Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#51

Post by PaulHoule » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

theNJR wrote: post #13

Topfi wrote: post #6

This is a very in-depth, informative and factual review. My hats off to the Verge; great job. I have racked up hours upon hours of actual, productive work in my Quest 2 and 3, so to say that I am a big proponent of the ideas that Apple is trying to advance would be an understatement. This makes me all the more disheartened to read that, for all their efforts, this release is mired by the same drawbacks that I have en…

You captured my feeling perfectly. In particular >> While your then-PDA may have supported 3G and came with many other capabilities the first iPhone lacked, there were certain things in regard to build, design, usability and intuitiveness that were unparalleled in the products at the time. Comparing an iPhone and an iPAQ Pocket PC made the latter seem ancient, even though it could do a lot the iPhone couldn't. Compar…

I got a Hololens 1 that turned out to be a white elephant and I read a lot of stories about people buying VR headsets and abandoning them so when I got an MQ3 I was quite deliberate about getting a variety of games and apps and spending enough time with VR to succeed at it.

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#52

Post by brookst » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

asmallcat wrote: post #4

Wonderfully written review. Happy to have read it and disappointed with some of the takeaways. I wish that there were more of a "mac-centric" approach taken for powerusers, rather than barreling forward with visionOS. Once their OS is truly consolidated I may have more use for this device.

Decent review, but it is Nilay Patel, who sees himself as a kingmaker. I’m interested to read reviews from people just focusing on how it is to use the device.

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#53

Post by seanmcdirmid » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

zerbinxx wrote: post #41

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When all plane seats seem to have power these days, is the battery in a plane really a limitation? Can’t it charge while being used?

Doesn’t it have some weird and Very Apple design flaw where it’s hard to charge and use at the same time?

I don’t know, which is why I’m asking. I can see it not charging as fast as it’s being used.

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#54

Post by jayd16 » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

nickthegreek wrote: post #28

swozey wrote: post #23

Ha, I was downvoted and told "why do we need controllers, the iphone and macbook dont come with controllers" yesterday when I said this is stupid without controllers. I have a vive, q2 and q3. Look at him trying to type on that keyboard. I have hand gestures on my q3. They're nice for a few certain things, but thankfully I can forget they exist for 99% of what I do, that isn't flinging windows/screens left and right…

Pains me to think about what this sucker would cost with controllers (which I agree are needed for many VR experiences).

Who knows what Apple would charge but the BOM for a bluetooth controller with LEDs is not a lot when they already have good-enough hand tracking.

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#55

Post by oatmeal1 » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

> Apple is so incredibly capable, stocked with talent, and loaded with resources that the company simply went out and engineered the hell out of the hardest problems it could think of in order to find a challenge. That’s good!

I think they knew before halfway through that it was not possible to build a practical product, but Apple thinks it's important to stay relevant and appear innovative, so they went along and built it anyway. Maybe that was the intention from the start.

I'm not sure why they created and marketed so many dystopian features though. The part of the demo where the dad played with his kids while wearing the Vision Pro and then watched the playback alone later was disturbing. Same with people talking using the EyeSight feature instead of taking of the goggles and making real eye contact.

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#56

Post by bearjaws » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

zerbinxx wrote: post #41

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When all plane seats seem to have power these days, is the battery in a plane really a limitation? Can’t it charge while being used?

Doesn’t it have some weird and Very Apple design flaw where it’s hard to charge and use at the same time?

cries in magic mouse

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#57

Post by ImPostingOnHN » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:28 PM UTC

macintux wrote: post #24

polyterative wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would prefer to bring an iPad on the plane.

One advantage: more privacy with the Vision Pro. Even for innocuous content I feel self-conscious about people seated nearby being bored and watching over my shoulder.

Indeed: better to let them think you're viewing pornography, than to remove all doubt.

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#58

Post by monkeynotes » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:29 PM UTC

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #47

coffeebeqn wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The plane thing is funny. I can’t imagine anyone actually using VR in economy. At best you’ll annoy people next to you and the flight attendants if they need you to move or respond. At worst you’ll hit your head on something or whack someone with the controllers

I can see it being used on a long haul in economy after dinner service and before breakfast. Most of that doesn’t really apply, except for the occasional bathroom run.

And that's my point, it's such a tiny niche usage window, why bother to bring it?

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#59

Post by coffeebeqn » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:29 PM UTC

akmarinov wrote: post #18

polyterative wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would prefer to bring an iPad on the plane.

Depends. On a 2 hour flight - yeah. On a 16 hour flight (with power in the seats) - no.

The Steam deck or Nintendo switch are even better than either. You can get good headphones and play real games for 16 hours. And when you need to move they are easy to stow away

Re: Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it's not

#60

Post by swozey » Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 3:29 PM UTC

nickthegreek wrote: post #28

swozey wrote: post #23

Ha, I was downvoted and told "why do we need controllers, the iphone and macbook dont come with controllers" yesterday when I said this is stupid without controllers. I have a vive, q2 and q3. Look at him trying to type on that keyboard. I have hand gestures on my q3. They're nice for a few certain things, but thankfully I can forget they exist for 99% of what I do, that isn't flinging windows/screens left and right…

Pains me to think about what this sucker would cost with controllers (which I agree are needed for many VR experiences).

I'm so bummed that this is what they came out with. If it was some insane res better than pancake lense with no screen door effect or color wash out at all and had some amazingly well researched controllers that finally rocket shipped VR AND AR they'd have much more of a market and I'd consider one.

But maybe in my 5 years these will be in every single hospital, school, etc. Who knows.