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Kudos to Microsoft, here. The hologram product looks really interesting.

It's also comical how some posters here are immediately shooting this down. We know you've pledged your allegiance to Apple, but try to see outside of the box.

Because nothing Apple does is ever shot down around here. :rolleyes:
 
With all the ranting about no innovation from Apple (same as everyone else, its all been done) MS comes along and innovates.

Disclosure, I am an Apple user, moved to OSX a year ago, Win7 at work

Admittedly the Surface thing is business and Apple doesnt do business customers apart from niche

Cheeky MS calles their integration product Continuum!
 
I don't want every XBox 'new game released' article either. It's of no relevance to Apple, even though Apple's iOS devices technically play games too.

Except of course that if Microsoft is working on it, there is a good chance that Apple is also working on something similar. And a whole lot of crazy--ass stuff that may, or may not, ever get released.
 
Dork alert.

microsoft-execs-goggles.jpg
 
I think your gripe with PDFs is something else going on other than Yosemite's version of Preview.
No, there are a few issues with Yosemite's PDR renderer. They're not found in every document, but they do crop up from time to time. I've not found yet which programs it is that spitting out documents its having problems with though, or possibly, which layout/feature set.
 
Except of course that if Microsoft is working on it, there is a good chance that Apple is also working on something similar. And a whole lot of crazy--ass stuff that may, or may not, ever get released.

I've been following Apples patent work for a few years now, it seems that everyone is always in a rush to define a market before Apple chooses to play. In this case MS has made a strong showing on VR, let's just hope it's usefull and not as tedious as the demo showed today (VERY deliberate and slow movements).
 
Apple is busy preparing the MacDeck™ - your personal Holodeck that can be custom fitted for any household or office. It will be running X 11.11 and have built in HoloSiri™ that has several clothing features and hidden features too :)
 
Not that we don't know what is going on in Cupertino's secret labs but the last couple of years has been pretty boring. The MP has really limited use, a FCP dongle as it was described in a forum. The mini has as many disadvantages as advantages when compared to the previous version. There is still no Mac for hardware enthusiasts, also no current display or 17" laptop.

Other than silly social stuff and a "new look" OS X really isn't any better than it was a couple of versions ago. So sad.

Ever heard of the iPad? or the Watch?
 
Apple is busy preparing the MacDeck™ - your personal Holodeck that can be custom fitted for any household or office. It will be running X 11.11 and have built in HoloSiri™ that has several clothing features and hidden features too :)

Nice, but again its not innovative as its already been done by MS, the "new" innovator.
 
What's the resolution of the screen? Although it's 4K, at 84" and the expectation that people stand from it about as far away as when they use a whiteboard (so your eyes are maybe 2 feet from the board when you're using it) I feel like the pixels are going to be noticeable.

Someone want to run Apple's calculations to see if it qualifies as retina or not?

Also, regarding the HoloLens seeming like less of a headache than Google Glass, I also feel like they look less ugly and that I'd be less reluctant to wear them around.
 
HOLOLENS WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

How soon people forget Google and *thier* equally impresive Glass demos.
Everyone and his brother screamed from the rooftops about how Glass was,
wait for it ...., "the future of computing®"!!
They even went so far as to actually *sell* preproduction units to a bunch of sucke-- um .... "early adopters".
And still, look what happened. Developers have completely ignored Glass. As well they should!
Now Glass is resigned to the dustbin of vaporware.

The same thing will happen with HoloLens.
Bold promises .... big talk .... wild ideas .... a nebulous release date ....
But in the end? ZIPPO.
By the way, the same thing will happen with the Oculus Rift.
Mark my words.

HoloLens looks like a revolutionary, as our British friends are wont to say, piece of kit.
So if this were a real thing, there'd be an iPhone debut-like event put on by Microsoft, focusing solely on HoloLens.
There wasn't. And that's very telling.
 
HOLOLENS WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

How soon people forget Google and *thier* equally impresive Glass demos.
Everyone and his brother screamed from the rooftops about how Glass was,
wait for it ...., "the future of computing®"!!
They even went so far as to actually *sell* preproduction units to a bunch of sucke-- um .... "early adopters".
And still, look what happened. Developers have completely ignored Glass. As well they should!
Now Glass is resigned to the dustbin of vaporware.

