Vision Pro's Arrival Echoes Mac's Launch 40 Years Ago
Summary
TLDRThis week marks the 40th anniversary of the original Apple Macintosh computer. With the upcoming release of the expensive yet intriguing Apple Vision Pro headset, there are parallels to that Macintosh launch. Both products represent an expensive new computing paradigm - the Macintosh pioneering the graphical user interface, and the Vision Pro pioneering spatial computing via virtual and augmented reality. Though initial software libraries may be limited for the Vision Pro, its entertainment capabilities and evolution over time could make it a compelling purchase. Meanwhile at CES 2024, high-end VR headsets like Vario XR4 showcase this technology's potential while accessible products aim to help those with visual impairments, indicating an expanding range of use cases.
Takeaways
- 😊 Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset goes on sale this week, 40 years after the revolutionary Macintosh computer
- 💰 The Vision Pro costs nearly $4,000 - very expensive like the original Macintosh
- 📈 Analysts estimate Apple sold 160K-180K Vision Pros initially, showing strong demand
- 😕 Limited software support and apps could hamper Vision Pro's usefulness at first
- 🎥 Entertainment and immersive 3D content is a big Vision Pro feature right now
- 🤔 Useful real world applications will take time to develop, like with the Macintosh
- 👀 Other mixed reality headsets at CES showcase specific business uses
- 🧠 AI and machine learning may allow less visual screens as data processing advances
- ⌨️ Clicks iPhone keyboard case indicates desire for tactile feedback remains
- 🤷♀️ It's unclear yet if Vision Pro can change how we interface with computers
Q & A
How much did the original Macintosh computer cost in 1984?
-The introductory price of the Macintosh in 1984 was $2,495, which when adjusted for inflation is over $7,500 today.
How many Vision Pro headsets did analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimate were sold in the first weekend?
-Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that Apple sold around 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pro headsets over the first weekend.
What are some key differences between the Vision Pro and other mixed reality headsets shown at CES?
-The Vision Pro does not need to be tethered to a PC to run like some other headsets. It also has very high resolution dual 4K displays built-in. However, it is more expensive than some other options.
What are some of the accessibility features that mixed reality headsets could potentially provide?
-Mixed reality headsets could potentially help people with vision impairments by using smart cameras and displays to show a magnified view of the world in front of them.
What evidence is there that some people still prefer physical keyboards over touchscreens?
-The Clicks iPhone keyboard case got a lot of interest at CES, showing there is still demand for physical keyboards over just using touchscreens.
What are some of the enterprise and business uses for mixed reality headsets?
-Mixed reality headsets are being used for military training simulations, visualizing products in front of users, and other business applications that require high-quality imaging and environments.
Why does the author say we may see less screens and notifications in the future?
-If technology gets smart enough to process data and recognize activities on its own, the author speculates we may not need as many screens constantly showing us information and interrupting us.
What evidence showed early interest and hype for the original Macintosh computer?
-Apple reportedly spent millions on marketing. They also held stunts where people could rent a Macintosh for 24 hours to try it out, showing there was buzz and interest.
What questions are consumers asking now about the Vision Pro that echo questions asked about early computers?
-Consumers are asking what exactly the Vision Pro can do and how useful it will be given the high price tag, similar to early questions about computers.
Why is the author waiting before buying a Vision Pro headset?
-The author wants to see how the Vision Pro capabilities and available apps evolve over time before making the investment in the expensive new device.
Outlines
🎵 A look back at the history and impact of the original Macintosh computer on its 40th anniversary.
Paragraph 1 provides background on the original Macintosh computer that Apple released 40 years ago this week. It highlights the Macintosh's innovations like its all-in-one design, graphical interface, and mouse navigation. The paragraph also notes the famous 1984 Super Bowl ad that promoted the Macintosh as the start of the personal computer revolution. Overall, it frames the historical significance of the Macintosh and its influence over 40 years.
🥽 The upcoming release of the Apple Vision Pro headset sparks comparisons to the original Macintosh launch.
