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Except for the first oil change, I would totally rely on the oil change indicator in the vehicle. It is very well researched, tested, and accurate.
However, (and this is a personal opinion), the first oil change is important, since when breaking in an engine, metal will wear down and cause metal in the oil as the rings seat to the cylinder liners. These are microscopic pieces of metal, but still metal, and the filter does a great job of catching these particles.
Therefore, I always do the first oil change at around 1-2K miles. Primarily, to change the filter, but while under there, I change the oil.