Apple Increasing Focus on Augmented Reality Eyewear, Any Launch Still Over a Year Away

[extrarice]

Funny how so many have opinions about how this is a good thing or a bad thing, debating back and forth about why or why not... while very few actually points out the obvious... MacRumors..... Macs... where are they? [...]

Registered on the forum just so I could vote-up this post, and share my two-cents.

I've been using Macs since System 7, started on a MacIIci. Over the years I've managed hundreds of Macs in corporate/education scenarios and bought dozens of Macs for my own business (desktop publishing). My current main workstation is a 2009 27" iMac, running OSX 10.6, the last solid OSX release. I know this machine is on borrowed time (I've already had to replace the GPU once, HD twice), and the long-term future of the Mac line is starting to look so bleak that I'm actively considering jumping ship to Windows. Too many non-replaceable components (soldered-on RAM and SSD? That's just greedy), a desktop OS trying to copy a phone interface, ridiculous price increases for crippled hardware (eg. MacMini 2014), software that seems like it barely goes through functionality testing (eg. Yosemite's discoveryd problem).

What happened to "It just works"? What happened to elegant user interface that makes sense and gets out of the way so you can get your work done, while at the same time not being a guessing-game as to where it went to (hide scroll-bars by default? Are you kidding me?)? What happened to products that made you go "Yeah that will help me get my work done"?

Self-driving car? Radio station? TV programs? AR glasses (a product that already flopped at another major company, mind you)?

Meanwhile, the Mac line rots away with two, three, even 4-year old hardware. But hey, we get new iPhones every six months.

It seems that Apple doesn't believe in the Mac anymore, so why should I?

 

[darcyf]

Final Cut Pro Studio was dumbed down and what iMovie is now, compared to what it once was is also shameful.

Final Cut Pro Studio was broken out into its individual apps, all of which had their prices slashed, and its flagship app Final Cut Pro was completely remade from the ground up and then relentlessly updated for free since then -- and is the best video editing program I've ever used.

And I know the new MBP's upset a lot of consumers but actual pros who actually use Apple's pro apps know that those computers were tailor made to make those apps scream with performance.

Apple may have let the Mac slip for now but if you look at Final Cut as an example it's clear they haven't forgotten about pros. Not yet, anyway.

 

[IJ Reilly]

AR and VR are not the same thing. Nobody wants to walk around with dorky VR glasses all the time because they literally couldn't see where they were walking. VR is complete immersion.

Exactly. I'd can imagine AR being a great tool for historical tours, for instance. You hold up your phone and it tells you were to go, and explains what you are looking at when you get there. You don't need expensive, dorky glasses for that application. Useful, accessible, not pricey or intrusive. Those are the keys to taking AR out of the realm of specific technical applications and gaming and into the mainstream.

 

[happydude]

sure could use a new iMac to augment my reality of a way outdated machine i desperately need to upgrade...

 

[Munky]

Something about this line of articles reminds me of the Apple Car ones. Breathless speculation with incredibly thin information, then when it becomes clear that the project never really was something resembling the speculation, there likely will be an article about how Apple's "abandoning" a project that never really was going in earnest and how those people are being "reassigned." I suspect the car project was probably not an actual car, but a platform play, and that this will likely be more like Snapchat than anything you ever saw in Minority Report.

Dude, it's called MacRUMORS. A rumor can be started by just one person. If you want factual Apple news just refresh Apple.com everyday. They update it a few times a year.

 

[nt5672]

Boy, you know Apple is out of ideas when they're rummaging around in Google's trash bin for their next big product.

And abandoning top end Macs and MacBook Pros at the same time.

 

[44267547]

I actually need something like this. The industry prays on people with reduced vision. The last AR kit I tried was about USD5k. I have RP, BTW.

But I'm sure Ol' Jonathan Ivy will screw it up somehow so MR-10 lenses can't be made to fit. He has made it a struggle to use every other Apple product for me so why not this one?

So, Ive is at fault for designing products that don't fit your lifestyle or liking? Or are you not assuming the other millions of Apple supporters who buy their products every single day. You're Making it sound like Apple products should be custom tailored to your preference, when it doesn't work like that. Not one-size-fits-all.

