Gurman: The virtual keyboard is a wash

[XboxEvolved]

Kind of surprised that MacRumors hasn't said anything about this yet but on his twitter:

The Vision Pro virtual keyboard is a complete write-off at least in 1.0. You have to poke each key one finger at a time like you did before you learned how to type. There is no magical in-air typing. You can also look at a character and pinch. You'll want a Bluetooth keyboard.

Now I'm not one to believe everything Gurman has to say but I generally believe he is either getting this from Apple employees or developers that have been using it, there have to be at least a few hundred/thousand of these things out in the wild by this point. If this is true that begs the question, what else is a "complete write-off" on this thing? There were already people who tested it before that said certain aspects of it were janky, and this was usually in controlled, best-condition environments with Apple employees there to hold their hands.

 

[prefuse07]

It's obvious: The whole thing is a write off....

But I guess some people just have to hit the wall themselves in order to learn

 

[_justbecause]

I am sure it'll be fixed in a firmware update.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I use the Magic Keyboard on my iPad, because I don't like the screen keyboard. I never anticipated that the floating keyboard in AVP would be a productive keyboard. Already shopping for which bluetooth keyboard I'll pair.

 

[subjonas]

I would think you need to be able to swipe on an “air keyboard”, not just tap. I agree, it‘s not very useful if you can only tap. Maybe swiping is coming later.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I would think you need to be able to swipe on an “air keyboard”, not just tap. I agree, it‘s not very useful if you can only tap. Maybe swiping is coming later.

The meta quest 3 has swipe typing. I imagine the AVP will as well. But we'll find out soon enough.

 

[subjonas]

View attachment 2336092

It's obvious: The whole thing is a write off....

But I guess some people just have to hit the wall themselves in order to learn

Or we don’t feel the need to make up our minds before we’ve seen it for ourselves. Why is it important to be among the first to write it off?

 

[jz0309]

Kind of surprised that MacRumors hasn't said anything about this yet but on his twitter:



Now I'm not one to believe everything Gurman has to say but I generally believe he is either getting this from Apple employees or developers that have been using it, there have to be at least a few hundred/thousand of these things out in the wild by this point. If this is true that begs the question, what else is a "complete write-off" on this thing? There were already people who tested it before that said certain aspects of it were janky, and this was usually in controlled, best-condition environments with Apple employees there to hold their hands.

was Gurman planning to write his weekly newsletter on the VisionPro?

 

[AlixSPQR]

I am sure it'll be fixed in a firmware update.

Introduced later this year.

 

[NT1440]

I don’t understand, why *wouldnt* you want to just use your actual keyboard and mouse? The virtual one is clearly not meant To be the primary text input method.

 

[XboxEvolved]

I don’t understand, why *wouldnt* you want to just use your actual keyboard and mouse? The virtual one is clearly not meant To be the primary text input method.

Imagine if people who used the iPhone when it was released said this. Or when the Mac came out with a mouse and its keyboard, or the iPod with its click wheel, etc, Gee, I wonder how far the iPhone would have gotten. Probably as far as the Vision Pro will.

 

[Porco]

Half expecting: ‘For users who like to type normally, Apple have partnered with Logitech to make custom floating keyboards that are perfectly matched to your hand size. This must be ordered at time of purchase, and costs an extra $500…’

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Kind of surprised that MacRumors hasn't said anything about this yet but on his twitter:



Now I'm not one to believe everything Gurman has to say but I generally believe he is either getting this from Apple employees or developers that have been using it, there have to be at least a few hundred/thousand of these things out in the wild by this point. If this is true that begs the question, what else is a "complete write-off" on this thing? There were already people who tested it before that said certain aspects of it were janky, and this was usually in controlled, best-condition environments with Apple employees there to hold their hands.

Damn. That was my biggest fear.

If gesture and virtual keyboard interactions aren't on-par with physical ones then there's no way I'm ever getting a Vision Pro, not at any price.

The whole allure of "virtual computing" for me would be the ability to leave all physical peripherals behind, and have the ability to type and move the interface around using my hands only.

If people end up lugging keyboards around with their AVPs then it's just a MacBook inside a headset for me, not truly virtual.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Imagine if people who used the iPhone when it was released said this. Or when the Mac came out with a mouse and its keyboard, or the iPod with its click wheel, etc, Gee, I wonder how far the iPhone would have gotten. Probably as far as the Vision Pro will.

What are you talking about? I hate the keyboard on the iPhone. It's a terrible input system. We put up with it because text input isn't the primary use of the iPhone. Just as text input isn't the primary input of the AVP.

Nothing has changed here, at least for me. I never expected the virtual keyboard to be a replacement of an actual keyboard.

 

[eicca]

I don’t understand, why *wouldnt* you want to just use your actual keyboard and mouse? The virtual one is clearly not meant To be the primary text input method.

Because at that point I will instead buy a proper PC, take a small hit in screen size, but get a million times more functional OS—for way less money.

 

[XboxEvolved]

Damn. That was my biggest fear.

