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I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

tomsguide.com

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Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#121

Post by andybak »

Mortiffer wrote: post #98

Sounds like sponsored content. Every other review I have read people say they go back to laptop because the text fidelity, eye strain and keyboard on lap is just the best productivity setup

I'm over 50 and need reading glasses as well as distance glasses. I actually find working in the Quest 3 better than a laptop in many ways. The balance betweeen (virtual) screen size and focussing distance seems to be easier to balance. With a laptop the distance sweet spot for vision isn't always the same as the comfort sweet spot for posture. I could probably optimize my desk setup to improve this - but the point of a laptop is freedom from being chained to a desk.

If I could get a remote keyboard/trackpad with a better range then I wouldn't need a laptop at all but currently I also use a laptop and Chrome Remote Desktop when I need text entry or a regular mouse.

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#122

Post by andybak »

LeonM wrote: post #90
dpig_ wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What software were you using, Virtual Desktop? I find it super clear in a Quest 3 and I often work for hours in it.

I'd say most of us are actually more curious about the software setup you're using. You seem to have a setup that works for you for productivity tasks, so please share!

Not GP but I use Virtual Desktop with decent home Wifi so I can max out the quality settings.

(I can even work remotely if both sides have very fast broadband)

One caveat - this is an alternative to using a laptop and my eyesight is somewhat flawed due to middle age. If you're a 20-something with perfect vision and an addiction to 4k screens then this is probably a step down. For me it's on par with my non-VR experience.

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#123

Post by stoltzmann »

jareds wrote: post #26

I got excided looking at this hoping there was a laptop with out a screen. I'm totally blind so the power draw of a screen is pointless. I currently use my ROG Alli with a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to my more powerful laptop which has a keyboard that's going bad. While this setup works well and the battery life is pretty good it would be much nicer if I didn't have to put a keyboard on my lap, and the Alli on a t…

You could take a normal laptop and remove the screen.

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#124

Post by elcritch »

KolibriFly wrote: post #84
mrbonner wrote: post #17

The Xreal is a nice device. I got the first gen for $199. I'm able to plug this into the MacBook pro and watch Netflix in bed. The fonts do look a bit blurry and small. I don't think I can work with it full time. I don't have myopia (or my number is small to notice).

Watching Netflix in bed with a giant virtual screen sounds pretty ideal though, not gonna lie

It’s pretty good on airplanes too

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#126

Post by KronisLV »

herpdyderp wrote: post #25

How good are actual VR headsets at being virtual desktop screens? Specifically I've been interested in the Bigscreen Beyond 2 due to its extreme lightweight, but most people seem to use them for gaming instead of doing work. I want more screens (or, even better, an infinite screen) but I don't have the desk space for them. I know the Vision Pro sort of does this but I need the full power of my maxed out MacBook Pro,…

I remember using my old Quest 2 with an app called Immersed that ran on the Quest too and rendered the environment there, seemingly streaming the monitors in what felt like higher resolution vs the Quest Link. It was really pleasant until the Immersed app removed support for physical monitors and I could no longer use my 4 monitor PC setup in VR: https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/1cm2niy/imm...

I actually enjoyed it, because having nothing other than a black void or space or whatever in my vision was surprisingly zen and nice. It wasn’t quite like my 1080p monitors, a bit closer to what felt like 720p, though the absolute biggest issue was the pressure on my head which meant that it became uncomfortable after a few hours, even with a custom strap - something that had gotten better in the more recent hardware.

Aside from that, I’d say that Virtual Desktop is pretty nice but also has artificial limitations on how many screens it can display: https://www.uploadvr.com/virtual-desktop-multiple-monitors-u...

I’ve never really found that sweet spot that I had between discovering Immersed and them ruining the app for me again.

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#127

Post by justincormack »

jareds wrote: post #26

I got excided looking at this hoping there was a laptop with out a screen. I'm totally blind so the power draw of a screen is pointless. I currently use my ROG Alli with a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to my more powerful laptop which has a keyboard that's going bad. While this setup works well and the battery life is pretty good it would be much nicer if I didn't have to put a keyboard on my lap, and the Alli on a t…

He says he uses the Khadas Mind / Khadas Mind 2 which is a mini pc that has a battery so its pretty much a screenless laptop. Not clear the battery is very large but he uses an external one too as its usb c powered.

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#128

Post by throwaway290 »

mdp2021 wrote: post #112
throwaway290 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can it be a dumb screen and connect to your own PC like the article?

There also exists models such as the "Epson BT-35E Smart Glasses", which instead of Glasses+Computer (specialized Android device) are Glasses+Connector (HDMI and USB-C). The commercial stub: > Seamlessly blend digital content into the outside world with the Moverio BT-35E smart glasses, featuring an interface unit with HDMI and USB Type-C ports to connect to popular output devices. It’s like having a wearable second…

Cool, sounds like it should do the trick, if the text is sharp enough

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#129

Post by throwaway290 »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #115
em-bee wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

to use a laptop you need to be sitting up. when you are bedridden many times you can't do that. and even healthy, sitting in bed with my legs stretched out is uncomfortable for longer periods of time. not to mention most people would balk at their partner doing that when they share a bed. consider yourself lucky. but do check that you are giving enough attention to your partner otherwise. i have at least one friend w…

> not to mention most people would balk at their partner doing that when they share a bed. consider yourself lucky. but do check that you are giving enough attention to your partner otherwise. i have at least one friend who got divorced specifically because he was more interested in computers than his wife. The question was about a laptop as contrast to AR glasses. AR glasses are worse here.

What? Showing attention with laptop is much more difficult than with glasses on

Re: I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

#130

Post by jimmySixDOF »

Borealid wrote: post #8
tdeck wrote: post #5

I thought it would be a mini laptop like these: https://gpdstore.net/product-category/gpd-mini-laptop/ But no, he carries around a little Nuc style machine and a full, separate keyboard and charger. It's cool and all, but there's no way this whole jumble would fit in a pocket or be convenient to use on the go.

There was a recent announcement of a mini PC that was itself built into a folding keyboard - no screen. That would be the ideal device for this lifestyle.

That was Spacetop and it was released for a while but the company discontinued the glasses now they provide desktop extension software for Xreal glasses. It was a good idea maybe a little ahead of its time.
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