Is this the VR-desktop monitor replacement I dreamed of?
Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
31–40 of 73 posts
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#32Nothing to do with "multitasking" - instead of putting real, cost-$, monitors around you, just put virtual, free, monitors around - as many as you wish! Sounds like something awesome, but kinda impractical for now - at least not until the Oculus-grade headsets become the size of eyeglasses. I guess that should work great with AR headsets, since these won't constrain your situational awareness.
How about Google Cardboard and the EEE Keyboard?
They are both pretty light-weight.
Finally we could look like the keyboard cowboys from Neuromancer ;)
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#33Nothing to do with "multitasking" - instead of putting real, cost-$, monitors around you, just put virtual, free, monitors around - as many as you wish! Sounds like something awesome, but kinda impractical for now - at least not until the Oculus-grade headsets become the size of eyeglasses. I guess that should work great with AR headsets, since these won't constrain your situational awareness.
The bigger problem is pixel density.
I've tried both the DK1 and the vive, and the vive is basically at the point where games are very playable.
Some people complain about the "screen-door" effect, which basically translates to the pixels are so large that it's like you are looking a screen door. But in my experience that's not a problem. If you stop and concentrate you can see the pixels, and they are quite large, but with game-like graphics your brain is more than happy to fill in the gaps between pixels.
This doesn't translate to text. Text needs to be massive before you can read it. There is no way you can have multiple monitors at desktop distances. Best case is a single, low resolution monitor (about 720p resolution) so close to your face (or far away and massive) that it takes up your entire field of view. To see any extra monitors, you would have to rotate your entire head.
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#34Nothing to do with "multitasking" - instead of putting real, cost-$, monitors around you, just put virtual, free, monitors around - as many as you wish! Sounds like something awesome, but kinda impractical for now - at least not until the Oculus-grade headsets become the size of eyeglasses. I guess that should work great with AR headsets, since these won't constrain your situational awareness.
How about Google Cardboard and the EEE Keyboard? They are both pretty light-weight. Finally we could look like the keyboard cowboys from Neuromancer ;)
I think portable VR + something like this [0] has massive potential.
0: http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/8/10738792/harman-touchless-u...
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#35Despite plenty of studies showing multi tasking for humans is less efficient than single tasking ( e.g. http://news.stanford.edu/2009/08/24/multitask-research-study... ) here we are inventing new ways to be even more distracted.
While I can agree with that, currently I do most of my work on a 17" laptop. I don't need to multitask to benefit from this - being able to keep working on a laptop but having a workspace big enough to bring up a site I'm working on at full size, while having plenty of space to be able to also see developer tools, my editor and reference material at the same time without having to e.g. switch workspaces or cram any of them into less than ideal size spaces would be great.
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#36I've been thinking about the same thing. The window manager needs to be built into the OS, really. I think we'll see something built into Android for this soon -(standard 2d app surfaces in a 3D360 VR environment).
I'm not sure the current display tech is that good for your eyes/brain to be staring at it 8 hours a day, never mind the current screen resolution. But eventually it will be, and using something like this will enable you to work anywhere without having to carry large screens with you.
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#37Nothing to do with "multitasking" - instead of putting real, cost-$, monitors around you, just put virtual, free, monitors around - as many as you wish! Sounds like something awesome, but kinda impractical for now - at least not until the Oculus-grade headsets become the size of eyeglasses. I guess that should work great with AR headsets, since these won't constrain your situational awareness.
The bigger problem is pixel density. I've tried both the DK1 and the vive, and the vive is basically at the point where games are very playable. Some people complain about the "screen-door" effect, which basically translates to the pixels are so large that it's like you are looking a screen door. But in my experience that's not a problem. If you stop and concentrate you can see the pixels, and they are quite large, b…
Resolution is the reason I haven't bought one yet.
When the 'in-world' resolution can match 1920x1200 at 2ft then it will replace my 3 monitors otherwise it's a headache inducing experience.
If the technology takes off and follows the usual S-curve I think we'll have that inside 5 years.
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#38That's like looking a black and white movie on a color screen. Why are they still using a 2D window manager when we could take advantage of the full 3D spacial navigation?
Most legacy apps are 2D surfaces.
Or do you mean why the 2D windows are not composited more in the 3D space (they all seem to have the same Z depth)?
Well, you would need a 3D input devices as precise as the veritable mouse, which they are using in this demo.
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#39Interesting proposition. If the image quality is good enough, then even a good VR headset might actually be less expensive than an array of physical screens. Obvious disadvantages: having to wear a VR headset all day, and you cannot collaborate with others over your screen contents anymore (unless they strap on and plug in a second headset maybe). Another thing: This would be really cool for desktop sharing.
> (unless they strap on and plug in a second headset maybe).
On the other hand with a high resolution headset and good bandwidth, you can pair review/code review with anyone/anywhere and they see exactly what you see.
In the longer term you could create a 3D virtual office where all the screens exist in the same space and you can jump from one set to another, as a collaboration tool that would exceed a real world office in some ways since you there would be no physical limitations.
Could be incredible for online tech-talks and such as well since you wouldn't be sat 50ft from the speaker trying to read slides from a crappy OHP.
This is the side of the technology that really excites me, not the games.
Re: Start multi-tasking with your virtual reality headset
#40Despite plenty of studies showing multi tasking for humans is less efficient than single tasking ( e.g. http://news.stanford.edu/2009/08/24/multitask-research-study... ) here we are inventing new ways to be even more distracted.
It's a false assumption that multiple windows equates to multitasking. Just because you have multiple applications open doesn't imply you are multitasking.
This is an angle of VR that hadn't occurred to me other than entertainment.