I can't speak to whether it runs Linux better but I use it to run several Linux VMs on OS X and I've never had any issues with it.
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Rant: 30-year Mac fanatic finally buys Windows
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throAU
macrumors G4
Once an AR headset is small enough to not be obnoxious and is down to the price of a laptop plus external display, laptops die.
This is perhaps 3-5 years out.
Why have a monitor, etc. on your desk along with a laptop when you can have an infinite number of virtual screens set up in different physical locations (and some pinned to be say - off 3 feet to the left of you constantly) for different purposes, that you can just turn your head to look at as you please? Plus have all of the other AR benefits such as bar code reading and GPS tracking for inventory control (rather than manual data entry), navigation available, etc. Want another display? Well ... the world is your display, just drag a window in 3d space off to your side out of the way, etc.
I’m not talking about a holo-lens style box, i’m talking about something similar to spectacle size that is displaying content processed by your ipad you have in your backpack. Or on your desk, or whatever.
AR is one of those game-changers that is going to be laughably bad and underpowered/overpriced until one day, quite suddenly, it isn’t. Right now a holo-lens dev kit is about 5k AUD, so what... 2500-3000 USD. That price will come down and the physical size will reduce significantly once it is doing high speed short range wireless to something in your bag and the headset is only used as display/camera (which i guarantee is what the Apple headset will be when it comes out).
We are very close to that point, technology wise, right now. AR headsets are the next big thing as far as wearables are concerned. Once you don’t look like a total dork wearing them, they’re going to kill most other computing devices.
This is why both Apple and MS are working so hard on AR right now. It’s the next computing revolution.
This is perhaps 3-5 years out.
Why have a monitor, etc. on your desk along with a laptop when you can have an infinite number of virtual screens set up in different physical locations (and some pinned to be say - off 3 feet to the left of you constantly) for different purposes, that you can just turn your head to look at as you please? Plus have all of the other AR benefits such as bar code reading and GPS tracking for inventory control (rather than manual data entry), navigation available, etc. Want another display? Well ... the world is your display, just drag a window in 3d space off to your side out of the way, etc.
I’m not talking about a holo-lens style box, i’m talking about something similar to spectacle size that is displaying content processed by your ipad you have in your backpack. Or on your desk, or whatever.
AR is one of those game-changers that is going to be laughably bad and underpowered/overpriced until one day, quite suddenly, it isn’t. Right now a holo-lens dev kit is about 5k AUD, so what... 2500-3000 USD. That price will come down and the physical size will reduce significantly once it is doing high speed short range wireless to something in your bag and the headset is only used as display/camera (which i guarantee is what the Apple headset will be when it comes out).
We are very close to that point, technology wise, right now. AR headsets are the next big thing as far as wearables are concerned. Once you don’t look like a total dork wearing them, they’re going to kill most other computing devices.
This is why both Apple and MS are working so hard on AR right now. It’s the next computing revolution.
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rafark
macrumors 68020
+1
I'm a programmer and I don't see myself leaving my big monitor and physical keyboard anytime soon. How's one to write code then? Throwing wishes at the computer?
These people think that computers are only for watching YouTube videos and reading online *rumor* boards, but in reality people who make everything happen from websites to modeling to scientific research are and will be using a monitor, keyboard and other input and output devices dependent on a central computer.
throAU
macrumors G4
You can run a glorified text editor on an iphone if it had a big enough screen. Big monitor? How about your entire field of view? With AR you have no real physical size constraints.
AR is NOT about watching videos and browsing forums.
Seriously, go watch some of the AR stuff microsoft have been showing - companies like boeing for example have been using AR training for demonstration of aerospace maintenance stuff for example.
How about inventory controls that circumvents the data entry, by actually automatically scanning bar codes you look at, GPS tagging them and automatically updating your database?
How about knowing that someone is or is not trained to be in a restricted area by just looking at them?
How about product manuals constantly available off to the left of your work space?
This is NOT about entertainment.
If you’re actually a coder, then you can put your head in the sand and pass off AR as a fad, but it is coming and you’re going to get left behind.
If your only exposure to AR is some of the crappy AR game demos for iOS, then you’re really not informed with regards to what AR is really about....
