Nike+ iPod: A Year in Review
Nike+ iPod? Why are you still talking about that? Hasn’t it been out for a year already?
Well, you are correct, this review comes smack on the Nike+ iPod’s birthday, May 23. The reason for my review is three-fold. First, it’s spring (at least in the northern hemisphere), it’s a great time to get into running, and I would recommend it to anyone. Second, I think after a year of on the road usage, it’s a good time to see how some people’s concerns about the system have turned out. Finally, I really believe right now we’re in the renaissance of this great product the Nike web apps have matured, introducing excellent new features and very helpful Dashboard widgets. The wildly popular Nike+ iPod Sports kits can at last be easily found on store shelves. It’s a great time to be a runner and iPod Nano owner.
One worry I heard a lot in regards to the Nike+ kit is about its accuracy – it’s a worry I’ve found is completely unfounded. I run the same route very often and find myself measured at almost the same distance run to run. Truthfully I’ve been very impressed at the accuracy of the Nike+ iPod sensor. Running with either the sensor inserted into my Nike+ shoes or strapped onto the laces of my Adidas runners, the Nike+ iPod sensor measured distances very consistently. As far as I can tell, it approaches an accuracy of plus or minus one meter over four or five kilometers. Even without calibration when I map myself a 4km run on Google Earth, 4km is really close to what the iPod tells me I’ve traveled. I’m sure GPS options do provide more distance accuracy as well as information like altitude climbed and the exact route run, but for the casual runner I really think they’re a little excessive loads of features, generally bulkier and often carrying a higher price tag.
The second complaint I’ve often encountered about the Nike+ iPod kit is Nike’s quality of shoes. I only partially empathize with this complaint. I find the quality of the Nike shoes I purchased very acceptable but I can completely understand that for some people Nike shoes just aren’t an option, that is, Nike shoes won’t fit or be comfortable for all people. It actually took me trying on quite a few pairs of shoes before I found a set that was both comfortable and fit me properly. I am glad I took the time to find the “perfect” pair, though, because I really like my Max Air Motos.
Despite worries from the nay-sayers I find the Nike+ shoes extremely well made, comfortable and very light. That said they weren’t terribly cheap, so if you have a pair of runners you are already enamored with you might want to use one of the many available options to attach your Nike+ sensor to them. For six months I used my older Adidas runners and put the sensor in a home-made fabric pouch which I attached to my laces. My home-made pouch worked fine but there are much better options that won’t set you back too much like the Marware Sportsuit.
There was a bit of uproar upon its debut about the Nike+ sensors built-in battery which can’t be replaced. I’ve used mine for almost a year and several hundred kilometers and the sensor’s battery is still going strong. I do dread having to replace my Nike+ kit eventually but $29 every couple years doesn’t really seem that bad.
What I’ve been the most pleased with over the course of my year with the Nike+ has been the improvements to the Nike+ web app. Although what was provided upon its release was very acceptable Nike has continued to add features and improvements on a fairly consistent basis. Initially the Nike+ web app gave users access to goal setting, challenges and a view of all their runs; recent upgrades brought Map It, Nike+ Dashboard widgets and a number of other lesser additions. Map It is an interesting collaboration between Google Maps and Nike+ that allows you to map your running routes and then share them with the Nike+ community. Additionally you can keep track of how many times you have run a given path or even comment and tag the routes of others.
The two Nike+ widgets that have been introduced are the Nike+ Goal Widget and the Nike+ Challenge Widget. Both widgets help you track your progress without having to log into the central web app. The past year hasn’t been without some annoyances; as much as I praise the Nike+ web app, I still long for a desktop version of the system. Flash based web apps have really come a long way but can still suffer from lag and every so often can become unresponsive. A further complaint is that while recently some consistency has been achieved, the features of the Nike+ web app vary from country to country, creating no continuity through the global community. To see all of the available Nike+ features, you have to log onto the American version of the web app. This isn’t a real problem for the individual runner, who registers in the country he lives in, but for the runner wishing to interact with the global community of running enthusiasts, the difficulty of living in a country that does not support Nike+’s more advanced features can become a frustrating one.
Overall, the last year of running with my Nike+ iPod sport kit has been very smooth and very fun. It hasn’t been perfect but it has been very close.
Pros:
- Great way to get started and keep motivated to run
- Not as expensive as most GPS units, especially if you already have an iPod Nano
- Surprisingly accurate even with non-Nike shoe options
- Widgets help keep goals in mind
- Mapping is a cool way to remember routes and discover other’s running paths
Cons:
- Questionable quality and fit of Nike shoes
- Nike+ shoes can be expensive
- Those outside of USA pay slightly inflated price for Nike+ iPod Sports kit
- Non-USA residents who use their nations’ “local” Nike+ site may be disappointed by lack of features
- Shuffle seems to malfunction when starting a run same playlist starts with the same song every time
- Still only compatible with iPod Nano presumably because hard disk iPods would damage during running
Thanks for the quality information. As an avid runner, I have been wanting to get this kit for a while. After reading this detailed post, you sold me. I am going to get one this weekend. I have not had the problems with the Nike sneakers however, I guess I am fortunate to have common “feet” specs.
Darren
If you’re not into Nike I’ve found that Marware makes a nice product that will let you use the sensor with any pair of running shoes.
I still can’t believe that nobody has made a hack to use this item with a 5G video iPod. I’d buy one in a second!
