least provide a discount, or perhaps free watch upgrade every 2 years?)

So, what do you think?