 

[ebatalha]

Boy, you know Apple is out of ideas when they're rummaging around in Google's trash bin for their next big product.

Well, you're right. Since Xerox.

 

[doelcm82]

Yep. AR, tablets, phones, and self-driving cars are the future of tech. Those of us who want a computer with upgrade-able parts, or God forbid desktops with mice and stand-alone monitors, are dinosaurs living in the 90s.

Self-awareness is a good trait to have. I remember when the old-timers complained about how those newfangled GUIs and mice just slowed them down. "Just give me a keyboard, a green screen, and some backslash key sequences to memorize, and you can keep your fancy windows and icons. And while you're at it, get off my lawn!"

 

[ebatalha]

… Too many non-replaceable components (soldered-on RAM and SSD? That's just greedy), a desktop OS trying to copy a phone interface, ridiculous price increases for crippled hardware (eg. MacMini 2014), software that seems like it barely goes through functionality testing (eg. Yosemite's discoveryd problem).

The future is portability and we really can't imagine the power of a portable device in the near future.
I don't find MacOS Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, etc, trying to copy iOS, in any point of the system, well, OK Launchpad, which I bet a very little users use it. The rest is integration, integration which nobody else has, you can call M$ here, they don't have it.
I'm also an old Mac user, not so much as you but since 1996, and I've no complaints about Apple's choices, only if they stop making computers and professional apps. Again, one day we will have the power of a Mac Pro on an iPad.

What happened to "It just works"? What happened to elegant user interface that makes sense and gets out of the way so you can get your work done, while at the same time not being a guessing-game as to where it went to (hide scroll-bars by default? Are you kidding me?)? What happened to products that made you go "Yeah that will help me get my work done"?

I still feel these things you mentioned… Everything working flawlessly! I buy a new Mac, unbox it, install the software I need and I'm ready to work, not ready to start configuring, ready to work. Hide scrolls, I love them, why do I need them? I don't get people moving cursors to scroll bars to move pages vertically or horizontally, really, I don't get it, it's so 90's!!
The "Yeah that will help me get my work done" better and faster happens whenever I have to do something in, let's say, FCPX, Motion, Compressor, LPX! Mainstage not so much since it's a very customizable app for it's purpose.

Self-driving car? Radio station? TV programs? AR glasses (a product that already flopped at another major company, mind you)?

Let's see… Somebody already did comment that Apple is looking into Google's trash can, it reminded me of Xerox.

Meanwhile, the Mac line rots away with two, three, even 4-year old hardware. But hey, we get new iPhones every six months.

People are increasingly being thirsty and more demanding, I have no issues and can work pretty well with my late 2013 iMac. I also don't get it…

It seems that Apple doesn't believe in the Mac anymore, so why should I?

Let's see…

BTW, sorry to picked you, nothing personal, I had no time to read all the comments.
Cheers

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Self-awareness is a good trait to have. I remember when the old-timers complained about how those newfangled GUIs and mice just slowed them down. "Just give me a keyboard, a green screen, and some backslash key sequences to memorize, and you can keep your fancy windows and icons. And while you're at it, get off my lawn!"

But I'm only 18--I'm too young to have my tech tastes already be outdated

 

[doelcm82]

But I'm only 18--I'm too young to have my tech tastes already be outdated

Whereas my interested in palm-sized computers predates even the Apple Newton:

Circa 1982:

Just be aware that being behind the times or ahead of them can end up being expensive.

 

[richinaus]

But I'm only 18--I'm too young to have my tech tastes already be outdated

I find if you live your life open to change and willing to try new things then it is a much better experience. I have moved forward with all new tech, and love it. Its the ones who don't embrace things who miss out.

I am sure whatever Apple releases in the AR field, it will be interesting and I will be on it straight away. It is the future tech, however we still need up to date Mac pro's to create the content for this immersive world. Who is going to do that if the Macs are not powerful enough?
[doublepost=1490647098][/doublepost]

Whereas my interested in palm-sized computers predates even the Apple Newton:

Circa 1982:

Just be aware that being behind the times or ahead of them can end up being expensive.

