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Apple Now Calling AR/VR Headset Operating System 'xrOS'
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Indeed, it does, but not everything ends up called or pronounced as intended by the designer.
He described a device wrapped around a user’s face that entraps them into an all encompassing eco-system of apps and virtual computers which you never need to leave. You compute there, communicate there, entertain yourself there. That’s a virtual prison cell from the neck upwards.
It’s such an horrific idea that anyone who entertains the thought really doesn’t understand people at all. It’s a warped and inhumane vision, literally and figuratively detached from reality.
A very uncomfortable and painful one that would be mentally and physically scarring.
Good thing the battery life on these things don’t last more than a couple of hours and nobody wants to use them tethered.
Apple seeds the latest Beta of xrOS to Developers. [Update: Public Beta Available].
Well, it had better be good. I mean better than Air Power good. Better that Oculus good.
The Metaverse is an absolute depressing, sad, pitiful flop. Apple better have some killer uses for this thing out of the gate.
People expect nothing less…
Well, it had better be good. I mean better than Air Power good. Better that Oculus good.
The Metaverse is an absolute depressing, sad, pitiful flop. Apple better have some killer uses for this thing out of the gate.
People expect nothing less…
its because XR does mean extended reality.......
mixed reality is just some windows term. Nothing to do with actual naming conventions.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
The OP was wondering about how these could be used.. as if there was no obvious use cases. I shared only a few possibilities. Whether the potential for this is towards heaven or hell is TBD… and at least somewhat eyes- and ears- of the beholder.
There is a respected physics theory that wonders if all of our current reality is a hologram. If so and through your interpretation, we are all already in THAT prison.
Sorry that this concerns you. It’s coming anyway. Embrace it or not. “Resistance is futile.”😉
"xrOS" What a mouthful that naming convention is. C'mon Craig you can do better than this!
RealityOS sounds way better and more intuitive.
RealityOS sounds way better and more intuitive.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I said nothing about never leaving. I envision this as a tool, like carrying a phone, laptop, watch, etc. Since all of that can be “in there,” use it when you need access to any of that: ONE small device can be ALL of those devices… and more.
Example: I just had a lengthy trip by air. I would have liked to use a laptop to get a bunch of work done but there just wasn’t enough room. Slip on VR goggles and maybe I’m basically using my full home desktop… or maybe a network of 50 Mac Studios if needed.
With room only for a tray table in reality, I get to feel like I have a giant screen(s) in front of me… and all the power I could need. Instead, with too little room, I slipped on goggles for ears (headphones) and listened to music as that was all I could reasonably do to fill the time. This has the potential to add something to that very common experience… while reducing the load by leaving the physical laptop, phone, headphones, etc behind.
Will this be that? I don’t know. But the OP asked and I offered those as some possibilities. I suspect the front row, center (event) concept is slam dunk territory for this kind of thing. Since I recently spent upwards of $1500 for tickets for not quite front row, center to ONE NBA game, it would be quite the bargain to subscribe to many such events with better (virtual) seating. This seems likely to open such doors too.
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It's much more likely that what Apple is working on is exactly what Facebook demo'd with their "Passthrough Mode". I suspect the reason Facebook had so many people try that demo was to try and get some first mover advantage. The Facebook version is a really, really rough concept, but you can see where it's going.
If you can get the resolution and refresh rate high enough you can create massive virtual screens on a physical empty desk. So instead having dual 32"/6K displays you can have the equivalent of a 40MP or 80MP display right in front of you. If you can get the equivalent of a retina level display into a VR headset, with passthrough, you end up with an unlimited size display.
Mirrorless cameras with new 5.8MP EVF are pretty much like looking through bare glass on a DSLR at this point… in some cases sharper.
I have no doubt we will eventually get there, probably in the next 5 years. It will be much cheaper to put on a headset at some point than to buy some archaic set up of 3 or 4 6/8k displays. Large desktop displays will feel as archaic as CRTs soon enough.
At this point I think we actually have the display technology. It's a matter of do we have the processing power to really make it feel like a real display. To be able to anchor it in space without artifacts. And you are going to need 120Hz or higher before it really feels smooth enough to use for long periods of time. Not sure we are quite there with processing yet to drive the refresh rates at the resolutions needed.
Ten R OS, right?
Apple has decided to call the software that will run on its upcoming AR/VR headset "xrOS," an update from the original "RealityOS or "rOS" naming the company was planning on, according to Bloomberg.
The name change comes as Apple begins to prepare for the launch of the headset, which is expected at some point in 2023. The headset will feature its own operating system, much like the Apple TV and the Apple Watch, and it will have a dedicated App Store.
"XR" is meant to stand for extended reality, which pertains to both augmented and virtual reality. Rumors indicate that the headset Apple is working on will be "mixed reality" like the Microsoft HoloLens, supporting both augmented and virtual reality capabilities. Augmented reality augments what the user is seeing in the real world, while virtual reality is an entirely digital experience.
As has been previously rumored, the headset will have new versions of existing apps like Maps and Messages, which have been redesigned for an AR/VR experience. Apple is also creating a software development kit so third-party apps can be created for the headset.
Apple internally referred to the headset's operating system as "rOS" during the development process, but Bloomberg suggests that xrOS is a less generic name that will allow the headset to stand out more.
In addition to confirming the name change with unnamed Apple sources, Bloomberg also discovered that a shell company named Deep Dive LLC has been registering the xrOS name across several countries, and Apple could potentially be behind these filings. Apple often uses shell companies to try to secretly register for trademarks for upcoming products.
There is still no solid sign of when the headset might be introduced, but it is expected to be unveiled in the first half of the year, perhaps at WWDC or even earlier to give developers time to create apps for the device.
Article Link: Apple Now Calling AR/VR Headset Operating System 'xrOS'
This is explained well and makes sense but it does not the change the fact that “xrOS” will not only be read but also heard and spoken out loud. And “xr” certainly does not roll off your tongue. In Mac OS and watch OS you have a leading syllable, in iOS a vowel, in iPad OS both, but in xrOS two consonants making it sound like you are getting ready to gargle or clear your throat … C’mon Apple! Xrtainly you can come up with a better designator.
Can't wait to see it finally come out. Apple is pretty good at user experience, so this should be an interesting new frontier. Curious if they can get the cost of the initial one low enough to attract real development for it or if it will forever be a low unit niche that won't attract any AAA studios.
Xros was an optical networking startup back in the day.
I can see where you're coming from but realityOS probably doesn't play well with consumers. Why? Because reality is reality. This is something else. There is starting to be a lot of pushback towards this meta verse crap and people are learning that there is a lot of value in having in-person relationships and conversations. I'm sure Apple will do it MUCH better than Facecrap but I think Apple understands how this device should be positioned as an extension of reality and not a replacement for it. It should improve your life, not make it worse. Apple gets that kind of thing and this vibes with that.
That being said, xrOS definitely does not roll off the tongue well. I bet they use XR to position their brand and lean heavily into that. Everyone else is using VR and AR and Apple will make XR a household term associated with their brand and will talk a lot about how it's the best of both worlds and you don't need multiple devices to do either, etc. And worse comes to worse, they can always rename their operating system. They've done it a couple times before with iPhone OS and OS X.
