Live data from Hacker News

Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

bloomberg.com

61–70 of 729 posts

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#61
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not because the technology was bad, but because people just don't want it. It’s hard to see how anyone who has been following the technology could make this claim.

People want it, but not in this form factor. Like I've been saying regarding Oculus' products for years: VR/AR isn't a bad idea, but nobody wants to strap a set of heavy, sweaty ski goggles to their face for eight hours a day. Just because the newest models are lighter/more comfortable than the old models doesn't mean they're anywhere near acceptable. I'll be passing on these until they're the size and weight of ordi…

Comparing Oculus’s products of years ago with Vision Pro makes no sense.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#62
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the fact that you need special fit lenses and a store appointment Sounds like a serious shortcoming if you can't share the device with friends and family.

Do you share your iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, AirPods or Apple Watch with friends and family? It’s touted as a work machine first and foremost right? Do you share your work laptop with others? Apple exec logic I’m sure. I get what you’re saying and it’s hard to describe (and never really does it justice) the experience of this technology. It’s something you have to experience yourself to understand.

Ipads are regularly shared in families and vision pro is more expensive than a top range tv which is shared in households. It's a hard sell if if can't be adapted to be used by multiple family members at its price point.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#63
post #2

Wow, imagine if Apple starts integrating their stores with their products into connected life experiences. The stores become showcases for personalized experiences for life, work, and play. Companies are already integrating Watch and VisionPro with biofeedback. Might be something consumers need to deeply experience to believe, from the spatial desktop to music, games, and movies, desk to couch to bed.

Some examples:

- Game play that changes with your heart rate

- Switching easily from work mode to a meditation

- Getting ready for bed by watching a VR sunset

Imagine walking into an Apple Store and seeing as new customers are getting fitted and exploring these experiences on 100” OLEDs. Converting the masses requires displaying entirely new experiences, from work to play.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sure sounds like anyone in a household can use it but if anyone has a different eyeglass corrective lens prescription (very likely unless everyone still has 20/20 vision) from the primary user it’s a very substandard experience.

They showed in the demo the switching lenses was easy as they are magnetic. Likely the upfront issues would be getting everyone their personalized lenses, but actually using seems like it would be easy.

They’d better sell a good storage solution for those lenses too otherwise they’re going to get lost or mixed up easily

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#65
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m squarely in the target market for the Meta Quest, but the fact I have no way of trying one before I buy, even just for a few minutes, is my main blocker for getting one. This is particularly important for a) new product categories where customers aren’t yet sure they want/need it, b) products that “fit”, or don’t, and c) expensive entertainment products. These headsets are all three, so it’s really important. App…

Meta has a free 30 day return policy

That's typical for most products like that but it doesn't solve the problem. The issue is only partly "will I like it" or "will it fit me", for which a free return policy can help (but not fully solve), but a lot of the issue is "why would I want this". If you walk past one in a shop and can give it a go you're much more likely to overcome that than spending £300 on one and having to go through the return process.

Aside, I hear a lot more about free returns from people in the US. In the UK they are seemingly near-universal, but there is significantly less willingness to return outside of specific categories such as clothing. I have a little experience working in a retailer (as a software engineer), and US return rates were far higher than UK/EU return rates, and this was apparently considered typical.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#66
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the friction can come across to some customers as good service, and help launch a category. The Apple Watch was initially sold at fitting appointments in store, and I think that was important in establishing it as a normal thing to wear and even a fashionable thing to wear in some cases, and helped cement the product in the mainstream. Tailored suits is another case where there’s a premium price, premium serv…

> I think that was important in establishing it as a normal thing to wear Apple did not need to normalize the wearing of watches. Watches have been luxury fashion items for hundreds of years.

Apple absolutely needed to normalise the idea that a £300 black puck was Luxury Fashion. See what happened to Google Glass for when a company fails to make a wearable product fashionable, and we've been wearing expensive glasses for hundreds of years. Watch nerds still shun it today, although Apple has managed to break through as much as they needed to make it a success.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#67
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the fact that you need special fit lenses and a store appointment Sounds like a serious shortcoming if you can't share the device with friends and family.

Do you share your iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, AirPods or Apple Watch with friends and family? It’s touted as a work machine first and foremost right? Do you share your work laptop with others? Apple exec logic I’m sure. I get what you’re saying and it’s hard to describe (and never really does it justice) the experience of this technology. It’s something you have to experience yourself to understand.

It’s pretty reasonable to share iPads and Macs between people, especially people who can’t afford individual devices for everyone separately. If I bought a VR headset for $3500 anyone being able to use it would be extremely useful

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#69

Having messed with VR/AR tech since the DK2, the Apple Store presence could be the killer app that VR/AR needs. The manual learning process of ordering special fit lenses, adjusting the headsets, etc would be a great fit with Apple’s store model.

Sure sounds like it's adding a lot of friction to the purchase phase

I seem to recall the first-generation Apple Watch experience being like this.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#70

Having messed with VR/AR tech since the DK2, the Apple Store presence could be the killer app that VR/AR needs. The manual learning process of ordering special fit lenses, adjusting the headsets, etc would be a great fit with Apple’s store model.

It would probably consume the entire applestore floorspace with nonbuying looky loos and their product damaging children
Post reply on HN