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TL;DR: The killer app is boring (virtual monitors) and we don't have good enough headsets to do it yet > There may be some useful 3D visualizations for underst
by pushfoo 3y ago
TL;DR: The killer app is boring (virtual monitors) and we don't have good enough headsets to do it yet
> There may be some useful 3D visualizations for understanding things
> Moving a mouse is so much faster and easier, even more-so with abstract filter/assistant tools.
Exactly. The only thing I'm hyped for so far is the idea that one day, we'll have virtual monitors. First, we need good enough headsets. The technology has improved since OP's article, but there's more work to do.
Some of it is software. We'd have to do the awful work of implementing backward-compatible virtual monitor and window management. Look at X vs Wayland for an example of how hard it is to get things right.
Despite how hard all of this is, I suspect it's the way forward because:
* it'd be cheaper and more flexible than complex multi-monitor standing desks
* thousands of years after inventing writing, we still rely on writing 2D characters on 2D surfaces for language
* we can inset AR and 3D panels into manual windows the way we already do to reality with physical 3D displays
- dchftcs 3y agoI think headsets are decent enough for virtual monitors, as in the resolution and latency are reasonable and head and hand tracking works just well enough. The software quality, HCI design and UI problems are bigger issues IMO, e.g. having a native multi tasking enviroment, proper mouse support, better gesture control over virtual monitors, better viewing of large surfaces based on eye tracking, voice controls.
- pushfoo 3y agoTL;DR: Starting with AR overlay monitors + mouse would simplify deliverables to focus on hard technical hurdles could be the focus IMO, some of what you mentioned is contradictory. That's not a bad thing. For example, virtual monitor and gesture-based headset-only devices might have different use cases. It's like the difference between a an iPhone, iPad, and ARM-based Mac. All might share software and hardware components, but they're each good at very different things. To my understanding, focusing on the virtual monitors first has a number of benefits: * Simplify deliverables and OS integration significantly * Help developers by providing cheaper multi-monitor setups * Dogfooding * Get certain technical parts (foveated rendering, etc) right before trying to nail new input methods