If anyone hears of one PLEASE let me know!
Whoops, I didn’t notice that you’d mentioned Marware in the post, sorry Tyler
@Adam
No problem, the Marware pouch is really nice – and cheap too.
@Newswede
I really think you’d regret running with your iPod 5G eventually. Of the people I know who have run with their hard drive based iPods many have had their iPod die on them prematurely. Sometimes the iPod dies from being dropped but very often the HD just dies mysteriously. After-all, it’s pretty tough on a HD to search for data while being swung around every which way.
Interesting article. I have been using the Nike+ for a month and think it is great. The Sportsuit Relay by Marware is a very good case for the sensor and ipod. Also, there is a new website in beta right now called runnerplus.com that is adding a ton of features not on the nikeplus site.
Thanks for the reply Tyler.
Yes, I know about the issues but was willing to try anyway. To be honest I don’t really run but I walk a LOT. I thought it would be good as a visual guide as to how much. Plus, I keep a pretty good pace.
I do think the 5th gen iPods are a bit more fragile than the older ones. I just sold my 3rd gen which I had since 2003. I put that thing through a real workout and never had a problem. It was used for music and a massive amout of file sharing between my office & home (big movie and photoshop files). I couldn’t have been more pleased. Hopefully I get the same life out of this one.
Great article, Tyler! You’re right, this is a very exciting product and it’s still in its infancy. There’s a lot more to come. I linked to your article from my blog at RUNNER+ http://www.runnerplus.com/blog/2007/05/nike-ipod-celebrates-one-year-together.asp — please check it out. I’d love to have you involved with our beta program.
the only ipod that i’d run with would be a 2nd gen shuffle. otherwise, plastic meets pavement..not cool
I’ve calibrated the sensor several times and have not found it to be accurate at all. I think that if you were running the same route each time then it would be accurate. The problem is that I’m training for long-distance races so my routes and speed vary considerably. If I run at the pace I calibrated the sensor at, it’s accurate. If I run slower or faster it’s as much at 10% off. As a result, I’ve stopped using it.
I’ve also heard that this type of technology doesn’t work as well for women because our running gait is slightly different because of our wider hips. Is there any validity to this?
@ runner
It’s interesting that Nike+ just doesn’t seem accurate for some people… lots of runners I know, myself included, find it extremely accurate. I’ve been so impressed by the Nike+ performance, in fact, I’m almost convinced there might just be something wrong with the Nike+ sensors (the accelerometer?) of those experiencing inaccuracy… but that’s just a hunch.
I think though I would disagree whole-heartedly with the rumors that Nike+ is not as accurate for women. I’ve met a few members of the Apple team that created the Nike+ and associated software. One in particular, a woman, told me about the countless (probably hundreds of) hours she spent running and walking around Infinite Loop to get the algorithm perfect.
[...] you know, accurate. Quickly Google any given (and for journalistic balance, here’s this) link about the product, and you’ll see what I mean. There’s all kinds of advice on what to [...]
It is a real shame that the battery cannot be replaced, surely nike could have incorporated a “watch battery” which could have been very easily replaced. I am sure that we are going to see some way of doing this in the near future.
Tom
Wow, nice blog.
Very helpful with my research on Nike+! Thanks so much for your blog – I agree with the previous poster – Im surprised someone hasnt come up with a hack for the 5G ipods! I love my 5G with a passion, and I cannot workout without it. I have the Nike+ shoes and I was really excited to sync these two up, but then I found out it was only works with nanos. I agree with the idea behind it, dont promote running with the 5G for the poor hard drive, but what about people who strictly put their 5G on the work out machine, we arnt jumbling our ipods… or what about the people that run with it anyway? It seems like an odd marketing strategy to limit them to the nanos – offer it to all generations and they will make more sales! Especially for the ipods that end up breaking! I say just put out a disclaimer saying that its not reccomended to run with your 5G and let us all join in on the fun!
Cool to see that you’re from Edmonton.
I love this product, been using it for about 6 months now…
I just recently had to get new shoes after 400 miles in my old Nikes wore off the treds… got another pair of Nikes, put the sensor in the new shoes only to find out that the mileage is way off… a mile is much longer than it used to be in my old shoes… these shoes are almost the same as the last shoes too… only I guess the tred is certainly much thicker since they are new, not sure if that effects calibration and if it does then my time and pace drop over the last 6 months are partly to getting in shape and partly due to the sensor getting closer to the pavement… I have recalibrated and today it was still off… I recalibrated again and will test tomorrow…
by the way, I decided to get in the car and check the mileage on the main route I run and I found that my old shoes were off by 5%… and the new shoes are off by 10%… so in terms of accuracy, my sensor thinks a mile is longer than it really is…
not that it really matters for those staying in shape, you want the sensor to be consistent, but if you are training for races you really want the distance to be as accurate as possible… I have 3rd gen Nano which seems to have limited calibrating capabilities… still love this device though…
[...] Nike + iPod: an year in review (2007) [...]
I’m pretty much impressed with nike+ distance accuracy. but i think the pacing and calorie is something to be discussed. I’m not very convinced with it’s accuracy.
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Thanks for the review, I have been running with nike+ but the last few runs my pace has been way off. Either the battery is going or I need to calibrate it. I’m training for a half and full marathon so I hope its not too far off otherwise I will struggle race day.