Once again, thank you for another well written and engaging article/white paper/mini book. Whatever you call it, it's good stuff.
Unless Apple has changed their feature naming, I think what you've identified as "Continuity" is really "Universal Control." I love the Universal Control feature and see where Apple has tapped into their prior work around this amazing capability to bring it to Vision Pro. After having watched a lot of British TV I suppose I could say the Universal Control feature is "absolutely brilliant." My only knock on Universal Control is that Apple hasn't brought it to the iPhone yet. Why? Continuity is on all of their major platforms, so why not the equally brilliant Universal Control?
Edit: Universal Control is part of the Continuity subsystem that includes Universal Control, Continuity Camera, AirPlay to Mac, Sidecar, Continuity Markup and Sketch, SMS on Mac, Phone on Mac, Auto Unlock (Apple Watch), Handoff, Universal Clipboard, AirDrop, Apple Pay, and Instant Hotspot. Wow.
Regarding the Vision Pro, I think we're all at a point of learning what it really is based on its current and near term capabilities. I think it's better just to try it on for yourself, think about it, and consider what it means to you and how it fits into your lifestyle. There are currently a plethora of people that have already picked sides for one reason or another. I suppose if you've already forked over the non insignificant coin to bring one home you are likely to defend the Vision Pro because you've taken the plunge and need to reassure yourself and those around you that it was a wise purchase once the contact high acquired at the Apple Store demo wears off. Likewise, if you'd really like to take the plunge but you don't have the funds or line of credit to make it happen, then it's easy to denigrate the Vision Pro so you don't feel so bad about not having one of your own. Then there's all of the wait & seers who aren't quite sure whether the Vision Pro is something they really need. And of course those who simply don't like Apple no matter what they create.
So it really comes down to the undecided and wait & seers who will propel the Vision Pro past the early adoption phase and into the mainstream. I'm still of the opinion that the Vision Pro has to stand on its own. When I consider whether the Vision Pro is something I want for myself I'll base my evaluation on what the Vision Pro brings to my world at the time of purchase. I refuse to accept that anyone's current take on the Vision Pro is the last word or the only word. The Vision Pro's potential is obvious and unbounded by current computing platforms and current conventions for man-machine interaction. It's a whole new world, one that touches both the past and the future and the real and the virtual. There will likely be a point where several of the Vision Pro potentials transform into consumable realities, or at least have a believable timeline for their impending release. But if the current realities are compelling for whatever reasons motivate you to make the purchase decision, go ahead and jump on it. Life is short and time is more precious than money.
I'm not minimizing or trivializing the influence that price has on one's purchase decision for the Vision Pro, but I don't think price is even a showstopper for a lot of Apple customers. Simply being an Apple customer indicates that you value Apple products way beyond the marginal price premium you pay for premium products. It's kind of a natural selection process. Higher pr9ices may cause you to think about it a little bit more, but if you want it you're going to find a way to make it happen. Still, when you consider acquiring a Vision Pro, or not, the decision should be based on your own objective criteria and not the musings or opinions of others on either side of the debate. Of course you should also be aware of your own bias towards and attraction to Apple products. Again, let your evaluation of the Vision Pro be based on how it stands on its own. Let the Vision Pro tell its own story to you, one that's neither propped up by true Apple believers nor dragged down by those who live in the shadows where the light of the Apple halo never shines.
I went to the Apple Store to use AVP for 30 minutes, which lives up to all the hype. it's an amazing experience. My thoughts were mostly about it as an entertainment device rather than an everyday computing device. Yes, it's hot, my face was sweaty after using it, and I felt dizzy for a while. This brings up long-term health issues of using a display strapped to your face and the ability to look away from something so close to your face to refocus your eyes from time to time. I will be curious to hear from users who have been using AVP for a long time. Meanwhile, I will sit on the sidelines waiting for a cheaper version that I can buy even cheaper when people return them.
I went to the Apple Store to use AVP for 30 minutes, which lives up to all the hype. it's an amazing experience. My thoughts were mostly about it as an entertainment device rather than an everyday computing device. Yes, it's hot, my face was sweaty after using it, and I felt dizzy for a while. This brings up long-term health issues of using a display strapped to your face and the ability to look away from something so close to your face to refocus your eyes from time to time. I will be curious to hear from users who have been using AVP for a long time. Meanwhile, I will sit on the sidelines waiting for a cheaper version that I can buy even cheaper when people return them.
Define long time? An hour or two continuously or for months of daily use?
I can use it for about an hour before I'm done, but I only need a couple minutes. Maybe my usage duration will increase and maybe it won't.
But I would suggest that widespread adoption of the VP depends largely on an affordable price point to merit the benefit.
Kind of obvious, no? One of Apple's greatest successes, the Macbook Air, started out as a rich person's toy. The release price of $1799 in 2008 would be about $2600 in today's dollars. Ars Technica did extensive testing of it at the time and found that the "real world" battery life was about 2.5 hours. Plus it was slow and had very limited storage, memory and connectivity options. One could rightfully ask at the time, "Who the hell is this for?" Sure, it was cool, but also a very expensive laptop with poor performance that needed to be tethered to an outlet often. And yet, over time, the Macbook Air went on to become the biggest mass market hit in laptop history.
The essential point is: this took some time. Years. And the Air wasn't even trying to introduce an entirely new platform of computing. It didn't come with a whole new OS and way of interacting with a computer. The Air was just trying to be a lighter, more compact Mac laptop. So if it took a few years to become a mass market success just trying to be THAT, what's the timeline for a revolutionary product like Vision Pro?
