Vision Thoughts
Machine, 2024.
The reveal blew me away. Early reviews, from those who'd experienced it first hand, convinced me even more. But now, on the eve of the Vision Pro’s exclusive US launch...I have lingering doubts.
From what we know, the technology supersedes anything currently available in this space, offering a level of immersion straight out of sci-fi movies. But while Apple have clearly made the experience as painless as they could, overall it doesn't sound...uncomplicated. This isn't a device you just grab off the shelf: it requires a proper fit in order to function properly; there are light seals to mess around with; if you wear glasses, special lenses need to be purchased before it can be used, adding to an already steep price of entry. And when your eyesight drops again...
It also won't be easy to "evangelize". How do you show it off? Anyone can see and interact with a Mac, anywhere. You can pass around your iPhone, or iPad, for others to play with. But a Vision Pro? Even the people closest to you may not be able to experience it properly (that darn eyesight thing again). And watching someone use the device is likely to be a tad underwhelming.
So yeah...doubts.
Spatial Computing is the next frontier. Apple can afford to play the long game, and we can’t unsee the possibilities. As I wrote in These Traces 089:
Vision Pro isn't about to take the world by storm, but it IS the destination. That concept is inevitable. I'm convinced desktop displays will eventually join landlines and inkwells, the limits of our canvas expanding beyond the bounds of a 27-inch frame. The shift will be profound.
I truly believe that. But, as slick as it is, this version of the Vision Pro doesn't really just work. Not in the way we've been accustomed to. I can't help thinking the hardware will need to become a lot simpler, lighter, and less fussy, before this category can take off.
There. An opinion to revisit in a few days...or five years from now ;)
P.S John Gruber published a review as I was getting this post ready (a must read if you’re interested). I’ve already added a link to it above, but here’s a pretty relevant quote from his piece:
“Vision Pro isn’t even in stores yet and it’s already subject to mockery. (So was the iPhone before it shipped; so was the original Macintosh.) In a few years, after a few product generations, we will all look back at this first Vision device and laugh. We’ll laugh at the external battery, we will laugh at the size and weight of the device, and eventually we will laugh at its price. The knocks against it are all undeniably true: it’s too heavy and too big for everyone, and too expensive for the mass market.
But, like that original iPhone and the original Macintosh before it, this first Vision Pro is no joke.”
