Will spatial computing make us more productive?

Welcome to my LinkedIN newsletter! In each issue of The Digital Agenda, I'll share my thoughts on what's hot in applied emerging technologies from the CXO (CDO, CAO, CTO, CSO, CPO) lens covering data, analytics, AI and more innovations in applying emerging technologies that matter for the enterprise.

Curious minds never rest idle!

So despite not being a gamer or an early adopter of AR/VR or for that matter, an iPhone, when the Apple Vision Pro became available recently, I was intrigued to check out the experience.

I kept an open mind as I drove to the Apple store last week, despite my poor early experience at a Stanford STEM event with the Oculus VR prototype in the summer of 2013. That device had managed to induce headaches and vertigo within 10 min of putting it on!?

Needless to say, I skipped the next few iterations of AR/VR products despite Facebook acquiring the nascent startup for $2B and going all in on the? Metaverse strategy, renaming itself Meta and subsequently coming out with Oculus Rift & MetaQuest.

?I gave Snapchat & Google's versions of glasses a cold shoulder as well…until the buzz around Apple VisionOS started building recently.?

And then the reviews started trickling in the past week. I had to see it for myself. Touch it. Experience it. Use it and maybe, own it!?

“OMG! Is it for real?”

This was my first impression of the Apple Vision Pro upon using it within the first minute!

Unbelievably? Immersive?

The immersive experience, the vivid colors of the photos, and its ability to transport right into the action of a movie with a 270 degree field of vision are impressive as an entertainment device. The sheer scale and high fidelity of graphics and audio is unparalleled. Apple visual artists have executed perfection, with the subtle shimmering shadows over water to exceptional 3D experiences with spatial video

It's great for entertainment, but what about productivity?

Eye and hand gesture tracking is flawlessly executed. Ability to have multiple windows open with easy gaze & gestures driven controls make it super easy to use. In theory, the Vision Pro can be a portable, private office — just strap in, arrange your work apps, and get to it. Using the virtual desktop mode, which connects to a nearby Mac and turns its screen into a virtual window you can resize and stick where you like. After using Vision Pro, on my regular MacBook I now keep? staring at the corner of the window to resize it!?

Practically speaking:?

Replicating MacBook screen, watching sports, Avatar 3D etc. on a larger than life Jumbotron in your living room is incentive enough for me to adopt it.I liked that the Zeiss lens inserts tailored to my specific complex high powered prescription eyeglasses? were configured and fitted as part of the calibration & fitting as the first step. That made the images brighter without me having to squint or play “the blind man's bluff” in HD!? Further, the controls were so easy to learn. I loved Pinch & move! One way the Vision Pro can make you feel more connected to others: You can use it to view immersive videos captured with an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or another Vision Pro.?

What could be better:?

This? device strapped on our face? makes? one? less present in the moment with the loved ones around us. The big contraption on the face clearly signals that you would rather not socialize. So this clearly has societal implications.? Battery situation is clumsy at the moment with technology limitations. Overall form factor needs significant slimming as it? felt heavy and I needed a break after the initial novelty evaporated within 20? minutes!?

Net Net:

I can't say this enough times: Spatial Computing is the next frontier.? Apple is pioneering this new space, and Apple Vision Pro is currently the best-in-class.?

If you are a visionary developer, a dreamer, or someone who thinks about how we will experience the world in the near-future, this is a device worth owning and working with.

?If you're a consumer who must have the shiny new thing, this is for you (for the bragging rights, conversation piece, fashion accessory, etc.).?

If you are a normal person who just wants stuff to work, don't even think about purchasing one – just go to the Apple store to try it for 15 -20 min or? find a friend who owns one and go mess around with it for an hour.

Bottomline:

At the current price point ($3500+ accessories+ tax) – and at this point in the AR/VR journey – it is not even close to a must-have consumer product to be declared a winner. No wonder many early adopters have already started to return their Vision Pros within the 14 day trial window!

Now let me ask you dear reader-

1. Will you buy Apple Vision Pro?
2. Will spacial computing make us more productive?
3. And do you think it will be embraced in the enterprise eventually?

As always your thoughts and comments are both welcome.