Redmond hopes everyone would give its device a try

Oct 30, 2014 07:23 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft made its debut in the wearables market earlier today with its very own device called “Band,” and the company is now trying to make companion apps available on as many platforms as possible, as its smartwatch wannabe is designed to work on Windows, Windows Phone, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android.

The very first app for Microsoft Band arrived surprisingly in the Mac App Store, allowing those who purchased an Apple computer to sync it with the new device launched by the Redmond-based tech giant.

As mentioned in the Mac App Store, the so-called Microsoft Band Sync works with Mac OX 10 or later and allows users to “sync faster than with their phone while the device is charging over USB.”

At the same time, this application can be used to get updates and restore options for the software solution on the band, so it also helps in case you need to deploy new firmware or recover the existing configuration.

Also revealing wearer information

What’s really interesting is that the application also reveals some wearer details, so Mac OS X users can turn to this program in order to back up their fitness data and other details collected by the device.

For example, the app shows the wearer’s first name, gender, ZIP code, birth date, height and weight, with profile editing options to allow users to tweak all of these.

A couple of settings are also being offered, but nothing too exciting, so you can automatically sync when connected and open at login.

No Cortana available on Apple platforms

Microsoft’s Band also comes with Cortana integration in case you pair it with a Windows Phone handset, so if you’re trying to synchronize the device with any Apple product, you won’t be able to enjoy Redmond’s personal assistant.

While the Band works with the majority of devices currently on the market, Windows Phone users clearly have a big advantage, especially if they want to perform a number of tasks using voice commands only.

Cortana is currently a Windows Phone exclusive feature but will soon arrive on the desktop as well, as Microsoft is working to make it available to as many users as possible.

Microsoft Band is already up for grabs from Microsoft’s online store and authorized retailers in the United States for the price of $199 (150 euro). Microsoft hasn’t said anything until now about the possibility of launching it in some other markets, but there’s no doubt that the company wants to make it available to as many buyers as possible very soon.

Microsoft Band Mac OS X app (5 Images)

The app also shows the new Band design
It can be used for firmware updatesMicrosoft Band app for Mac OS X
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