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You can keep your physical keyboard and mouse. However your “display” won’t be limited to 22, 27, 30 or 70 or whatever inches. You can position your windows wherever you like in 3d space.
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villicodelirant
Suspended
Let's just say that I'm willing to bet my money that you're wrong.
Particularly, you are assuming people prefer a nice, cozy display to a funny-looking, eyestrain-inducing, alienating VR headset - but most engineers I know wouldn't be ready trade their screen for a VR headset: much less in 3 to 5 years (you can't teach an old dog new tricks in three years).
I know a guy in his 50s - an executive, mind you, not some neckbeard - who rocks dual CRTs because he says LCDs look weird to him.
You can imagine how much the guy cares about "positioning your windows wherever you like in 3d space".
I for one would rather find a job in fish farming than being hooked to a headset all day long.
Predictions of this sort have been made continuously since the 80s, but our computers look more or less like the 1984 Macintosh.
Engineers use interfaces stuck in the 1970s. Ask any Unix dude.
Why? People are very picky about the interfaces they're willing to accept, and very resistant to change.
I can totally see the technology being beneficial and catching on for field work (e.g.surgery), though.
See you in 5 years, we'll see if you predictions were right 🙂
convergent
macrumors 68040
Completely agree. We are no where close to having Minority Report style virtual displays. VR and AR are going to be a long time before they even have practical application outside of work, let alone in traditional business settings. There are some things that the combination of keyboard, touch, pointing device, pen, and a couple of displays are better at. Eventually could it happen... sure... anything is possible. But we are no where near that time.
I am actually a coder, and for what I do, AR would offer no additional benefit. Two screens and ⌘-arrow is enough, no headset required.
throAU
macrumors G4
Well you better learn to code for AR, or you're going to become irrelevant for 90% of the market.
Whether or not YOUR job will benefit from it, there are a massive number of business applications for it.
villicodelirant
Suspended
I find that doubtful (I wonder how does one "learn to code for AR").
That's established.
What I find extremely doubtful is the idea that every accountant's and every engineer's workstation will be replaced by a headset.
This seems at the very least at odds with reality.
Is this before or after the 3D television becomes the market's hottest seller?
convergent
macrumors 68040
What percentage of coding jobs are even for mobile... It's not the majority. I work for an enterprise software company and a small fraction of them code for mobile, and AR would be a fraction of that. So I'm guessing you are off by two orders of magnitude.
villicodelirant
Suspended
I'm more disturbed by the implication that "learning to code for AR" means significantly more than "read an API manual and maybe brush up on college geometry".
By the time such technology is mainstream, there are high-level APIs good enough for any engineer worth their salt (especially with a vague background in computer vision and some experience with a 3D API) to be productive from day 0.
Well, day 2 or 3.
But really, my money is still on that not happening except in a few niches (where it may very well be a game-changer).
Yes, it will change some games, but not *the* game.
Incidentally, it's been about a year since I made the original post, and the Mac situation is exactly zero percent better. We've been promised a modular Mac, and with that came the April confession that they admit that they boxed themselves into the corner - but the hilariously overpriced iMac Pro sure ain't the solution, and it scares me to think what kind of extortionate premium Apple is going to demand in the upcoming Mac Actually Pro for ... oh say ... the ability to swap memory or hard drive, if they think the iMac Pro is a five-thousand-dollar machine.
Incidentally, it's been about a year since I made the original post, and the Mac situation is exactly zero percent better. We've been promised a modular Mac, and with that came the April confession that they admit that they boxed themselves into the corner - but the hilariously overpriced iMac Pro sure ain't the solution, and it scares me to think what kind of extortionate premium Apple is going to demand in the upcoming Mac Actually Pro for ... oh say ... the ability to swap memory or hard drive, if they think the iMac Pro is a five-thousand-dollar machine.
slooksterPSV
macrumors 68040
Glad to read you can see outside. Windows do open up the house a bit. All jokes aside, I went on the tirade and rants 5 years ago but I’m back because... the experience is so much better than Windows. No longer are the dark muted colors of 10 dragging me into the depths of sadness. I now have colors that pop and open the mind. For what it’s worth, any main OS can do what you need Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD and yes even Amiga. Use what works for you.
