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Apple’s new headset meets reality

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Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#431

Post by Firmwarrior »

avalys wrote: post #242
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #236

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…

Apple Campus 2 is about a superblock away from Apple Campus 1, so unless we’re talking about someone whose 5-minute commute doubled to 10 minutes, no one’s commute doubled in any sense where the comparison is meaningful.

I could believe 10-20 minutes from home to the Spaceship, and another 10-20 minutes from the parking lot to your desk in the giant aquarium

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#432

Post by Firmwarrior »

kbenson wrote: post #257
KerrAvon wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is nonsense. The place where the iPhone was invented, and iterated upon for many successful years, was the Infinite Loop campus, which is pretty much a clone of all the other office parks. Initially, when the iPhone was invented, developers had their own individual offices there, with closeable doors, which was nice. Apple Park: it kinda sucks to actually work at Apple Park. It’s a goldfish bowl. It’s impossible…

> This is nonsense. ... Apple Park: it kinda sucks to actually work at Apple Park. It’s a goldfish bowl. It’s impossible to focus. But, yes, it looks really nice. It’s very pretty, that is undeniable. Sometimes what people think they want isn't what they actually want once they experience it. People unhappy and surrounded by drab office space might pine for a beautiful setting to work in, but I suspect most of them w…

The only thing that damn building is good for is showing off, and my peon friends aren't even allowed to being visitors in

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#433

Post by arc-in-space »

8n4vidtmkvmk wrote: post #423
intrasight wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When those major leaps occur, Apple should be well-positioned. Remember they play the long game. My office mate had Apple's first tablet 30 years ago - the Newton. And even further back - 40 years ago - Jobs said he didn't want the Mac to have a keyboard and mouse. He rightfully considered those to be a very artificial means of human-machine interface. His engineers made him understand that current tech didn't yet fu…

What dream was eventually realized? We still use kb and mouse

I suppose he must mean touchscreens? Which are about as inhuman as it gets.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#434

Post by shp0ngle »

I don't think I will need it for anything.

That said, I thought the same about iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. I still do think that about Apple Watch, I still don't get why would anyone buy those, but now everyone has them, so what do I know.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#435

Post by spaceman_2020 »

judge2020 wrote: post #196
tough wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would it even be possible for apple to do so

Apple's total comprehensive income was $24B in Q2. Their total assets were $332B, and total liabilities $270B. Assuming all product sales dropped to 0, they could make the best effort to liquidate assets, after which they'd only have $62B - which would last them a little over a year at $13.6B in quarterly operating expenses. https://s2.q4cdn.com/470004039/files/doc_financials/2023/q2/...

I suppose if the product sales dropped to 0, a few mass firings would be in order. That should cut down that $13.6B operating expense drastically :)

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#436

Post by jwr »

Too wrote: post #340
hamandcheese wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not having to deal with cables and increased range of movement are enough I don't think that's enough. AirPods "just work" in a way that no prior Bluetooth headset ever did. Everything else was a kludge, particularly when it came to switching between multiple devices.

Not only does it “just work”. The sound and noise canceling quality is fantastic. On par or even beating many larger over-ear headsets in same price range. (Talking about the gen 2 pro) I haven’t heard anything in-ear that comes close, disclaimer though I honestly haven’t tried many other in-ears in that price category.

This.

The AirPods Pro were a game-changer for me: I could always have headphones in my pocket, and isolate myself from the world whenever I wanted. The 2nd generation surprised me with much better sound and noise cancelation.

Don't get me wrong: over-ear Sonys (I have those) will still sound better and remove more noise. And my B&O H6 gen2 sound much better still if there is no noise around. But I can't have any of those with me at all times, I can't wear them when it's really hot outside or when it's really cold (because of head coverings).

AirPods I just always throw in my jeans pocket and they work anytime, anywhere.

It's not about a "fashion statement" as some say, it's about a really good product that changes your life patterns because it works so well.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#437

Post by vineyardmike »

anonymouse008 wrote: post #117
themagician wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me it comes down to optics. I've tried damn near every VR headset ever made, including many that never made it to production, and they all suffer from the same core issue: poor optics. Even industrial headsets that costs thousands are still using flat screen and lenses with fixed focal points (with few exceptions, but even then nothing truly extraordinary). Current optical designs mean that there is a large out o…

This is true - but let me say this, you couldn’t pay me to wear an Apple Watch all day and you won’t be able to pay me to wear a headset. There’s just no dang reason to use these things like their creators want. Someone needs to be brave in these organizations and say “hey look, we tried pushing Siri for years and never gained the loved adoption that chatGPT has, why are we trying the same strategy here?” If the comp…

> you couldn’t pay me to wear an Apple Watch all day

> pushing Siri for years and never gained the loved adoption that chatGPT has,

I say this politely, maybe you have bad taste?

Lots of people voluntarily pay for an Apple Watch for the privilege of wearing it all day. When Apple released the HomePod mini it quickly grabbed market share against Alexa et al. Siri has been available on apple devices for years, and a huge chunk of consumers use it regularly.

The nice thing about a lot of tech, is that you don’t have to use it how the creators want. The first gen Apple Watch didn’t focus on fitness and health, but the latest ones do became that’s how people used it. I’m not sure how you think the “Siri” strategy is repeated here, but Siri is a success.

I’m very skeptical that apple will find a winner with a VR headset but you’re not exactly providing an argument that you understand consumers. A much simpler argument is that it’s too expensive and does too little - the original HomePod is a good example. Apple of all companies can make the hardware good, but ultimately it’s still very expensive to generate VR content.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#438

Post by saagarjha »

Firmwarrior wrote: post #431
avalys wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple Campus 2 is about a superblock away from Apple Campus 1, so unless we’re talking about someone whose 5-minute commute doubled to 10 minutes, no one’s commute doubled in any sense where the comparison is meaningful.

I could believe 10-20 minutes from home to the Spaceship, and another 10-20 minutes from the parking lot to your desk in the giant aquarium

Make it 25 if you come in late, are looking for a charger and all the bikes are at the building rather than the lots.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#439

Post by saagarjha »

roland35 wrote: post #283
zamnos wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that, dear reader, is how we ended up with hundreds of bland copy-cat Android phones to the iPhone. There's something to be said, mentally, for working somewhere that's inspiring. A shitty office in yet a clone of all the other office parks, buried in office-park-landia of San Jose, is not it. Even a stroll through the secret underground parking lot at Apple is inspiring with all the exotic cars that are owned by…

This sounds like fan fiction. I do my best work distraction free. Seeing expensive cars... have you met engineers? We are the biggest collection of cheapasses on the planet!

Some are. Some are really into cars.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#440

Post by saagarjha »

kbenson wrote: post #251
parksoha wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you are referring to is the culture. Obviously people are big part of it but the office is a big driving force of shaping the culture. Even in an online office! When I had Slack, I felt much more involved with people and the company (500+ employees) culture overall. Ever since they transitioned to Teams, I feel like I only exist within my own team. A pleasant and aesthetic office, surround by nature, built with…

No, culture is different. Enjoying the people you work around is not culture, it's having good coworkers. You can have coworkers you don't like but a good culture, and coworkers you do like and a bad culture. Culture is distinct from enjoying who you deal with on a day to day basis. People mistake that all the time though. Culture does matter for this as well though, as enjoying your coworkers but not the culture may…

Early 20s engineer here. It’s nice to have a cool view out your window. I can and will trade it for better culture in a heartbeat. I can generally get better views than my employer can provide myself anyways.
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