But I would suggest that widespread adoption of the VP depends largely on an affordable price point to merit the benefit.
Kind of obvious, no? One of Apple's greatest successes, the Macbook Air, started out as a rich person's toy. The release price of $1799 in 2008 would be about $2600 in today's dollars. Ars Technica did extensive testing of it at the time and found that the "real world" battery life was about 2.5 hours. Plus it was slow and had very limited storage, memory and connectivity options. One could rightfully ask at the time, "Who the hell is this for?" Sure, it was cool, but also a very expensive laptop with poor performance that needed to be tethered to an outlet often. And yet, over time, the Macbook Air went on to become the biggest mass market hit in laptop history.
The essential point is: this took some time. Years. And the Air wasn't even trying to introduce an entirely new platform of computing. It didn't come with a whole new OS and way of interacting with a computer. The Air was just trying to be a lighter, more compact Mac laptop. So if it took a few years to become a mass market success just trying to be THAT, what's the timeline for a revolutionary product like Vision Pro?
The MBA is an excellent comparative example. I wonder if I can find articles from AI of the MBA debut because I bet the arguments or price v reward will be similar… and that was even a platform that had existed for decades with a mature OS and apps to go with it.
It boggles my mind that people expect so much from Apple that they’d never expect from other companies.
edit: Here's a 399 comment article from the MBA on AI and AnandTech's review of the custom chip from Intel.
Comments
Unless Apple has changed their feature naming, I think what you've identified as "Continuity" is really "Universal Control." I love the Universal Control feature and see where Apple has tapped into their prior work around this amazing capability to bring it to Vision Pro. After having watched a lot of British TV I suppose I could say the Universal Control feature is "absolutely brilliant." My only knock on Universal Control is that Apple hasn't brought it to the iPhone yet. Why? Continuity is on all of their major platforms, so why not the equally brilliant Universal Control?
Edit: Universal Control is part of the Continuity subsystem that includes Universal Control, Continuity Camera, AirPlay to Mac, Sidecar, Continuity Markup and Sketch, SMS on Mac, Phone on Mac, Auto Unlock (Apple Watch), Handoff, Universal Clipboard, AirDrop, Apple Pay, and Instant Hotspot. Wow.
Regarding the Vision Pro, I think we're all at a point of learning what it really is based on its current and near term capabilities. I think it's better just to try it on for yourself, think about it, and consider what it means to you and how it fits into your lifestyle. There are currently a plethora of people that have already picked sides for one reason or another. I suppose if you've already forked over the non insignificant coin to bring one home you are likely to defend the Vision Pro because you've taken the plunge and need to reassure yourself and those around you that it was a wise purchase once the contact high acquired at the Apple Store demo wears off. Likewise, if you'd really like to take the plunge but you don't have the funds or line of credit to make it happen, then it's easy to denigrate the Vision Pro so you don't feel so bad about not having one of your own. Then there's all of the wait & seers who aren't quite sure whether the Vision Pro is something they really need. And of course those who simply don't like Apple no matter what they create.
So it really comes down to the undecided and wait & seers who will propel the Vision Pro past the early adoption phase and into the mainstream. I'm still of the opinion that the Vision Pro has to stand on its own. When I consider whether the Vision Pro is something I want for myself I'll base my evaluation on what the Vision Pro brings to my world at the time of purchase. I refuse to accept that anyone's current take on the Vision Pro is the last word or the only word. The Vision Pro's potential is obvious and unbounded by current computing platforms and current conventions for man-machine interaction. It's a whole new world, one that touches both the past and the future and the real and the virtual. There will likely be a point where several of the Vision Pro potentials transform into consumable realities, or at least have a believable timeline for their impending release. But if the current realities are compelling for whatever reasons motivate you to make the purchase decision, go ahead and jump on it. Life is short and time is more precious than money.
I'm not minimizing or trivializing the influence that price has on one's purchase decision for the Vision Pro, but I don't think price is even a showstopper for a lot of Apple customers. Simply being an Apple customer indicates that you value Apple products way beyond the marginal price premium you pay for premium products. It's kind of a natural selection process. Higher pr9ices may cause you to think about it a little bit more, but if you want it you're going to find a way to make it happen. Still, when you consider acquiring a Vision Pro, or not, the decision should be based on your own objective criteria and not the musings or opinions of others on either side of the debate. Of course you should also be aware of your own bias towards and attraction to Apple products. Again, let your evaluation of the Vision Pro be based on how it stands on its own. Let the Vision Pro tell its own story to you, one that's neither propped up by true Apple believers nor dragged down by those who live in the shadows where the light of the Apple halo never shines.
I can use it for about an hour before I'm done, but I only need a couple minutes. Maybe my usage duration will increase and maybe it won't.
The essential point is: this took some time. Years. And the Air wasn't even trying to introduce an entirely new platform of computing. It didn't come with a whole new OS and way of interacting with a computer. The Air was just trying to be a lighter, more compact Mac laptop. So if it took a few years to become a mass market success just trying to be THAT, what's the timeline for a revolutionary product like Vision Pro?
edit: Here's a 399 comment article from the MBA on AI and AnandTech's review of the custom chip from Intel.
And here's a bonus article from when the TSA were confused by the lack of a spinning drive and no ports on the back.