NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Tired of lugging a personal digital assistant around? Why don't you just wear one on your wrist instead?

That's right. Watch maker Fossil has already started to sell what it calls a Wrist PDA that runs on the Palm operating system. The watch features an address book, calendar list and memo pad. The itsy bitsy stylus is stored in the watch's band.

And later this year, Fossil and other watch manufacturers, including Citizen and Suunto, will sell a Microsoft-powered watch, which will allow the wearer to get news and weather updates and send instant messages.

Now this all sounds kind of cool. But is it really necessary?

"This is going to be the province of tech geeks, your early adopter. It's a niche play, not a volume play," said John Jackson, an analyst with Yankee Group, a tech research firm.

I first saw a prototype of Fossil's Wrist PDA at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas last fall. At the time, Fossil vice president of technology Donald Brewer told me he expected the watch to be a big hit with men since they would be more willing to wear their PDA than have to port one around in a pocket or briefcase.

Not sure I buy that. It's not so cumbersome to carry around an iPaq or Sony Clie, for example. It's not like we're talking about a seven-pound laptop.

Fossil's Wrist MSN Direct (top) and Wrist PDA (bottom) do more than just tell time.

Plus, there are also some practical concerns that come into play here that could limit demand. A watch can get banged up pretty easily. I've needed to replace the band on mine several times throughout the past few years.

And you'll need to recharge the watch's battery every now and then. Now isn't it a tad annoying to own yet one more device that needs to be plugged into a power strip?

"We're used to charging our cell phones at the end of the day but we're not used to charging our watches at the end of the day. That could be a hurdle," said Jackson.

The Wrist PDA from Fossil sells in a range of $275 to $295. Fossil makes a cheaper version (read: less stylish) under the brand name of Abacus, which sells for between $179.99 and $199.99.

The Microsoft watches will sell at a range of $100 to $300 but there's a catch. You need to subscribe to Microsoft's MSN Direct wireless service in order to receive the news and messaging features. That will cost another $9.95 a month or $59 a year.

And ultimately, it may be tough to convince a consumer to pay up for an additional subscription plan, said Kevin Burden, an analyst with tech research firm IDC. "What is the propensity for people to take on one more monthly bill? Do you really want a service tagged to your watch when you've already got your cable service and your cell phone service?" Burden said.

For Microsoft, the watch is just one part of its Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) initiative, which it also unveiled at Comdex. Microsoft is hoping to partner with consumer products makers and sell things such as alarm clocks, refrigerator magnets and key chains.

Both Microsoft and PalmSource, the operating system subsidiary of hardware maker Palm, realize that with growth slowing in the handheld devices market, it is imperative to try and find new applications for their services.

But if you already own a PDA or Pocket PC, (or a decent laptop or cell phone for that matter)why would you need a watch that has many of the same features...on a much smaller screen to boot?

"The vision is impressive, the notion of extending information to everyday objects. But perhaps it is a bit too forward thinking," said Jackson.

Recently in Tech Biz Boo-hoo for Yahoo? Winners on the war on file swapping Don't let history repeat

I couldn't agree more. I hardly consider myself a Luddite but I just don't see how these new devices are going to really catch on with the general public.

Microsoft is obviously hoping otherwise. The following question is posed on the company's MSN Direct Web site: "Isn't it time your watch did more for you?"

Somehow, I imagine that if I could check scores and send IMs on my watch, that would easily make me lose track of time, which defeats the purpose of having a watch in the first place. My 8-year old Seiko lets me know what time it is. So I'm never late. That's enough for me.

Sign up to receive the TechBiz column by e-mail.

Plus, see more tech commentary and get the latest tech news.