Tozovac
macrumors 68040
I agree with so much of what you've said. I've gone from loving mac computers from 2005-2014 to being full of caution & dread at each "improvement" released by the minimalist designers running Apple who keep stripping away certain facets of the OSX and hardware experience. I had to purchase a $150 refurbished PC to re-access some old Quicken files, and today I decided to install the Elgato video capture software in order to use the PC to record some old VHS tapes so i could free up my macbook air for some other use in another part of the house today. I wasted 30 minutes trying to install driver and software which then required chasing down other microsoft software system elements...30 minutes wasted because things just aren't installing without some certain microsoft software element, and I've reached the end of my patience to keep researching online. It's been a long time since I experienced the Microsoft non-plug-and-play experience. Compared to how the Elgato video capture device "just worked" when I plugged it into my MBA, this was just 30 minutes of wasted torture, and a great reminder that Apple computers still have the plug-and-play advantage going for it.
kazmac
macrumors G4
After a few weeks of using my Windows 10 on my Acer laptop and jumping between both platforms for work and play, I realize I want one system and only Microsoft offers that now.
After things normalize here, I'll begin to ween myself away from Apple. I will pay a higher price for products that work and do what I need and want, but I do have issues in paying for overpriced products that cannot fulfill my needs and run chaotically due to sloppy OS. Unless Apple gets hit with a common sense function over form 4x4, I am done financing their HQ amongst other things.
As I've said elsewhere, I'll miss Pixelmator and some ease of use, but outside of that, every other application I use is cross platform. I can live with that.
After things normalize here, I'll begin to ween myself away from Apple. I will pay a higher price for products that work and do what I need and want, but I do have issues in paying for overpriced products that cannot fulfill my needs and run chaotically due to sloppy OS. Unless Apple gets hit with a common sense function over form 4x4, I am done financing their HQ amongst other things.
As I've said elsewhere, I'll miss Pixelmator and some ease of use, but outside of that, every other application I use is cross platform. I can live with that.
Tozovac
macrumors 68040
I'd love to jump away before Jony removes 3 usb-c ports in place of 1, etc. but every 3rd or 4th interaction I have with a PC reminds me why I broke up with that girlfriend. Spent an hour chasing down the correct driver for an Elgato video capture device the other week for my new desktop PC I purchased to have an economical simple workhorse in my home office, to use in parallel with my MBA at times. Hadn't had to waste time with configuration/drivers type of issus with my mac computers since starting with a Mac Pro in 2006.
kazmac
macrumors G4
Yes, Windows can have a learning curve and be frustrating. I am a little embarrassed I need to search how to do simple things in W10, but since I have to be more Windows-saavy for my livelihood now, these are concessions I am willing to make.
I am adjusting my mindset and embrace having to think more about using my computers. Hey, anything I can learn is a good thing. I need to let go of
after nearly four years of mounting issues, frustration and products that no longer just work.
That said, I realize and respect that for folks whose computer set ups mean their livelihood this may be a more difficult transition / decision.
I am adjusting my mindset and embrace having to think more about using my computers. Hey, anything I can learn is a good thing. I need to let go of
after nearly four years of mounting issues, frustration and products that no longer just work. That said, I realize and respect that for folks whose computer set ups mean their livelihood this may be a more difficult transition / decision.
villicodelirant
Suspended
kazmac
macrumors G4
LOL... unfortunately I have since heard that is about all Acer products are worth. On a budget right now.
You spent an hour obtaining the driver for an Elgato video capture device? Without knowing anything about the device I was able to locate the driver in a couple of minutes. I went to their web site, clicked on the "Download & Support" link (located right off the home page), and there was the link to download the Windows driver (which supports Windows 7 and higher).
Was there something unique about your situation which required something other than this simple procedure?
Tozovac
macrumors 68040
Oh yes, locating the driver & elgato video capture program it was easy. Installing them to where they properly did their job was another. It's been a while and I forget the details but it entailed re-trying the driver several times till it worked. Maybe it was something with my pc but regardless, I have not had that try-retry-retry experience with my MBA ever, while that experience with the pc brought back vivid memories. I wish I could remember the exact details of the issue to be able to really discuss it but I'm afraid I don't!