Paragraph 2 draws parallels between the launch of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset and the original Macintosh computer. It notes that both were expensive, pioneering products that garnered excitement despite limited initial software. The paragraph cites sales figures and marketing efforts for the Macintosh launch over 40 years ago. It raises questions consumers may have about the Vision Pro's usefulness and capabilities that echo conversations from the Macintosh release. Overall, it contrasts and compares these two pivotal moments in Apple's history.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Macintosh
💡Vision Pro
💡spatial computing
💡CES
💡1984 Super Bowl ad
💡price
💡limitations
💡evolution
💡accessibility
💡AI
Highlights
Apple calls this the spatial computing era freeing us up to use the space around us for our mixed reality computing
Analyst Mingi Quo estimates that Apple sold around 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pros over the first weekend
When you account for taxes and if you buy the $200 travel case that is just shy of $4,000 for the Vision Pro
The introductory price of the Macintosh was $2,495 which when adjusted for inflation is over $7,500 today
In the first 4 months Apple was reported to have sold 50,000 Macintosh machines
There's been stories that several apps including Netflix and Spotify are not making special apps to work with the Vision Pro
I really think the coolest uses for the Vision Pro will evolve in time just like we saw the Macintosh evolve
Apple still stole the show at CES as it began - Apple dropped news about the Vision Pro pre-orders and release date
The Vario XR4 headset resolution and pass through cameras are so good that it's being used for military training
There was a bigger focus around the machine learning side of artificial intelligence at CES
Culturally could we be seeing a pendulum swing us back to fewer screens, more of an older tech analog desire
The Clicks iPhone keyboard got a ton of interest at CES - it gives your iPhone physical keyboard buttons
There is still something we crave with wanting the physical click to control our interfaces
I want to see if the Vision Pro's hand gestures start rewiring our brains and if it can still give us that tangible feedback and control we crave
I am eager to see what the Vision Pro could be like and if home movies in 3D could change my outlook on the device
Transcripts
[Music]
40 years ago this week Apple released
the Macintosh with a built-in screen
keyboard mouse and floppy drive this was
the start of a computer that changed the
world on January 24th Steve Jobs pulled
the Macintosh out of a bag and the
Macintosh said hello this was an
all-in-one machine for the home that let
users navigate around with a graphical
interface it was such a big deal that it
was teased in the iconic 1984 think
different Super Bowl commercial directed
by Ridley Scott now 40 years later we
are about to enter a new era of
computing with the launch of the Apple
Vision Pro Apple calls this the spatial
Computing era freeing us up to use the
space around us for our mixed reality
Computing work visualizing anything we
want in our living room and yet how free
will we feel with a headset strapped to
our faces probably making our hair look
silly as it beams dual 4K resolution
screens onto our eyeballs while a
battery pack Clips onto our pants the
world is very different now than it was
in 1984 but there are some parallels
between these two moments in history in
fact consumers today might be asking
themselves some of the same questions as
consumers did four decades ago like with
it being so expensive what exactly can
this big machine do and how useful will
it be before the Vision Pro headset
lands in consumer hands there's one more
thing to talk about this week how is
Apple going to get us thinking
differently about what we want from
computers I just got back from seeing
Cutting Edge technology at the world's
largest consumer electronic show known
as CES and The Vision Pro is not the
only new tech that could influence where
apple and personal Computing is heading
next I'm Bridget Carey and this is one
more thing we do not even have all the
answers to what it's like to use a
visionpro headset and yet the first
batch of devices arriving February 2nd
are sold out of course you can still
order a Vision Pro but now the shipping
times for the next batch are pushed back
roughly five or 6 weeks arriving in
March analyst mingi quo estimates that
Apple sold around 160,000 to 180,000
Vision Pros over the first weekend and
he wrote that Apple should be able to
produce half a million this year it's
another reminder that people really love
apple and really trust Apple if they are
fast to dish out nearly four grand to
say they are among the First with a
headset and that's no exaggeration on
the cost when you account for taxes and
if you buy the $200 travel case that is
just shy of $4,000 and I did not include
Apple Care protection now that's a lot
of money to spend on a new type of
computer but I keep thinking back to the
original Macintosh computer from 40
years ago also very expensive and
different for its time the introductory
price of the Macintosh was
$2,495 which when adjusted for inflation
is over $7,500 today so one Macintosh
was two Vision pros and how many people
were jumping to get a Macintosh if it
was so pricey in the first four months
Apple was reported to have sold 50,000
machines and apple reportedly spent
millions of dollars in marketing and
advertising including holding stunts for
people to rent out the machine for 24
hours to try it so it was something that
got a lot of Buzz even if not everyone
bought one it was also reported Ed to
have a very small library of software
programs there were things like mac
paint and Mac right of course we are
talking about the early days today's
Macs have programs Galore in the App
Store but limited software at launch
could once again become a speed bump for
apple with vision proos debut there's
been stories that several apps including
Netflix and Spotify are not making
special apps to work with the Vision Pro
