New World Notes

Philip Rosedale Demos Vision Pro, Deems It Too Heavy & Isolating for Mainstream. How About You?

Philip Rosedale wrote a hands-on (eyes-on?) review of the Apple Vision Pro, based on a demo that technically and experientially dazzled him -- and also gave him a potential neck strain:

I found myself at one point actually resting my chin in my hand with my elbow on the table because… it’s that heavy. And I am a large strong person used to wearing these things. Way too heavy for prolonged use. You have to tighten it too your face really hard because of the single strap, and it felt more uncomfortable at the contact points with your face than the Quest. 

Trouble is, putting the Vision Pro on too tightly makes it likely to cause hair damage. And by Vision Pro's own branding, it's meant to be a device for professional use, i.e. for 8 hours a day.

"As with other devices like the Quest, Magic Leap, and Varjo," Philip concludes, "I predict it will find use in narrow verticals like industrial training."

That sounds right! And it's difficult to imagine a short term scenario where Apple can make a headset device that's much lighter and less costly.

How about you, New World Notes reader? If you've tried (or bought) the Vision Pro, please share your reaction in Comments. I'm especially curious if you could see yourself using the Vision Pro in a virtual world -- either an existing one, or new worlds built around the Vision Pro.

Vision Pro Hair Tips By a Los Angeles Stylist to the Stars -- How to Be Virtual While Maintaining Your Real Life Coif

Since Vision Pro reviews frequently bring up the problem of tangled and messy hair from wearing the head-mounted display -- it's even a key complaint in the much-read Verge analysis -- I asked an actual expert about the topic!

Isadora McKenna, an LA/Denver-based stylist, has been giving celebrities excellent hair for years, from Alanis Morissette to Billie Eilish, so I showed her Apple's new Vision Pro commercial, and asked her advice for various hair types.

How to minimize muss while preventing hair damage, especially during long Vision Pro sessions? Read Isadora's recommendations below!

Vision Pro Pre-Sold Rumored 180K-200K Units -- But Will Mostly Glowing Reviews Help Sell 250K+ This Year?

Tantalizing rumor tidbit from the largely reliable MacRumors:

Apple has sold upwards of 200,000 Vision Pro headsets, MacRumors has learned from a source with knowledge of Apple's sales numbers... Last Monday, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple had sold an estimated 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pro units during the pre-order weekend for the device, so sales may have slowed somewhat since then.

... Kuo has warned that demand for the Vision Pro could taper off quickly because of the niche market for the device. 

So let's say 180,000-200,000 Vision Pro units have likely been sold even before its officially gone on sale this Friday. That's still significantly below my prediction of 250,000 being sold this year -- and as Kuo suggests, there's only so many people left who are willing / able to buy the pricey device now. 

Continued sales of this year's pilot model depend in great part on good reviews, so let's round-up some prominent appraisals from a top tech news site and two highly-regarded Apple enthusiast sites:

Is the Vision Pro Really Practical as a Computer Replacement -- And for People With Long Hair? (Comment of the Week)

Really interesting comment thread on the Vision Pro, and how it compares with the launch of the iPhone back in 2007. Good points from reader "Nadeja", highlighting its limitations as a computer replacement -- and coming challenges for Vision Pro owners with long hair:

I also remember the iPhone critics comparing it to the contemporary devices with similar functionalities (even the PDA/phone hybrids) or dismissing it by telling it was nothing new, but in fact the iPhone was more handy and offered a better user experience.

The Vision Pro specs are comparable to an iPad Pro and the plethora of sensors, the OS, the novel interactivity and usability could again make a difference. I'd surely like a secondary portable computer with an AR screen; even though not for that price. On the other hand, by looking at the first reviews, the virtual keyboard doesn't seem as usable as a touch keyboard, even less an actual keyboard.

There is a voice input too, but I won't use it on a train or an airplane (also, unless it's widespread, I won't feel so comfortable to be the weirdo in the room with it on my head and moving my hands around). And I suspect that pulling out a phone or a tablet out of my bag for just a moment and putting it back is quicker an more practical than having to strap something to my face.

But, as a woman, weight aside, there is another thing I've noticed:

Apple Vision Pro's High Price is Not a Problem Because It's a COMPUTER, not a Peripheral -- Jeff Yang

Before we close out this week of Apple Vision Pro, here's a really good point that's not being covered much (at all?) from my colleague and IFTF research head, Jeff Yang:

Still can’t get over how much people miss the point of Apple Vision Pro. It isn’t a peripheral like Quest. It’s a FULL COMPUTER. You don’t need any other device to use it—though it’s integrated with the Apple ecosystem.

$3500 for a COMPUTER isn’t outrageous.

Apple has built a mobile spatial computer that you could (supposedly) comfortably use for a full work day. To use their own (kind of cringey brand language), this is meant to be MacBook Air Nano -- but Pro Max.

None of this would be possible without massive AI advances, Apple’s huge investment in biometrics, screen optimization, sensor integration and custom chips, and yes, its single-minded emphasis on privacy.

These are all things that Meta has not pursued or prioritized, which is why Zuck doesn’t get what Apple is doing.

He's referring to Zuckerberg's first thoughts on the Vision Pro sent to Meta employees: