I think the same thing was said about the first iPod and iPhone.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook: Virtual Reality is 'Really Cool', Has 'Interesting Applications'
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Dude, you have no idea. The Oculus Rift coming out in March is unbelievably close to it.
Since when does "It's really cool" and "it has some interesting applications" mean that "he does not believe that virtual reality is a niche"? If he did say that, give us the real/full quote.
*edit* personal opinion: I don't believe that virtual reality will remain niche in the long term
Apple need to put state of the art graphics cards in their pro lines. Not ones that a near 3 years out of date, if VR is going to come to the mac. They need to do this regardless. Their graphics capability has slipped since they have become a consumer focused company and left power users in the gutter.
Apple use to be a leader....not a follower. I believe Steve would have seen and been in the lead on this. Since Jobs untimely departure Apple has gone from innovator to follower with no new standalone product introductions and now only reanimation role.
But thats only my opinion.
VR, I think, will be more than a niche. It will become the next form of UI interactivity. Probably as another alternate means of computing besides the standardized touchscreen/keyboard/mouse input.
It will become big now that the tech for immersive VR has improved after twenty some years since the last failed attempts ( i.e. nintendo ). Not just for gaming but also other means of professional work, training and things of that nature.
For Apple to use VR, they will have to have high end graphics cards to work in tandem with it. They're already losing out on that because other companies have the jump on it.
Truly, the question begs on how exactly would Apple use VR for. The only way, I believe, it'll work is if it's hooked to the high end laptop or desktop machines for best results.
I've tried the Oculus demo and it's quite impressive. I'm sure the latest version is improved over the early demo I tried on. And this was two years ago.
The phrase "politically correct liberal" has absolutely nothing to do with this subject whatsoever. Argue the message, not the messenger.
EDIT: As for "VR"... Average people don't want to wear glasses for 3D visuals on tv, don't want to pay extra for tv that supports 3D, don't see a compelling amount of content for 3D tv, and 3D films are continuing to NOT become "standard" movie format. No one but tech geeks want to wear head gear and gloves to interact with a low resolution, motion-sickness-inducing, gimmick of manipulating a false body that cannot give feedback to your actual body.
What people "want" is that which is physically impossible (free-standing holographs, as well as interactive free-standing holographs requiring no tools for interaction) and that which is technically impossible if not physically impossible ("jacking in" to "cyberspace"). Fantasy fiction keeps telling people both things are possible and "coming real soon now", but it's just nonsense.
Believing these things to be an inevitable progression of technical knowhow is due to being conditioned by fantasy. That conditioning is possible due to a lack of understanding of the nature of matter and physics. Technology may appear magical to those unfamiliar with the physical processes behind it, but it isn't actual magic and does not justify magical beliefs. So much of our television and film calling itself "scifi" is ludicrous and far more fantasy than science.
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Apple never really announces anything until it's ready to ship. They're probably experimenting with it, even though they haven't said or shown anything ahead of time, like a company like HTC has.
Methinks you put Steve too high on that pedestal. He did preside over Ping did he not?
Over its history Apple has always taken what was already there and made it better. PCs, MP3 player, tablet, smartphone, media streamer, smart watch/fitness tracker......etc. all existed before Apple made their versions.
Why should Apple jump into every new market the competition jumps/jumped into?
That would be the same trap as saying that...
- Apple must quickly build something to "counter" Google Glass a few years ago,
- or creating netbooks because everybody else started selling cheap netbooks,
- or selling a huge flat-screen TV with an Apple logo on it.
(As most readers certainly know, Google/Alphabet sent Glass back to the lab and just deleted its consumer pages related to Glass)
Since someone else posted a screen-cap of an old Apple intro video: Apple decides very carefully if it wants to enter a new category (the "A thousand Nos for every Yes" from that video) and if that category is not just another fad.
Apple never was into gaming (except for stumbling into lighter casual gaming with the iPod touch and later the iPhone/iPad more by luck than by strategy).
VR is immersive, the devices are heavy and that limits the experience to mostly hardcore gamers in the living room/at home for now.
There are already three systems (at least) coming to market in 2016 for these users: HTC, Oculus and Sony's Playstation VR.
Nobody could answer me these questions yet:
- Why should Apple go into the VR space?
- What can they bring that's really unique?
- Will anyone ever wear VR hardware outside the living room for now? (I highly doubt it, see the total failure of Google Glass - and that hardware was much lighter and less immersive.)
VR therefore (only) appeals to the following sectors in my opinion:
- Military and business training/simulation/servicing
- Hardcore Games/Gamers (mostly PC)
- Hardcore (the XXX kind)
These aren't niches, but not markets that Apple plays in.
Maybe two new markets will open up in the future once hardware gets lighter:
- Live Experiences (Sports, concerts...)
- Virtual Travel / Virtual Meetings
But that's all wishful thinking for now. I don't see the mass market appeal in VR for years to come.
The hardware is expensive, bulky and still creates issues for many people using it beyond a few minutes.
AR on the other hand looks more interesting long-term. There are many uses for mobile phones as well as cars (intelligent heads-up displays etc.) - in case Apple ever creates a car.
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I totally agree. I haven't been blown away or even particularly impressed with a single product since Steve Jobs died. There so no vision left at this company, or if there is I just haven't seen any proof of it. An overpriced, underperforming watch. A bunch of incremental upgrades to existing product lines. A music service that is identical to every other music service. And if we wait long enough, maybe a car that very few will be able to afford. I've watched this company meticulously for the past 30 years and I find myself caring less and less these days. Tim Cook is a smart guy and he played an important role at Apple under Steve, but it wasn't one of visionary.
no doubt, apple must have plan on VR
they even wanna produce car, LOL
they even wanna produce car, LOL
Nope.
You have any idea how much GPU power you need to have a decent VR experience? Apple uses intel graphics or low-end mobile gpus that can't even handle 1080p in newer games at a decent FPS.
Oculus Rift is 1200x1080. And that's per eye at 90Hz. Plus it is pretty low res, for a good VR experience you need 4k/eye and for a great one (to the point where you don't see pixels) you'll need 8k/eye.
My high end gaming pc (2 x 980ti, the most powerful desktop gpus available right now) has trouble running some games at 4k/60p with every setting maxxed out.
That's why I think VR is relegated to niche markets (the three of five I described above in my earlier comment) in the consumer space for years to come.
VR hardware is still bulky and expensive.
Sure, there will be some hardcore gamers buying a VR set for the PC or the PS4 later this year. But even in gaming a success for VR is not certain in my opinion. VR makes for a great demo for 10-15 minutes, but do a lot of people really want to play with VR headsets for hours?
Let's remember the Wii was once hailed as the future of gaming / game UI experience and is now vieweed as a passing fad. We still/again use mice or traditional controllers for most games on consoles or PC - not even Nintendo believes in gesture controls any longer for most games.
The same cycle could happen to VR. The initial market of early adopters willing to buy the latest graphics card and VR headset (likely $1000 or above for both) may be very small.
Will game companies really want to develop an AAA-Title with a huge budget before there's broader adoption? I doubt it. The old chicken-egg problem.
In any case, Apple's mass audience is very far away from hardcore gaming. Apple never played in this field - and I don't see any major market for VR beyond hardcore gaming on PC and consoles at the moment (except maybe adult entertainment, but that's certainly not a business Apple wants to be in ;-).
Modern VR is something you need to try before you realise its potential. It isn't some gimmick, or crappy 3D add-on to your TV. It's a paradigm shift for interactive experiences.
Oh and the Oculus Rift is light enough (with most of its materials being made of fabric) that you forget it's on your head after a couple of minutes.
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Mac, no. iOS? Yes. In mobile, Apple has been using some of the most powerful GPUs available and have always been at or near the top of the list for the last 5 years. Things like the Samsung/Oculus GearVR are still "VR", and Apple isn't in a worse position than Samsung in making something like that. Though iPhones don't have screens with as high resolution as the latest Galaxys, they arguably have a more suitable SoC (can run at high levels for longer without overheating, have more powerful single thread performance, etc).
It's a good time for Apple to get into VR, since it is so clunky and experimental at this time. The processors aren't keen enough for the work load of an excellent VR experience. BUT, by the time Apple has worked on it, and the tech has matured, they can release a great product that hits the right market at the right time to do what Apple always does: make things better than before.
"Really Cool" & "Really expensive" 
We already know the Apple car is having issues..... is Apple just poking a stick at random, or are they actually think about what they "want to do" without only testing the waters half way, the saying "we can't do this, but we did loose allot"
We already know the Apple car is having issues..... is Apple just poking a stick at random, or are they actually think about what they "want to do" without only testing the waters half way, the saying "we can't do this, but we did loose allot"
Methinks that Steve was a visionary of what the future would be. I'm not a ra ra Steve person or Apple person but as a former and retired engineer/designer I appreciate visionaries.
Methinks Steve new a phone could be turned into a hand held computer and a cassette player could be turned into a MP3 player and a tablet will, well, be used everywhere for everything and he would have seen VR will touch every part of our lives powered by AI in the near future.
Just saying.
Samsung Gear VR isn't bulky - and there's no tethering to a computer. On the flip side - the resolution isn't as great as the oculus rift and there are fewer sensors. And obviously it relies on the computing power of a newer Samsung device.
But that being said - I love it. I can't wear it for hours on end - my eyes. But it's very comfortable and while I am NOT a game, there are some really cool games I have played for 30 minutes or so. Many years ago I was fascinated with those headsets you could buy to watch tv or movies on a plane or at home that would make it look like you had a huge movie screen in front of you. For $99 bucks - now I have that. I've really enjoyed watching things on Netflix, getting immersed in some amazing 360 pictures and videos (and shooting my own). It really IS like living in the future. It's still in its infancy, but it's not a fad.
But everyone should keep this in mind when a new phone comes out and touts that it's 4K or eventually 8K. True, you may not want or need that on a display for regular use. But it's definitely going to make the experience when coupled with a VR device that much more elegant.
I'm just waiting for Apple to release the iBorg
[doublepost=1453906371][/doublepost]Also, would an Apple VR headset be called the iEye?
[doublepost=1453906371][/doublepost]Also, would an Apple VR headset be called the iEye?