Yep, it is expensive to keep up!!

I remember that device btw - it was marketed by Sharp in the UK.

 

[popnfresh]

"Don't expect to be wearing a pair of Apple-branded augmented reality glasses in the near future..."

To that you can also add:
Don't expect a new Mac Pro in the near future.
Don't expect an Apple Television ever.
Don't expect an Apple car ever.
Don't expect MacOS to stop getting more bloated and irritating ever.
Don't expect Siri and iCloud to work seamlessly ever.
Don't expect that you will come to prefer Apple Maps over Google Maps ever.

Don't expect Apple to come up with The Next Big Thing in a million years.

However, you can expect a 10.5" iPad sometime between April and next year. Maybe.
And the iPhone is now available in red.

 

[Geurt]

It'll be interesting to see if Apple can pull this off successfully. IIRC, Google Glass wasn't very popular because people out in public didn't like the idea of Glass wearers recording every last thing that was going on. Imagine sitting at a bar with a friend who has a camera recording everything you do/say. A lot of people would feel very self-conscious about it.

People massively put Amazon Echo's in their living rooms opening up private conversations to the universe without thinking about privacy and security, so maybe now the time is more right?

 

[Winni]

Years away surely?
Didn't Google's project disappear due to lack of interest?

The only company that is at least partly doing AR right at this point is Microsoft -- simply because they are working on features and software for industrial use, and this is wh ---ere AR becomes really interesting and useful and will eventually occupy niches that out-last a brief Pokemon hype.

VR is a different beast, and somehow I have the feeling that VR can only take off when the technology reaches some kind of "Matrix" level -- the actual reality goes away and your brain completely believes in the virtual reality. And from that we are decades away.

 

[9081094]

Sadly... Money talks

Mac sales are bigger than iPad sales and people using an iPhone are less loyal to the brand then Mac users... I don't have a glue which direction Apple is taking. Their product offerings isn't telling me nothing anymore. At least about Macs and tablets... Still hoping to see a totally redesigned iMac.

Seeing new offerings from Dell... Apple really needs to do something:

http://www.stuff.tv/dell/xps-27-aio/review
[doublepost=1490708671][/doublepost]

The reason Apple makes all their money in iPhone is because that's the only thing they do anything with anymore.

When you don't make computers, you don't make money from making computers. No duh.

Apple is indeed becoming a one trick pony... an expensive one that is. I really hope iOS 11 brings the goodies because they aren't able to compete in hardware history had learned. Still one day before Samsung is offering the Galaxy S8... let's see how high the bar for the iPhone 8 will be. iPhone 7S/7Plus must be as good or better then the Galaxy S8 and the rumoured iPhone 8 must meet the gold standard...

 

[Tycho24]

Boy, you know Apple is out of ideas when they're rummaging around in Google's trash bin for their next big product.

Haha, right??
Remember in 2010 when they found this in Microsoft's trash?

Then came out with the IDENTICAL product, only with an Apple logo!
Yeah- iPad sure crashed just as hard, uh huh, yup, saaaaame product, EXACTLY; don't worry- it's not that you lack vision, creativity, or imagination. Nope, no way... couldn't be!
If the world didn't accept Google's nascent AR attempt; I'm sure you're right! The technology is dead forever & nobody will EVER have any interest in it or ever create a compelling product.

/obvious sarcasm

 

[The.Outsider]

Final Cut Pro Studio was broken out into its individual apps, all of which had their prices slashed, and its flagship app Final Cut Pro was completely remade from the ground up and then relentlessly updated for free since then -- and is the best video editing program I've ever used.

And I know the new MBP's upset a lot of consumers but actual pros who actually use Apple's pro apps know that those computers were tailor made to make those apps scream with performance.

Apple may have let the Mac slip for now but if you look at Final Cut as an example it's clear they haven't forgotten about pros. Not yet, anyway.

You are right in some parts, but depending on which parts of the Pro Industry you work in your workflow depends on the power of your machine. As such, I've found the current FCX to be a horrible piece of software. I'm happy you love it, but for me and my peers, we work on different software in the industry lately.

