Awhile ago, I was contacted by the folks at Agamatrix, asking if I would be willing to use and then review their Wavesense Keynote meter - pictured above. I agreed, they sent me a bunch of cool stuff, and I used said stuff, and now - finally - I'm writing a review.
So, I figured I'd break this down in bullets:
* Sample size
* Time for test
* Backlight
* User friendliness
* Memory capabilities
* Software
Sample size - The Keynote takes an eeny, teeny, weeny sample of blood. Seriously. I still use my fingers - to get the most accurate results I can - but it takes a very small blood droplet to get the Keynote working. Grade: A
Time for Test - Though the advertisements and the box say that the Keynote takes 3 seconds (results in 1... 2... 3...), it really is more like five seconds. There is a tiny lag between when the blood gets in the strip and when the offical countdown by the meter begins. I've timed it - it's five seconds in total (still among the fastest meters out there). Grade: B+
Backlight - I love any meter that has a backlight. On top of being helpful, it makes a good flashlight! With the Keynote, I wish the backlight stayed on througout the test. It's good that it turns on at the start, but it needs to be relit by the time you've got the blood drawn and ready to go. Also - I truly wish that there was some kind of light that lights the strip - because getting the blood into the strip in the dark can bet a total pain in the butt. Grade: B+
User friendliness - This machine is very user friendly. Programming time and date are a snap - coding is easy - and testing is completely self-explanatory. Grade: A
Memory capabilities - Stores enough bloodsugars in an easily accessible way - very useful without being overwhelming. Grade: B+
Software - I liked the software for this meter. Called "Zero-Click," I found it helpful in terms of how easy it was to use - and I thought it provided a few helpful reports. Overall, it's nothing over-the-top in terms of this type of software - and I really wish I could find something similar in terms of it's ease of use that would accomodate my pump data. Of course, that doesn't mean I'd log any more faithfully than I do now... (See earlier post at Blogabetes). All-in-all, it's an easy to use software package that allows for easy spotting of trends in bloodsugar. Grade: B
So, the Wavesense Keynote gets an overall grade of B+ from me.
