Omron Healthcare HJ-323U Tri Axis Pedometer

Light weight, accurate and easy to use. The online dashboard to store and monitor excercise is not as good as the PC software.

PROSUSB plug integral to unit; no need for a separate cableAccurate measurements of steps taken during a walkReasonably long lasting user-replaceable CR2032 battery (lasts about 6 months)Can display data from past 7 days, and store up to 22 daysFor PC & Mac desktop/laptop computersCONSWeb-resident management software site was down; without it, there is no data management or analysisI have been using the Omron HJ-720IT pedometer for a few years. I have replaced one that was lost, another that went through the washer and was never the same after.This new HJ-323U pedometer from Omron is different in some useful ways, but does not offer much in the way of new capabilities. There are two aspects of the better Omron pedometers: the hardware component - which you carry when you are walking - and the software product, which stores and analyzes the results.HARDWAREThe HJ-720IT was oval in shape, and a bit thicker. The new HJ-323U pedometer is rectangular, sort of like a large thumb drive or pack of gum. A cap comes off of one end to reveal a standard USB A plug connector that fits most laptops. There are three other buttons and a display.The device works in a standalone fashion to record the number of steps you take in one day. This count is always accurate. It also has some internal calculations that approximate the distance you walked, and the calories you burned. These two are based on two setttings: the length of the stride in your walk, and your body weight.The calculations are only approximations. People do not walk in consistent strides, so the total distance won't be exact. It will be most exact for exercise walking where you seek to set a certain pace and stride. The other calculation, number of calories burned, is probably based on walking on flat land; the device has no way of knowing that you might be climbing a hill, for example, which could substantially boost the number of calories you are burning.The device is intended to measure steps, only. If you ride a bike with the device in your pocket, you will get some measure that does not mean much in terms of steps, distance, or calories.It does make a distinction between "aerobic walking" and all steps taken in a walk. "Aerobic" means that you went non-stop for at least 10 minutes, at least 60 steps per minute. That may not be enough to make it really aerobic, but it's not too far off.Essentially, from a hardware-only perspective, this is not very different from the earlier HJ-720IT. Having a built-in USB plug, instead of requiring a USB A to USB B mini cable, is convenient.It would have been nice if the device included a rechargeable battery that would recharge when plugged into a USB, but it still uses the same button-style battery.SOFTWAREThe HJ-720IT includes software for Windows at least, not sure about Mac. The HJ-323U takes a different approach: it uses Web-based software to take your statistics from the device and manages and analyzes them on the Web. The Windows software of the predecessor was clunky at best, occasionally getting itself into a state where it could not load from the device without resetting the file, losing all your history.Personally, I don't see any value at all to having Web-resident software, and I do see some disadvantages. In particular, you obviously have to be on the Web, and the Web software needs to be up and running. At any point in the future, Omron could decide that they are done supporting this device. At least with the Windows software of the HJ-720IT, you can use it forever as long as you find a computer that can run it, and the required batteries.As I write this review, the omronfitness.com Web site, which has the application, has been down. It has been a few hours. Although I have used the pedometer to gather a week of data, I can't comment yet on the software. I will update this review after it is up and I have used it.I guess they are trying to take advantage of the social networking fad. I would not bore my Facebook friends with daily walking records. I suppose that you might find benefit in having a walking group to share mutual support, and this would help with that. It is likely that having the software Web-based would mean that they could support more platforms, such as Mac , tablets, and phones, with one programming effort, saving them money.The specs say "Accessible on PC & Mac desktop/laptop computers; viewable on tablets & smart phones". I interpret this to mean that you can upload data only on the PC and Mac, but you can view uploaded data on a tablet or smart phone.UPDATE 3/10/2013: the Web site that has the required drivers and does the upload and display was down for at least three days, pointing out an obvious problem with relying on the Web. I prefer to have local software for use whenever I want it.Once it was up, I uploaded, and it showed me a simple graph based on data recorded over time. I prefer the stacked bar chart provided with the local software provided with HJ-720IT. However, that unit did not support the Mac, so if you use a Mac, this one is probably better for you. Seeing the software working did not impress me enough to make me raise my review from 3 stars.BOTTOM LINEThree stars (It's ok), may change based on how good the Web resident software. I would prefer that it worked with software installed on my PC. If you have the earlier HJ-720IT(C) model, I see no compelling reason to buy this newer one, so far. If you have neither and use Windows, I would recommend the HJ-720IT(C) model. If you use Mac, this one supports that platform.