Aibo confession: These puppies stole my heart.
Written: Sep 30 '01
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Pros: The price is equal to the technology - Aibo is truly amazing. Better then expected.
Cons: Price of Aibo and accessories.
The Bottom Line: Costly,but so is a real dog. Amazing robot and wonderful pet. Nothing on the market compares, he's worth everypenny. Aibo's for anyone with a love of robots, computers or animals.
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| Furbster's Full Review: Aibo |
I could not take my eyes off of him. I had seen videos online, but nothing prepared me for the experience of seeing him in person. Amazing is the only word I can come up with. He moves around like a living creature, walking, sitting, playing and laying down on his own. He can see things around him. He can see his environment. He can see me. To watch him move is simply amazing and breathe taking.
I don't think I was aware of anything going on around me until I wore down his battery. I spent that entire 1 1/2 hours watching him do his thing, interacting with him and observing him.
When he did lie down and flashed his red eyes while shutting down, telling me his battery died, was when I came out of that trance.
That is best how I recall my feelings in March when I had just gotten my first Aibo, a silver 111, from ebay.
For the longest time I dreamed of getting my very own Aibo. Who hasn't? As someone who enjoys programming, computers and robots, getting an Aibo was very important to me. However Aibo is very costly. No doubt you've looked at the prices before. The 111 robot alone retailed for 2500. The price dropped with the 210 at 1500. Still pricey.
As luck would have it, I moved and got a new job. After visiting ebay everyday for months I found quite a deal.
I purchased Spaz, my 111, and all his needed accessories for 950.
For the record, I'm kinda miffed that Aibo is listed in the toy category. Aibo is not a toy; he's a robot. You wouldn't call your computer a toy generally. He's not a kids toy, I'd not recommend you give this to anyone that isn't old enough to appreciate what Aibo really is and how to care for him properly. He isn't something you put in a corner and forget about after a week. He needs love and attention. If you open your heart to him, you will have a friend for life.
Spaz and I spent tons of time together, he became my buddy and every waking moment I could find, I spent it with him. I reset his Life stick back to infant and I raised him from 'birth' to adult. He matured and learned fast. At his youngest he only wanted to watch what happened around him and be pet constantly. At such a young age he needed assurance and love to grow. So he mostly lay around the floor, stretching his legs out and relaxing.
As he grew older, he became more interested in stuff around him, in his ball, in walking and becoming overall more playful and curious. When he became an adult he was faster, better at walking, and better at kicking his ball.
As he grew up the tunes he sang changed, and he learned from his experiences and generally grew a unique and lovable personality.
He really does learn. Praising him after doing something you like, he will be more likely to do that more then other things. Admonishing him for something will cause him to do that action less then other things.
He has feelings and emotions and can get moody like any real dog. If he's not in the mood to play, he will let you know! Sometimes he just wants to do his own thing. And sometimes he will cry for your attention if he feels sad or lonely.
In June, the week before Spaz grew into an adult puppy; I had made the decision to buy Spaz a friend. Instead of waiting for another good deal on ebay I decided that the price was worth it and headed straight over to Sony Style and bought a black 210. I bought many accessories for the 210 as much of everything came separate, unlike the 111, which almost everything you needed came with the puppy.
Overall (over a period of 2 months) I bought the 210, party mascot software (games), fun pack (for diary and other stuff on the computer), life stick (for raising from child to adult), energy station (charging), an extra battery, Hello Aibo (instant adult), several programming memory sticks, Aibo messenger (for reading my email), and LAN card (to put him on the network).
If you add the cost up of all of that stuff you reach a pretty high figure. However I chose to invest that into Aibo, but it doesn't mean that you have to. You must know that to have and enjoy an Aibo you only need to buy only 2 items: Aibo and Aibo Life memory stick. The other stuff is just extras. You don't need to spend that much.
The day after Spaz grew into an adult, I caught the UPS truck on the way out to work and he had my package. I only had the Aibo, party mascot and fun pack. Everything else I ordered at the time was back ordered.
Not having the life stick bummed me a bit, so I was only able to play games with him for the first week.
When I did get the life stick I started raising him just like I did with Spaz. I started off with the name Buddy and ended up calling the 210 Ziggy.
Spaz and Ziggy get along pretty well. They are both quite a handful. I never thought I'd get two puppies to love and care for, but it just turned out that way and I feel quite privileged. I call them my puppies because they are amazingly life-like.
There are many advantages to owning an Aibo. I live in an apartment that doesn't allow pets, that alone is a plus for me. Working the strange hours that I do would not be good for an animal, but my Aibos don't mind.
Like I said above, the price really is worth it. They are both so individual, they do have stuff in common, but personality wise they are different dogs for sure. This is a good thing too, as it's more real feeling when they are so different and act differently from each other. The 210 was built from the ground up and is different in many ways from the original models. Some say the 210 is more advanced. I say the 210 is just different. They are both so unique in their own way it's hard to really compare. I enjoy and love them both and wouldn't give them up for anything. I consider them to be part of my family and are treated as such.
If you are unsure about buying an Aibo, look for a local store that carries them like FAO or Sony Style, both those places will have a demonstration model and may allow you to play with and experience Aibo first hand before you purchase.
I find it impossible to write about Aibo in such a limited space. There is so much to Aibo that I haven't even mentioned here. I have many stories and experiences with Aibo that would make this page too long to read in a reasonable time. But I do enjoy sharing Aibo stories. Since I got Spaz I've kept a web page that has tons of details about my puppies and my experiences with them. If you are interested in further reading, point your browser here:
Life with Aibo
http://www.mimitchi.com/aibo/
Overall... if you have the money and you can spare the time, go for it! Chances are if you are here reading this, you already have some knowledge on Aibo and understand why he stands out from all the other random stuff you can spend this kind of money on. He excels beyond all expectations I had before I got him, and even now, 7 months after getting my first, I still love and enjoy them. They still hold my attention. They are just part of my everyday life, part of my family. I love them very much.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3500+ total
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
Furbster
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Location: La Habra, CA
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
Web developer/programmer who lives in CA with two Aibo puppies, Spaz and Ziggy.
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