If gesture and virtual keyboard interactions aren't on-par with physical ones then there's no way I'm ever getting a Vision Pro, not at any price.

The whole allure of "virtual computing" for me would be the ability to leave all physical peripherals behind, and have the ability to type and move the interface around using my hands only.

If people end up lugging keyboards around with their AVPs then it's just a MacBook inside a headset for me, not truly virtual.

Yeah, I messed around with an iPhone when it first released and while it took some getting used to, they got the main idea of it right. If they can't at least get the main idea of this right, I don't know what to say. People do tend to give Apple a little more leeway than other companies, especially because Apple usually fixes most problems versus any other company but we will see I suppose.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Because at that point I will instead buy a proper PC, take a small hit in screen size, but get a million times more functional OS—for way less money.

Great! You're all set.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

If they can't at least get the main idea of this right, I don't know what to say...

Are you saying that text typing input is the main idea of the AVP?

 

[XboxEvolved]

What are you talking about? I hate the keyboard on the iPhone. It's a terrible input system. We put up with it because text input isn't the primary use of the iPhone. Just as text input isn't the primary input of the AVP.

Nothing has changed here, at least for me. I never expected the virtual keyboard to be a replacement of an actual keyboard.

I regularly type on my iPhone without looking at it and at a pretty fast rate. Seems like human error in your case. 🤷
Get gud at typing I guess?

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I regularly type on my iPhone without looking at it and at a pretty fast rate. Seems like human error in your case. 🤷
Get gud at typing I guess?

Hmmm...so, if you had to write a 10,000 word essay, you'd consider typing it on your iPhone or typing it on a full sized keyboard roughly the same? You must have skillz.

 

[XboxEvolved]

Hmmm...so, if you had to write a 10,000 word essay, you'd consider typing it on your iPhone or typing it on a full sized keyboard roughly the same? You must have skillz.

I've edited documents on my phone, text and chat plenty on it. There are several businesses and apps that wouldn't exist unless Apple's gamble of a software keyboard didn't pay off and it did. I don't know if you remember this but 99% of the world was using T9 before the iPhone, would you prefer to go back to that?

Maybe a Tmobile sidekick or blackberry where all the keys are to close and it doesn't have actual good mistake correction?

 

[prefuse07]

Hmmm...so, if you had to write a 10,000 word essay, you'd consider typing it on your iPhone or typing it on a full sized keyboard roughly the same? You must have skillz.

You don't see your paradox, really?

You have been touting the headset as a replacement for computers, and now you yourself are saying that one should use a computer to do real work?...

🤣

I thought this unit was "Pro", what happened to that? Do I need to go to those threads and get those quotes?

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I've edited documents on my phone, text and chat plenty on it. There are several businesses and apps that wouldn't exist unless Apple's gamble of a software keyboard didn't pay off and it did. I don't know if you remember this but 99% of the world was using T9 before the iPhone, would you prefer to go back to that?

Maybe a Tmobile sidekick or blackberry where all the keys are to close and it doesn't have actual good mistake correction?

That you've edited documents doesn't answer my question to you. I'm happy Apple made the the software keyboard for the iPhone. But it's not a replacement for a full sized physical keyboard. No, I don't want to go back to the previous style of phones. But trying to pretend that the iPhone input is the same or similar to a full sized keyboard is silly. The iPhone has a different purpose than a typical computer with a fullsized keyboard.

I use a bluetooth keyboard on my iPad; doesn't negate the functionality that I get out of an iPad. Nor will it negate one in the AVP.

Look, the haters already hate the AVP. Nothing has changed.

 

[prefuse07]

That you've edited documents doesn't answer my question to you. I'm happy Apple made the the software keyboard for the iPhone. But it's not a replacement for a full sized physical keyboard. No, I don't want to go back to the previous style of phones. But trying to pretend that the iPhone input is the same or similar to a full sized keyboard is silly. The iPhone has a different purpose than a typical computer with a fullsized keyboard.

I use a bluetooth keyboard on my iPad; doesn't negate the functionality that I get out of an iPad. Nor will it negate one in the AVP.

Look, the haters already hate the AVP. Nothing has changed.

Thanks for providing the proof to what I said above. I rest my case.

 

[NT1440]

Because at that point I will instead buy a proper PC, take a small hit in screen size, but get a million times more functional OS—for way less money.

I mean, I don’t need this device right now, but I understand that paradigm shifts in UI require the proper primary input source be considered.

For macOS that was a mouse, for the iPod that was a click wheel, for the iPhone that was multitouch, why in the world would the virtual keyboard be the *primary* input experience for the AV family?

Apple went out of their way to describe gaze, voice, and *ergonomic* gestures being the main way to interact. When it comes to short text input that’s voice, long form *they show using a physical keyboard or your Mac’s keyboard for the task.*

Of course a virtual keyboard sucks, and will always suck compared to physical haptic feedback from your fingers.

The very premise of this thread is built on the (willfully) incorrect notion that the virtual keyboard is *core* to the UX of this device, it’s not.