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Apple’s new headset meets reality

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Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One product often left out, which may have started with Jobs, but delivery should be attributed to Cook is the new Apple HQ. The initial impact has crumbled due to Covid WFH. > However, this campus may turn out to be a force multiplier going forward. If so, it is a victory, but not in the minds of consumers. Curious, have you ever actually talked to anyone that worked there? While I have admittedly only talked to a…

I only worked there briefly (I never officially had an office there — Covid times and all that). I don't see it as any different than any of the other Apple campus buildings I worked in (like Infinite Loop) with regard to productivity. (I've always compared it to some beautiful, modern art gallery — but without any art.) But to the above degree, I have to say I enjoyed all large Apple work environments (even some of…

They must have some art!?

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#362

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think consumers just don’t want to spend a lot of money on VR And I don’t think Apple wants those people as customers, at least not initially. $3000 for a headset from a company that sells $1000 monitor stands for $5000 monitors and $500 wheels for the computers doesn’t seem about right to me. In a year or two, the next generation of VR headset will be much better and still $3000 and you will be able to buy this…

Do people even buy those $1000 monitor stands, like really? Or is it just a highball so Apple can get better deals negotiating enterprise-size deals with larger companies buying in bulk?

Sure. But the XDR is meant to be a professional reference model - those stands are among other things built with magnetic latches so you can detach and pack up the screen and take it with you site-to-site.

To compare, Home Depot sells a $32 cordless drill and a $300 cordless drill (and more expensive rotary hammers and the like). They are not the same product and are not necessarily meant for the same people or the same uses.

Enterprises who are getting XDR monitors for employees when the Studio Display exists do so as a perk.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know whether they've backed off from the open plan office layout for Apple Park[1], but that sounded terrible to me. Personally I'd almost certainly prefer a real office (even a tiny closet-like one) with a door, maybe in Infinite Loop. [1] https://www.macworld.com/article/670869/complete-guide-to-ap...

Yeah, no, they were still large glass aquarium-like enclosures for a couple dozen engineers the last time I was there.

That's so ridiculous for a custom designed space. Why not have team offices?!? Something for 6 to 8 people?

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#364

From the information available so far, the Apple headset will be fairly close to Meta's Oculus Quest in terms of hardware: Portable and with external cameras to allow for orientation and "mixed reality". Maybe Apple is on the right track here, since the Oculus Quest has sold more units than all the other VR headsets combined. But there is one big difference: Apple's headset will be a very expensive premium product (a…

I’m a pretty big fan of VR, and am currently developing a VR game in what little free time I have. I don’t think I want to spend that much. It would have to be such a huge, amazing leap forward and I don’t understand how it possibly could be right now.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#365
post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think even if Apple went bankrupt in 5 years, what Tim Cook has achieved is extremely good. It was not sure at all that Apple would grow this much over 12 years. It is not clear Steve Jobs himself could have had this success.

How would it even be possible for apple to do so

China going to war would destroy most of Apple's production bases and this would force people to use Android due to Samsung being the best fabs not involved.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#366
post #360

From the information available so far, the Apple headset will be fairly close to Meta's Oculus Quest in terms of hardware: Portable and with external cameras to allow for orientation and "mixed reality". Maybe Apple is on the right track here, since the Oculus Quest has sold more units than all the other VR headsets combined. But there is one big difference: Apple's headset will be a very expensive premium product (a…

Really important to remember: - Apple Watch: $447 at release (inflation adj); $250 today. - iPad: $695 at release (inflation adj); $450 today. - iPhone: $877 at release (inflation adj, carrier subsidized); $800 today. Similar story with all of their products. Apple has a history of releasing new product lines with the "top end" expensive models (remember in 2017 when they released both the iPhone X and iPhone 8). Ear…

The flip side of that as a consumer is all of those first generation devices we’re also quickly iterated in to the point where the second or third generations were markedly improved. I don’t think I want to spend $3,000 just to have the version that comes out the next year be significantly better.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#367

I’m still wondering if there will be a last minute bail on this product. It seems unlikely given the recent news that suggests they didn’t want to crowd WWDC with other items, but the more we hear about the internal conflict, and the more we’ve seen regarding how XR’s been received by the public, this seems like a really challenging product regardless of how really good it is. I find VR fascinating, but I kind of don…

I sure hope they bail on it — unless they have an unexpected trick up their sleeve, this sounds like an absolute boondoggle.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#369
post #137

Biggest red flag is the part about Tim Cook being disengaged. But I'm much more bullish than most of the commenters here. Many seem to not have shifted their understanding of progress in VR/AR in the last 5 years, when there have been fundamental tech advances. Then, others don't seem to understand how much Apple is planning to push the state of the art here. Their headset will have roughly double the resolution of e…

[deleted]

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that the move the Apple Silicon was in the pipeline long before Cook took over. I mean PA semi was purchased in 2008 and the first A4 processor was 2010, the writing was already on the wall a good decade out. But Air-pods, Apple Watch and Apple TV streaming were all under cooks watch. Maybe not as ground breaking but still very important. Mind you, who else has been doing ground breaking stuff like unde…

Are Air-pods, Apple Watch and Apple TV actually VERY important? The whole Wearables, Home and Accessories category is 10% of Apple's revenue and that includes Beats and what not.

In the last quarter, that equates to $9.48B, which by anyone’s standards is a pretty good business. The company I work for arguably makes more “important” products, but we’d be incredibly happy with that revenue!
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