02/06/2024
Introducing: New Tech Tuesday! A weekly series of quick updates for older people on the newest technology & how they can use it!
This week’s New Tech Tuesday is Apple’s new Vision Pro! The Vision Pro is a headset that is part of a brand new “spatial computing” product category for Apple, allowing users to overlay virtual interfaces over reality, or have fully immersive experiences.
While the headset is very expensive, sitting at a cool $3500, it does represent the most bleeding edge technology from any of the large Silicon Valley players. Featuring two MicroOLED displays with more pixels for each eye than a 4K TV, EyeSight that allows people around the user to see a virtual representation of the user’s eyes when the user is wearing the headset, and advanced eye tracking that can be used to navigate and control the iPad-like interface, Apple is looking to bring a version of virtual reality to the mainstream with the Vision Pro— something companies like Microsoft, Facebook/Meta, and Google have all tried & failed to do so far
Some common use cases for the Apple Vision Pro and “spatial computing” will be exercising with immersive environments— imagine the workout by punching through blocks flying through the air at you!—, using your Mac on a gigantic, virtual screen, watching movies on the moon or other interesting environments, and help controlling and managing your home. One demo even showed the ability for kitchen timers to be set for each pot on the stove, and each timer would appear directly above the pot it is for!
That all being said, for $3500, this first-generation product by Apple is definitely not meant for most consumers. It remains to be seen if Apple can truly position the Vision Pro and future spatial computing devices alongside their ever-growing product portfolio and make it a household item the same way iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and other devices are for so many people.