Welcome to the Next Round

As I start my journey with the Apple Vision Pro and spatial computing, I plan to write about my experiences and thoughts along the way and am not planning to really review the product and operating system since there are so may other excellent reviews being written. I want to try and capture how I am using it and how I feel about it and spatial computing as it starts to get worked into my daily life and expand on topics that come along the way.

I picked up my new Apple Vision Pro (AVP) on day two of its release. At first I was a bit bummed that I had to wait a day but ultimately it allowed me to see what others were starting to experience and helped me know the things I wanted to try right away. I won’t go into all the details of the Apple Store pickup as others have already done a great job of that. It was very easy process and had all the typical Apple touches to make it feel special to be an early adopter and user of this high end product (no cheering or any of that thankfully). I would highly recommend the demo in store even if you’re an Apple fan or planning to purchase one. There is no video or description that can really give you the feeling what using AVP is like and the future things it could make possible. 

Thinking back on the last week of using AVP has brought back memories of my early experiences with a PC at home. At that time, no one really had a computer in their home. I had used a computer at school but it was very guided so I didn’t have to figure much out on my own and didn’t have a chance to explore. Once we had a computer at home (my first was a Commodore 64), I was able to explore and figure out things I could do and just enjoy this new technology, even if I didn’t know where it fit in or if it was solving any problems. As computers improved, they slowly became a normal thing in most of our lives. Like using those early computers (or even the iPhone), I have really enjoyed exploring this new technology and figuring out where it fits and what problems it helps to solve. It is still very early days for this technology and as it progresses, we will know more about where it fits.  I am fortunate that I was able to experience a world before computers and smart phones were a part of everyday life and have seen the impacts, which I think helps me stay more open minded and optimistic about where this tech could go. Technology has improved all of our lives, helped us complete tasks, solve big problems and helped improve communication with others across various locations and situations. This first generation AVP already feels like another step in this journey of improvements.

As with early computers and smart phones, there is definitely a learning curve in how to use AVP and a mind shift that you have to make to navigate and figure out what works best for you(to be clear, I’m still continuing to learn what works best). There are things that are carried over from other Apple devices that have made it easier to get started but it is just so different to interact with everything using eyes, gesture, voice along with an external keyboard and trackpad. I am even able to interact with apps directly with my hands by moving them close enough and reaching out to push a button or flick a list to scroll. It is strange at first to do that in the air but works pretty well on most apps. It will definitely take some getting use to all the ways you can in interact with content and as this technology matures, I imagine it will just feel natural. My brain is already starting to think in this more immersive way. On a morning walk, I wanted to switch to the next chapter of the podcast I was listening to and thought of looking up and tapping something in the air but instead had to get my phone out of my pocket. 

One of the hardest things to get used to has been looking at things to interact with them. The eye tracking works great, almost too good when you are not used to navigating that way. I never realized how much I look around and how quickly my brain is already on to the next thing when using a computer. The ability to have applications all around is another awesome thing but can get a bit out of hand with a lot of them and if they are stacked at all. This will get better with software updates for sure. The screen clarity is so amazing and seems very easy on my eyes even after hours of wearing it. As I get used to using the AVP all day, I can see preferring it to my Studio display since I can move things closer to me as needed and can have the same setup from anywhere. Being able to just grab the large virtual display of my MacBook and take it with me to another room or outside on my balcony is awesome!.  That is something that isn’t easy or possible with a physical monitor. The native visionOS apps definitely work better overall than the compatible iPad apps but having all the apps that I need to work until native apps are developed is pretty awesome and makes it easier to work almost exclusively from the AVP. Having the virtual display of my MacBook Pro with Xcode up and running the app I’m developing natively right on the Vision Pro next to it is amazing!

The digital persona of yourself is really interesting, creepy and cool all at the same time. I mean, for a short capture from the cameras on the device and how quickly the persona is created is pretty amazing tech. The first time I was on a Zoom call with my teams on AVP, they laughed and said it was strange, creepy and my eyes seemed lifeless but seemed to get used to it quickly. I have yet to have a call with someone else that has AVP but have seen videos and read that most say it just becomes normal after a few minutes. Hear me out for a second, the personas are certainly not amazing yet are creepy and a bit lifeless and I think this may be by design.  Think back to older smart phones and even computers and the early ways the interfaces were designed to resemble real world things (e.g. bookshelf with books on it on the iPhone). Apple (and other companies) were slowly trying to ease users into this more digital world by making things seem familiar. Most people are now used to a more video game version of people on a computer screen. If Apple went straight to a windowless version of someone that was too life like, it might be just too much for people to handle as we start getting used to this new technology. I also think that if they took the approach of other AR/VR companies and made people too cartoony, it wouldn’t be taken seriously enough or represent a real person and their expressions. Stay tuned on this since Apple has still labeled the feature as Beta and has already made some improvements in the latest OS beta release and are said to be working on spatial personas as well.

I have a lot of thoughts on the immersive nature of AVP and the sensationalism that some are trying to push already with such a new product, but I want to use the it for a while before posting more of my thoughts. The biggest thing that some people seem to forget with the AVP and any other technology is that using them is a CHOICE. We see people all the time that are so immersed in their smart phones, TV or computer that they don’t know what is going on around them and don’t have anything covering their eyes. The Apple Vision Pro is no different except that it improves the ability to immerse yourself into the computer. There is a time and context for every piece of technology we use and the choice on whether or not it dominates how we interact with others. In the same way that noise cancelling headphones do an amazing job of allowing us to block out sound all around us when desired, the AVP does an amazing job of allowing someone to visually block out the outside world and even be transported to amazing locations to help focus or just to relax and listen to music. Will it replace going somewhere and interacting with people in real life, NO, but we can’t always go someplace else every moment we feel the need. The immersive environments and even panoramic views in AVP allow you to change your view or remember a place that you really liked at almost any moment. Over time it may even be normal and as accepted as everyone who walks around with AirPods in their ears. 

I realized that I didn’t bring up anything hardware related throughout this post. The weight isn’t an issue at all for me so far. I did change from the Solo Knit Band to the Dual Loop Band and that has helped a lot with the pressure on my face. I do prefer the Solo band since it is so easy to take on and off and adjust but the Dual loop is just way more comfortable. I have strategically placed usb c plugs so using a combination of battery and being plugged in works just fine. It would be great to have a longer battery life but there are options to help and it isn’t a huge deal for my daily use. The screens are amazing for movies and general daily use. Having my MacBook screen on AVP isn’t as sharp as my Studio display but the flexibility it’s starting to make it my preferred choice for working. 

Overall my experience has been great so far. I have slowly worked it into my daily routine on Zoom meetings, working in various apps and writing code on my MacBook Pro. It is definitely a 1.0 product, OS and software but a great 1.0! The minor bugs and annoyances here and there will get better with software updates. I do already find myself missing the ability to have apps spread out around me when I am not using the Vision Pro and as the apps and OS get better, I could imagine spending most of my computing time using AVP in the future.