If anything good came out of the shift within Apple's Pro software and hardware dev. is that it opened up a new market for us, to pick new software to adopt and continue growing.

The MBP's are an entirely different conversation. But the truth is, depending on when you started using a Mac, is a big factor and what your position is that requires an Apple product and finally what level of usage it requires of your work.

Thank you for replying though. I appreciate your input.
[doublepost=1490741206][/doublepost]

Registered on the forum just so I could vote-up this post, and share my two-cents.

I've been using Macs since System 7, started on a MacIIci. Over the years I've managed hundreds of Macs in corporate/education scenarios and bought dozens of Macs for my own business (desktop publishing). My current main workstation is a 2009 27" iMac, running OSX 10.6, the last solid OSX release. I know this machine is on borrowed time (I've already had to replace the GPU once, HD twice), and the long-term future of the Mac line is starting to look so bleak that I'm actively considering jumping ship to Windows. Too many non-replaceable components (soldered-on RAM and SSD? That's just greedy), a desktop OS trying to copy a phone interface, ridiculous price increases for crippled hardware (eg. MacMini 2014), software that seems like it barely goes through functionality testing (eg. Yosemite's discoveryd problem).

What happened to "It just works"? What happened to elegant user interface that makes sense and gets out of the way so you can get your work done, while at the same time not being a guessing-game as to where it went to (hide scroll-bars by default? Are you kidding me?)? What happened to products that made you go "Yeah that will help me get my work done"?

Self-driving car? Radio station? TV programs? AR glasses (a product that already flopped at another major company, mind you)?

Meanwhile, the Mac line rots away with two, three, even 4-year old hardware. But hey, we get new iPhones every six months.

It seems that Apple doesn't believe in the Mac anymore, so why should I?

Thank you kind Sir for your reply. It is truly a pleasure to hear someone who's of the same generation of users as me. Saying MacOS 7 and we both know the black and white era of menus etc. The odd plugs and little nifty things we could do. Even in Mac OS 7.6 when we could use extensions like Aaron to make it look cooler, the little history that meant something for Apple is all but lost.

You are right in everything you say, the times have changed, it's an odd feeling to actually considering giving up the Mac for a window machine. I find it sad to see a once great company being dumbed down in both products and software...

Maybe by some miracle someone will rise and give us a new era of Computing...

Thank you for your reply.

Let's hope SONY finally WILL buy Apple as they always wanted and revive the Mac since Apple doesn't seem to care.

Not that SONY is a godsend but... I'd love to see a new era of Macs and not this iOS fusion OS.

 

[the Rebel]

The Mac OS continues to be better than Windows, but only because Windows is so bad.

Apple does not seem to understand that dumbing down might make things simpler but not better.

 

[stan.nikola]

Boy, you know Apple is out of ideas when they're rummaging around in Google's trash bin for their next big product.

ok, but glasses are the natural next step towards human race becoming a cyborg race, so it's only natural there will be a competition there, and Apple, the giant that they are, would be stupid to miss out on that, the fact that Google dropped it in 2016 was because they jumped on it too early, the technology was not ready yet. Plus you cannot know if Apple didn't discuss that idea before google did and put the idea on a back burner. This kinda happened with a tablet idea years before iPad came out, but once technology was there ipad came out and was still a huge success. Lots of companies tried to make a tablet before iPad, but Apple made it mainstream. I hope they do the same thing with glasses, cause Google wasn't able to.

 

[Stella]

The Mac OS continues to be better than Windows, but only because Windows is so bad.

Apple does not seem to understand that dumbing down might make things simpler but not better.

Its pretty clear Apple have put very little effort into OSX these past years. Compare new features of MacOS compared to even 5 years ago, these days, MacOS, it seems is an after thought.

macOS vs Windows - which is better? Depends what your doing. Not black and white.
[doublepost=1505933508][/doublepost]

Years away surely?
Didn't Google's project disappear due to lack of interest?

Or, the technology wasn't there yet to build such as device up to commercial quality.