this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2023
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[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (3 children)

strapping goggles to my head to send an email sounds like what my personal hell is going to be like

imo VR is fun for games but beyond that it's too dystopic for my taste lol

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Fully agree. I think there are some practical, workforce related, use cases for AR/VR, but the idea of strapping into one for 8+ hours a day... No thanks.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Nop, but a pair of glasses would be fine.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Agreed - I never got a chance to try Google Glass but they at least looked lightweight. If there were an AR device like that then I wouldn't have nearly as much of a problem.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

They're far from perfect, but I have the Nreal Air glasses and find them pretty dope. They have sony oled tech so they're surprisingly bright even in a lit room, and the pixel density is great. No screen door effect like VR headsets.

They're the 1st iteration, not very user-friendly for non-techies and absolutely need a lot of work, but the concept is very much there. I mostly use them to play Steam deck games on a "big screen" now, but the accompanying Android app attempts a phone + app-like design like the Vision.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Looks interesting! Though unfortunately I don't have any devices that are compatible with it (Pixel phone is out, Intel Mac is a no, and no general desktop/windows/Linux support), but I'll certainly keep my eye out to see if they expand, or if similar products launch!

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

Hell no. Oculus seemed like a really cool product when I was 17 and in love with "Ready Player One", but now that we've seen the way that Big Tech just treats its users as profit-cattle fed on a diet of ads and angry people, I have no fucking desire to strap one of those things to my head (outside of actually gaming...then it's kinda cool).

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (5 children)

It’s a cool gadget which I’d love to try but no way would buy. It just doesn’t do anything practical that I can’t already do quicker, easier and more effectively with more traditional devices. it’s far too expensive to justify as a fun gadget.

The article is right, very few people would want to sit with this on their head in the company of other people. It’s a generally a solo experience.

I could see it being extremely useful for those with disabilities though and I suppose if anyone can bring mixed reality devices more to the main stream it’s going to be apple

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I may be in the minority here, but I do, and frequently have. There is a sizeable community like that, but we don't seem to really fall into Apple's target market, and it will be interesting to see how orthogonal that willingness is to being a techie shut-in.

For me, the big reason I don't wear it 8-10 hours per day when I'm working like I do when I'm playing is the pixel density. Current VR headsets (except maybe Varjo's) don't do a good job of simulating even one 4k screen, let alone competing with a multi-monitor setup, so they fall short for productivity. Once that's solved (and that's the claim Apple seems to be making here), the case for use as a primary work machine is very compelling. It lets you set up something like this for the cost of a headset and a reclining office chair, and is also somehow portable.

It fails if you use it exactly like you use a laptop, just like a phone does. If you take advantage of the increased flexibility though, it has pretty transformative potential.

That said, that's the perspective of a technologist with no kids who works from home. I wouldn't buy this because its standout features are irrelevant to me, so I'm from a representative sample of the market they're chasing.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm inclined to agree with you that it might be a potentially good way to interact with a computer. There's a company called Sightful that makes a "Spacetop" computer, which is basically a laptop with a headset instead of a screen. Mike Elgan actually gave it some pretty positive press lately.

As someone who travels constantly and misses a big monitor on the road, I am inclined to agree that the use case could be compelling.

But... $3,500 is a lot of lettuce for something that could easily be obsolete as fast as my cell phone. And Apple mentioned that the total field of vision is something over 4k, but that's still a lot less than multiple 4k monitors.

Still, I'm willing to be convinced. Especially if a stripped down "viewer only" model comes out without all the bells and whistles. I don't need outward display, or the lidar, or any of that. I just want a big workspace.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But… $3,500 is a lot of lettuce for something that could easily be obsolete as fast as my cell phone. And Apple mentioned that the total field of vision is something over 4k, but that’s still a lot less than multiple 4k monitors.

I'm waiting to see what they drop 12 - 18 months later. I'd wager by the time the 2nd-gen Vision Pro comes out, they will release a more stripped down model that will be roughly equivalent to what they are releasing next year, and will likely start at around $1,200. By that point, the App ecosystem, will likely be mature enough that they will be able to have a version that serves as a loss leader or just breaks even, and they'll make their revenue on the backend with their 40% App Store cut.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I think we can definitely expect a lighter version (Apple Vision Air?). I'm skeptical Apple would ever do a loss leader though; they tend to make money on all their products and with healthy margins.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I agree, I think it could be useful for specific uses, but otherwise is kinda niche.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

I completely agree with this article. If watching movies in VR was going to be a popular thing, then it would have happened already. It's been possible for a long time. The reason people don't do it is because it's far more convenient to just use a TV. It's not a matter of visual fidelity, it's a matter of comfort. (Also it's a matter of people's preference to be present in the real world, not isolated in a virtual world.)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

It's like when they kept pushing 3d televisions, except now the glasses are even heavier and less convenient.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah, the only real benifit is being able to watch 3D movies, which does look really cool in VR, but then you can't watch it with other people (unless they have a headset as well) and it takes a while to set up and put on the headset.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

The thing is. If you're in a tropical country.

Yes that's it. The sweat, the rashes. The smelly goggles from the dried sweat.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I mean, no.

I think at most it's somewhat comparable to sitting down at an old fashioned desktop computer. It's your primary focus of attention. When you're not using it, you take it off.

