I have one of the original fitbit units that linked with a computer. It will tell me steps and flights of stairs, but also in fun terms, like " you've climbed the Statue of Liberty" or something like that. It's very intuitive and you can't really trick it by going up an escalator or elevator - it knows you're not walking! It keeps cumulative stats and you are rewarded with different " badges" for getting to certain heights or distances. You can also share and compare with others. It's fun thing to have if you like keeping track of statistics.