and I'm sure you'll see a lot of the
same apps that you get on the iPad but
how many of those apps will be so
specially designed for Vision Pro that
it can Elevate the usefulness of the
device to make it a must have or at
least a must try at your local Apple
Store theater entertainment right now is
a big feature of the Vision Pro you can
turn your space into a giant personal
movie theater with different backgrounds
like making it look like you're watching
Star Wars on a Star Wars Planet because
you really like Star Wars but there will
be lots of 3D content and more than 150
3D movies so you can watch Avatar the
way of water the way it was meant to be
seen all by yourself inside goggles I
really think the coolest uses for this
will evolve in time just like we saw the
Macintosh evolve and the same goes for
any of Apple's products remember the
iPhone was pretty Limited in its
features when it launched earlier this
month I was running around the show
floor of CES it's the largest consumer
Tech show and companies come here to
show off their visions of the future and
wouldn't you know it even though apple
does not have any Booth or presentation
at the show Apple still stole the show
as it began Apple dropped news about the
Vision Pro pre-orders and release date
and this looming Vision Pro arrival just
hovered in the air now during my week I
got to check out another mixed reality
headset that also boasts very high-end
specs to rival the Apple Vision Pro it
is called the vario xr4 and it is from a
Finnish company that says its resolution
and pass through cameras are so good
that it's being used right now for
military training like a flight
simulator with the US Department of
Defense but it does need to be Tethered
to a PC to run the programming it was
impressive with how its cameras could
tell where I was looking to keep the
image in focus and I could pick up very
fine details in the room I was in but
also when it was time to use the pass
through cameras I could easily read a
piece of paper that I held in front of
me but this high-end model is for
industrial use it starts at 4 grand and
it goes up to 10 grand and cost and
that's not even counting the price of
the PC you still need to hook up to it
it makes Vision Pro Look affordable but
even so it depends what needs a business
would have to get such a high-end image
simulated and I think business needs
will be a big motivator to where we go
next in VR and visualizing products in
front of us there were other headsets
designed to help with very specific
needs there's the eite go it's worn like
a pair of glasses and it helps the
visually impaired for people with
central vision loss who normally cannot
see much at all unless the object is
just inches from their face they can use
this to see fine details far away again
by having smart cameras and screens
display the world up close to their eyes
now I've been wondering how the Vision
Pro could be seen as something to help
with accessibility but it's not like you
want to walk around with a big Vision
Pro headset at the grocery store so
could the next Generations of Apple
Vision get so light that it could be a
health or exess accessibility tool to
help make life easier with all those
cameras and sensors there is a push for
computing to be able to show you
anything you want and have it look real
in front of you in your own little
closed off headset world but mostly at
CES there was a bigger Focus around the
machine learning side of artificial
intelligence where a computer can take
all this data being collected and
present a solution before you're even
aware that there could be a problem to
solve so it's less about the hardware
and more about the computing power
making the gear smarter and doing
something useful with all this data
we're collecting there's a mirror from
barota called the beind it uses AI
smarts and a camera to analyze your skin
and tell you how to fix your face it was
not very kind to me notice Li
bags oh no and all this gets me thinking
if our computers will start doing more
with all the data being gathered I have
been wearing a new smart ring discovered
at the show it's called the Eevee at
it's so much less intrusive than a
smartwatch pinging me and needing
charging every day now I do like my
Apple watch but culturally could we be
seen a pendulum swing us back to fewer
screens more of an older Tech analog
desire to fewer interruptions if the
tech is smart enough to just recognize
my activity and process the data on its
own speaking of older Tech the clicks
iPhone keyboard got a ton of interest at
the show the case gives your iPhone
physical keyboard buttons I got to check
it out a bit and my fingers got used to
it after about 5 minutes and I got a
personal walkthrough from Mr mobile
himself Michael fiser who is a
co-founder of the company but the hype
around this shows you that there is a
split of how even though we are moving
toward a world where we can control
computers with just our gestures there
is still something We crave with wanting
the physical click to control our
interfaces just like how using a mouse
can feel better than a trackpad I want
to see if the vision proos hand gestures
start re wiring our brains and if it can
still give us that tangible feedback and
control We
crave I cover Apple every week but I
couldn't at this point justify dropping
thousands of dollars to be among the
first to have the Vision Pro so no I did
not pre-order it that does not mean I
don't find it interesting I have been
using the iPhone 15 Pro Max to take
spatial videos of my family I am eager
to see what it could be like and if home
movies in 3D could change my Outlook on
the device we're just going to see how
the Vision Pro shapes up over time and
if the data collected in our real world
makes anything more interesting on what
gets projected inside the virtual one
let me know if you pre-order The Vision
Pro or if you are waiting and why I'll
catch you next week when the spatial
Computing era begins but you should
probably watch the show from your
Macintosh there's no YouTube Vision Pro
app thanks for watching
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