I can’t even remember what the competitors were, because none of that matters if it’s not effortless to use.
Here, too, I thought -- it's an Android tablet bolted to an exercise bike.
Not saying that either the Peloton or the iPhone were epoch-shattering brilliances. Just noting that, as you suggest, sometimes putting together things that used to be separate is, well, a good and useful thing.
In my 20s I had injured myself several times, from lifting and running around Ann Arbor. After one extreme and almost paralyzing injury I went to a neurosurgeon.
The neurosurgeon gave me the choice of surgery or strengthening my core and perfecting my form in exercises going forward.
Fancy exercise stuff is cheaper than surgery.
Strictly speaking the best exercises are all completely free.
There are a lot of comments here smirking about bikes that go nowhere, etc. If you think a stationary bike is "unnatural," pounding pavement does not seem all that different.
The point is good form. There are many rivers to that ocean.
An actual road bike. You can, like, go outside and stuff.
Done.
When I see a guy on the same exact machine as me, showing bad form like a slightly curved back or whatever with the heels, and then correcting to the proper form, referencing the same bike, on a giant Android tablet in front of me, that is very helpful.
And this whole thing is sitting right there in my room as a ready to go thing whenever -- taking mini-obstacles out of the way like going to the gym, studying proper form without someone having to ape it for me, etc. are admittedly pretty trivial things -- for a lazy sack like me, having all these done and together has made a difference.
"It just works."
(Edited for grammar.)