With that massive tablet, I can't be the only one thinking "full sized digital pinball machine", am I?
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
You're kidding me right? It failed within a 6 months period. I don't know where you're from but here in the Netherlands according to Dutch law the product is assumed to be factory faulted if it displays faultiness within a 6 month period after purchase. And I don't have to tell you about the two year Warranty period for EU Law.
You think Apple is not a panel expert? They may not design the panels but they know what is and isn't quality stuff. iPhone 6/6+ have the best smartphone panels in the industry. iMac 5K and you're telling me Apple doesn't know their stuff?
I think you are exactly right. Microsoft has done this thing before--the release of windows decimated any hope that the Mac would be a dominant platform. Can the release of windows 10 do the same for the IOS platform? Is it too late for MS? Is it too late for Apple?
MS has a leg up on Apple in a big way by releasing a single operating system that functions on all platforms. That's transformational. When will OSX be available for the iphone? Holographic computing, even more transformational. Imagine the applications. Tied in with Cortana? These are interesting times indeed.
This has got to have heads at Apple wondering why they are spending so much time on fashion accessories. Useful, cool, but not transformational. Unless they've got something else in the wings. It's was a decline in relevance that got MS to put it's nose back the grindstone and innovate. This will surely light a fire under Apple's ...
meanwhile in cupertino, where apple's sitting on more money than most countries have, they've...
...determined after years of making 11" notebooks and 13" notebooks, that really, they should make 12" notebooks.
Awwwesooome.
With that massive tablet, I can't be the only one thinking "full sized digital pinball machine", am I?
Unlike Google and MS, Apple tends to announced products that they feel are ready for consumers. They don't announce demo prototypes that may never make it to the market. I know for a fact that MS does this all the time.
With AR being more applicable to (some) workplaces than to everyday life, and with Microsoft offering stereo 3D to do the job better than Google Glass, I could see HoloLens finding a successful niche with a long time to grow.
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
Meanwhile in Cupertino, where Apple's sitting on more money than most countries have, they've...
...determined after years of making 11" notebooks and 13" notebooks, that really, they should make 12" notebooks.
Awwwesooome.
It's rather annoying how some folks consider MS innovative for showing off a prototype of what may never happen, even though Apple has filed for patents that describe technology like the HoloLens since 2006: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/07/03/new-patent-shows-apple-is-at-least-thinking-about-wearable-computing-devices-like-google-glass/
Also, the tabletop never made it to consumers, just like the Courier was shown off before the iPad was ever announced. Where are they now. I'm sure I'll be asking the same same questions in a couple of years regarding the HoloLens.
Unlike Google and MS, Apple tends to announced products that they feel are ready for consumers. They don't announce demo prototypes that may never make it to the market. I know for a fact that MS does this all the time.
What is Microsofts largest money maker... gaming. Holgram Halo or GTA?
You raise some interesting points, especially about the perception that Microsoft and Apple are similar.
However, I disagree with "attitudes and cool factor are getting closer now". It's like when people say Google is getting good at design and will eventually beat Apple.
Every part of Apple reflects it's philosophy. All of their products are premium, simple, beautiful, heavily criticised, highly profitable, and loved by consumers.
Like Steve Jobs once said "we're organised like a startup. We're the largest startup on the planet".
Very few companies would have had the nerve to leave out NFC from their phones. Or keep their phone screens small for so long. Or ditch the optical drive. Or ditch Flash. Or keep a platform going that rivals Android, with such few devices.
A solid example of this is Microsoft's brand new browser. It's a good sign, but they still don't have the balls to leave out Internet Explorer entirely. Compare that to Apple ditching Aperture. They basically said "We know some of you won't like this, but we're going to put our energy behind Photos for OS X, because we believe it's the best thing in the long run".
These look like cool devices, however....
This is MAC rumors - these two devices (an 84 inch touch display and a reality headset) have NOTHING to do with Apple. Apple doesn't compete with these types of devices. This article should NOT be on this site.
Watches, sure. Tablets, sure. Phones, sure. Talk about Windows 10? Sure. But not every drone helicopter story, or anything that Apple is not doing.
It's pretty clear this site has evolved into a rumor and news site that focuses on Apple-related information as well as news regarding their competitors. Should MacRumors give up their brand/domain because they have the capacity to cover more information these days even when the main focus of the website is still Apple-related news? MacRumors isn't just about Mac rumors.
Apple's a quiet company that plays its cards close to its chest, with a fairly small selection of hardware and software. While the occasional rumor does pop up, there's not that much info passing around to sustain an Apple related enthusiast site throughout the year. You can only bring up the iPad Pro, the Apple Watch, or the 12" retina MBA before it starts getting kinda redundant and boring.
Hence why you see news about the competition. It gives people something to talk about during the Apple rumor mill downtime.
So why do they continue to call the site Macrumors? Because Mostly Macrumors Plus Some Other Stuff Other People Are Doing doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely.
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
Microsoft Surface 1.0, the first version of PixelSense, was announced on May 29, 2007 at the D5 Conference.[2]
Game? What game? Apple isn't into AR or VR.
Or perhaps you mean "game"=innovative devices.
The truth is exactly what I said it is:
Apple is a company that only shows stuff that will actually be sold,
while Microsoft is a company whose hardware history is rife with ballyhooed gizmos
that end up never seeing the light of day [Courier, etc.] or are outright failures [Kin, etc.].
And you know this how?
Because none of the nerdy head things have sales numbers to back it up.