The same thing will happen with HoloLens.
Bold promises .... big talk .... wild ideas .... a nebulous release date ....
But in the end? ZIPPO.
By the way, the same thing will happen with the Oculus Rift.
Mark my words.

HoloLens looks like a revolutionary, as our British friends are wont to say, piece of kit.
So if this were a real thing, there'd be an iPhone debut-like event put on by Microsoft, focusing solely on HoloLens.
There wasn't. And that's very telling.

And you would say the same if Apple announced these?

Have to say it, if some hate or dont liek MS, or want Apple to be great, they run it down. Fact is its competition
 
With all the ranting about no innovation from Apple (same as everyone else, its all been done) MS comes along and innovates.

Disclosure, I am an Apple user, moved to OSX a year ago, Win7 at work

Admittedly the Surface thing is business and Apple doesnt do business customers apart from niche

Cheeky MS calles their integration product Continuum!

What's interesting is while Google and Apple seem very similar - with constant arguments among users as to who copies who - Microsoft seems to have set itself apart and is being original.
 
Microsoft appears to have solved some very difficult problems. However:

  • None of the gestures being displayed in practice are ergonomic
  • the gestures that are ergonomic in the video are all over the place and don't appear to have any interface design guidance
  • Getting clicks working in the real world demos appear to be limited to holing up a single finger
  • Fine control has not been demonstrated
  • battery life hasn't been demonstrated

This looks really good for environment immersion, and has a lot of potential for repair, surgery, anything you want a HUD for. However actually doing stuff looks really really hard. They showed a quadcopter that they designed with the technology, but not the process itself (which in all likelihood took longer than normal). I am getting gorilla arm almost immediately trying to copy most of what I'm seeing.
 
Okay, it took them a few years, but Microsoft is finally starting to do interesting stuff! I always knew they'd never get anywhere till Ballmer was gone.
 
And you would say the same if Apple announced these?

Have to say it, if some hate or dont liek MS, or want Apple to be great, they run it down. Fact is its competition

While I agree he was being quite brutal, it's worth pointing out that one of Apple's talents seems to be ensuring its products seep into popular culture.

They don't just build products, stick them on a shelf and wait for people to buy them.
 
What's interesting is while Google and Apple seem very similar - with constant arguments among users as to who copies who - Microsoft seems to have set itself apart and is being original.

I see Apple amd Microsoft as similar.
- Big name IT/Computer brands
- HUGE companies
-One sells hardware, one does OS's, etc.

Google is not small but its a search engine, Android is fragmented, I just see it as a different business to the other two, and I see MS copying Apple's model, and damn well by the look of it, including the perception of being innovative. If MS can get theor app store pushed along, it has succeeded in moving from Windows company to a modern, hip, innovator

Take W10 and iOS/OSX

Similar as. One is a full OS on desktop/tablet/phone while the other has twio OS that integrate togther well. You can argue that the W10 is less ideal than a tablet/phone iOS and a OSX desktop OS, but on the other hand , of W10 in its phone and tabklet version works well, its already 100% integrated as its a full OS

I use Apple BTW

Interesting times

I guess my short amswer is that I see MS as Apple. Young, hip, innovative, modern. Apple still is, but while there has been Continuity etc, I feel MS has takemn a giant leap forward in perception of what they are these days.That there is a new MS CEO adds weight to that, it didnt happen by accident.

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While I agree he was being quite brutal, it's worth pointing out that one of Apple's talents seems to be ensuring its products seep into popular culture.

They don't just build products, stick them on a shelf and wait for people to buy them.

Yes, MS Do. But will it be MS Did as this new wave of MS products will be seen as hip and cool and modern? Apple vs MS were two very different beasts, now it isnt, two cool, great beasts with not that much differenrt about each other. yes one does HW ones does OS, but the models and attitudes and cool factor are getting closer now
 
84" is not a tablet, it's a table.

Which is what the original Microsoft Surface was. It was a like one of those old sit down arcade tables with a giant touch screen on top.

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So if this were a real thing, there'd be an iPhone debut-like event put on by Microsoft, focusing solely on HoloLens.

