Saturday, September 26, 2009

Shameless Plug (but true!)



Last weekend, Weight Watchers' iPhone application was released on the iTunes store. My horrifically biased review: it completely rocks the house. Particularly for a version 1.0 release. OK, I said I was biased.

What's the point and why do I care?

As noted in prior entries, I have often said that I needed the meeting to lose my weight with Weight Watchers, particularly the weigh-in which kept me honest and focused. As I've also said, I rely on the website in general, and Weight Watchers eTools (many of the same tools as Weight Watchers Online) in specific. I don't track my POINTS all the time, but when I do, it's the internet or nothing. I guess I'm just not a paper tracker kind of a fellow.

This works well except for the fact that I look a little conspicuous whipping out a laptop in the middle of a restaurant or grocery store. In other words, the web site is great, but what if I need to do my program business on the road? Once upon a time, we had a Palm application, and it was pretty slick. Until I stopped using a Palm. Then we launched Weight Watchers Mobile, which totally works, but it just does not have the same kind of umph of the web site.

Before I go further, one other point of important bias-related caveating: I am a total iPhone super freak. LOVE it. LOVE it. LOVE it. It is always a good time to pull up Google Maps for no apparent reason. The browser rocks. The interface is beautiful. Etc.

I had seen screen shots of the new iPhone application, but the technology team did not provide me with a demo prior to its release. Therefore, I got mine roughly when you got yours. It really did surpass my expectations, particularly in user interface, graphics, resources, etc. It is one of those applications where you keep discovering new stuff. Most importantly, I can now track and search on the fly.

I even use it as a video game of sorts. I call it "Let's find the scariest thing at the Restaurant." Yesterday's winner was the Arthur Treachers (listed under Nathan's Famous) Shrimp Boat. 88 POINTS. I kid you not. I'm not really sure what a shrimp boat is (I think it is fried shrimp, tartar sauce and fries), but for that many points it should be able to fit a person inside of it (not the other way around).

A few important notes about the iPhone app... 1) anyone can download it, but you need to be a Monthly Pass/eTools or Online subscriber to get full access to all the tools (in which case they are free), 2) you need to have a live connection (cell or wifi) to enter POINTS into your tracker, and 3) it's only going to get better. I say this in a self-serving attempt to avoid scorching flames from any potentially irate users.

Give the iPhone app a go and let me know what you think.

20 comments:

  1. Okay now, my dear Mr. Kirchoff, how about an app for us Blackberry folk? :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is THE BEST APP EVER! Used it all last week! Love it!

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. completely jealous, i have a blackberry too and the ww mobile is pretty good but not all fun and fancy like it is for iPhone! come on, help a sister out!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. WHEN OH WHEN will this happen in the FLIPPING UK? And for BlackBerry!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Come On David - sort it out!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Can you please tell us if there are plans to bring this app to the UK? If so, any idea when roughly?

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love it! I love it! I love it!!

    And hey, all you Blackberry people? Get an iPhone! They are the best!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't get why corp America is so stuck on the blackberry??? Funny, I think our CEO has an iPhone for work? Maybe I need to give him a call, you know for our Healthy Lifestyle initiative and all! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Blackberry, schmlackberry. iPhone is where it's at. I can type at *least* twice as fast on my iPhone as my fiance can on his BB.

    LOVE my WW app - there's room for improvement, but you're totally right, it's impressively good for being in its 'version infancy.'

    ReplyDelete
  9. possibly silly question: can the iphone app be used on an ipod touch? i have iphone envy, but AT&T can't seem to get their phone signal/service to be consistent in my 'hood. until that day comes... i echo the blackberry users. any additional apps in store?

    RACHEL

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can honestly tell you that I have done WW before and part of my own failure was that fact that I HATED tracking. I have an iPhone and I already know that I have had more progress in my first 4 weeks because of this app than I did the last time I did WW. I am so much more accountable because I have access to TRUTHFUL calculations.

    I take it with me to the grocery store and while it might take me a little longer to go through the isles, I am making much better choices.

    Thank you for creating this app - I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I like that the program can be used on Ipod Touch. However, I wish the app downloaded the food list and could be accessed without internet access. I wish it would just store my information and then sync with the website when the device connects to the internet. I'd be willing to pay for that!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love the iPhone app, but I'm still in my early love affair with my iPhone... I think it will be very helpful in the process. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi David: count me in as an iPhone app fan! As you say, it looks really good for a v1.0. The Favorites is a little wonky sometimes, and just now it closed down when I tried to add an activity, but overall it's great!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love, love, love the iPhone app, but am either completely missing where to enter my weight or it's not part of the app. If the former, please let me know where to look. If the latter, please add that functionality. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It would be nice to be able to use the tracker without a live connection. As an ipod touch user, the program is completely functional and great except it defeats the purpose of having a useful tracker if you can't track at all times!

    ReplyDelete
  16. the app has revolutionized tracking for me. No more excuses, no more trying to remember everything until I can sit at the computer at the end of the day. This has unlocked WeightWatchers for me. Way to go! Keep up the good work!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. If you know the points values you can do quick add very nicely - for everything else this barely qualifies as a version 1.0.

    I'm not to crazy about this app - downloaded it and find it almost unusable. I use my favorites pretty heavily so take these comments with that in mind. If I just searched for every entry it probably wouldn't be so bad - but I don't.

    Why don't my favorites show up sorted in alphabetical order? Turkey before Apples? Hummus after Mangoes? I've got like 70-80 items in there - and I have to randomly scroll around to find what I'm looking for - are you fracking kidding me? Collapse categories so you can easily pop around - nah gotta scroll through ALL the (randomly sorted) food before you can see recipes and meals.

    I was really looking forward to this - and I continue to anticipate that WW will come out with a great app. This just isn't it yet.

    I have confidence you guys will get this right eventually - but I was disappointed.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I use it a lot, but you can't track your weight with it, you can't enter new favorites.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great App.

    Wish List
    -I don't want to have it always sync. It takes to long
    -I want to track weight with it
    -I want to track liquids, oils etc. with it

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love the app too!

    What I'd like to have in 2.0 is:
    -- Keep todays tracking in memory so I don't have to wait for it to connect to the network every time I bring it up to add to my list.
    -- Store the food database on my iphone so I need the network even less.

    The iPhone can't reach the network when in the subway. That's the best time to update my points! D'oh!

    ReplyDelete