The example of a dad doing a real-time recording of himself playing with his kids is cringy AF.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly though, if there is one thing Apple is really good at, it's normalizing things that many might perceive as weird at first. I remember owning a first-gen Pebble, and I had numerous people jest about dorky it was with gems like, "You totally owned a calculator watch didn't you?" Fast forward a few years, and Apple Watches are everywhere. Wearing a Vision headset at a kids birthday party will probably be on the same level as busting out an iPad to capture a video.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Maybe if they're normal, they'll still be contextual. Earbuds are totally normal, but unless they're hearing aids, it would not be socially acceptable to just have your earbuds in all the time at your kid's birthday party.

These I think are like earbuds for your eyes. Yes, they can have a mode where you interact with the outside world without removing them, but that's only for intermittent use. If you and I have a conversation, you'll likely remove your earbuds.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I'm pretty sure that was keynote-friendly code for "look how detailed the VR porn is going to be."

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

For myself, the answer is no. Something lightweight and comparable to spactacles I might wear. Anything heavier which needs to be strapped on I would not use.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I feel like people are super fixated on how dumb it looks and less on it’s uncomfortable and often kinda gross to have something pressed against your skin for extended periods of time.

I know that Apple sets trends and whatever (like airpods) but i’m not sure they can pull off the “Apple VR-specific breakout pattern face.” I do enjoy the idea of the super rich peeps buying this to sit in their beige houses, headset clogging their pores.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

People are also forgetting that you can record stereoscopic video from the headset. Which is cool for the wearer, but potentially creepy for people around them. That's part of the reason Google Glass failed

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

The fashion aspect of AR gets played out a lot especially from tech enthusiasts who, lets face it arent known for their fashion in the first place. Fashion and what is and isnt cool can change rapidly and drastically. In the 80s it was normal for guys to wear colorful fashion featuring short shorts and croptops in the US and this continued through until the early 90s. Then very abruptly that became uncool and it was about baggy clothes, shorts that went down past your knees, and solid more plain colors.

From the mid 90s to 10s denim based shirts went into fashion, out of fashion, and back again. Leggings went from underwear to something you wear with a long shirt covering butt, to just an alternative to pants. Thick rim glasses came, went, and then came back. People drape giant headphones around their neck these days and those mid sized portable but over ear market is all but dead. Going back further guys used to powder their face and wear tights and heels.

The look can be a part of it but the issue with ar so far is comfort, and functionality. I dont know if I think apple is going to crack it, but today's ridiculous can become tomorrows fashion trend and it can happen on a dime. We just need the right influence and the right push

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

I don't even want to read regular ear-covering headphones all the time.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Absolutely not. I've been completely shocked by the reception of this and feel like the positivity is 100% due to it having the Apple logo on it.

Who tf wants to wear a ski mask when working or watching videos? Not to mention it's got 2 hours of battery life. That's all without touching the $3500 price tag.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

It's the same excitement that nerds felt about the first oculus or the Index. These people are excited now, but they'll most likely play with it for a few weeks then it'll start collecting dust.

Until they can make the thing small, like sunglasses small, no one is going to adopt it widly.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't even stand wearing my glasses all day, and those are a thousand times lighter and more useful than this.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I feel like this is solving an issue with a problem that Apple made up themselves. Normal virtual reality is too isolating, the way augmented reality has worked so far is insufficient, this is a good in-between.
...But I feel like it's just a way for people to get trapped within their work even further. Want to get up and walk around for a few minutes? Well, you're still getting Teams messages or whatever, because you've got these goggles stuck to your face. I don't see how that's a positive.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Take your work with you! Take your work home! Work while you "play" with your kids! now that's being productive! Your targets will be adjusted accordingly

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't imagine most people will want to wear that headset for more than the 2 hours the battery lasts. I know I haven't when wearing existing vr headsets. I seem to max out at about 30 minutes.

I think to get to a consumer version Apple will want to drop all of the glass and metal and go for lighter plastic instead. They need to drop the secondary outward facing screen as well for weight, battery and cost savings.

If things can get comparable to thicker framed normal glasses, that will be when VR/AR can really become mainstream.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, the fact that it's made out of metal is a questionable decision. I can only imagine how heavy that headset is

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Knowing apple, its probably a very light metal, but you're right nonetheless.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Remember Google Glass? And Glassholes? People made fun of those who chose to use something which was way less intrusive than the Apple headset.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

First time i saw this i was very surprised at how bulky this is. Compared to Glass this is like a space suit helmet. Was wondering maybe i missed something very obvious, so uncharacteristic of Apple?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Its full vr (or can do full vr) rather than just ar.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I've seen many people comment and discuss that post-pandemic they miss wearing a mask in public. I know some people really hate wearing masks, but others felt it gave them more privacy and other benefits.

Musicians (and other "Joe Cool" characters) often like to wear their sungllsses indoors and at night

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

No. Especially if it is 100% proprietary.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

No, but I like the idea of immersive VR & ai for learning

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Hell no, not all the time. I'm sure it'd feel hot and stuffy wearing one of those.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Being able to walk around with a computer on your head is the second step in becoming a cyborg. It's going to happen O.O

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