Quite frankly, I'd say it was just smart that they didn't try to roll this out like Google Glass. Even if the technology works flawlessly, it's at least several years away from being a viable mass product for the sheer reason that the apps for it just don't exist yet and it's such a big jump that you can't expect to go on a Google Glass style charm offensive and convert snark into enthusiasm overnight. It'll take time.

I'm not jumping on the bandwagon. Quite frankly, I don't think it'll catch on, but I don't think it'll be because the technology is bogus. It'll be because people just aren't ready for VR being a part of daily life or it just may not be as cool as people envision it... see 3D TVs as a case in point... or even the periodic comings and goings of 3D movies.
 
I’ve recently been engaged in some VR related work, talking to a number of hardware companies, publishers, all sorts of verticals that need content, I think we’re going to see the momentum pick up.

What's the resolution of the screen? Although it's 4K, at 84" and the expectation that people stand from it about as far away as when they use a whiteboard (so your eyes are maybe 2 feet from the board when you're using it) I feel like the pixels are going to be noticeable.

Using 3840x2160 (4K) at 84” produces ~52 PPI (one site indicates ~66” viewing distance for “retina”)
 
And you would say the same if Apple announced these?

Of course not! lol Because Apple doesn't announce stuff that doesn't come out.
If Apple announced this, I'd absolutely know that in a couple of months, I'd be able to get one:
just enough in the future for me to start saving up money and for Apple to start building up anticipation.

Already they are saying HoloLens is years, "years" with an "s", away.
Remember, what will be released in "the Windows10 timeframe" isn't the HoloLens,
it's the Windows Holographic operating system so devs can fiddle around with it.
And look at the size of that thing! What do you think the battery life will be? lol
But when the HoloLens computer itself will be released is anybody's guess.
I'm guessing the 12th of Never.
 
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Apple vs Microsoft Vaporware

I think one of the biggest differences between Apple and Microsoft's approach to development is MS starts marketing when they have an idea, and Apple starts marketing when they have a working product ready for market.

I'm sure Apple creates as much internal vaporware as Microsoft; they just don't waste millions marketing it.
 
Of course not! lol Because Apple doesn't announce stuff that doesn't come out.
If Apple announced this, I'd absolutely know that in a couple of months, I'd be able to get one:
just enough in the future for me to start saving up money and for Apple to start building up anticipation.

Already they are saying HoloLens is years, "years" with an "s", away.
Remember, what will be released in "the Windows10 timeframe" isn't the HoloLens,
it's the Windows Holographic operating system so devs can fiddle around with it.
And look at the size of that thing! What do you think the battery life will be? lol
But when the HoloLens computer itself will be released is anybody's guess.
I'm guessing the 12th of Never.

Ok, lots of negativity, and lol's, says it all. The truth is you really donl;t want MS to beat Apple at their own game. MS has stepped up with W10, and these coming innovative products. Apple is great, but its stalling amongst a neverending commentary of bugs and issues. Wifi anyone? Thats a new tech that you can expect bugs, no way. But its an Apple thing, flakey wifi.

Resting on theor laurels, maybe. Or lax with bugs and issues, maybe. I hope they step up and sort this stuff out

The interesting part is how MS have one OS in 3 versions, how that goes.

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I think one of the biggest differences between Apple and Microsoft's approach to development is MS starts marketing when they have an idea, and Apple starts marketing when they have a working product ready for market.

I'm sure Apple creates as much internal vaporware as Microsoft; they just don't waste millions marketing it.

Fair comment, BUT, Microsoft is essentially a software company. Xbox is successful, playing with Surface which is now maturing with the SP3. I feel the tech is out there, MS is modernising itself, using Apple as a guide, and Satya Nadella maybe a lot like TC/Ive, todays tech, while Jobs/Gates managed yesterdays tech. Id say you may be right, lets give it a year.
 
Apple doesn't need to waste its time designing & attempting to make a profit with products that are DOA at the get go.

It's called innovation. Nobody is seriously expecting this or the holo lens to be mass market sellers, but the concepts are intriguing and could lead to other avenues.

Way before the iPad or even the iPhone, the original Microsoft Surface tabletop computer was shown off in early 2007. It had previously little-known features like multi touch, touch to zoom and other now commonplace ways to interact with the device. Sure nobody bought one, but the concept pushed forward the whole industry.

Microsoft Surface multimedia coffee table: http://youtu.be/SRU3NemA95k
 
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