Your Mac and Apple Vision Pro: What You Can Do (and What You Can't)

[boss.king]

Based on this list, a lot of the things I've had evangelist tell me are why they're getting one don't actually seem to be possible at launch. Makes me wonder how many people are going to get one and then realise their dream of a virtual command centre with displays floating all around them is still out of reach.

 

[Surf Monkey]

3D tv's failed because it was a gimmick, there was basically 10 movies that were actually shot with the intention of being 3D (Even now I think that is probably pretty accurate.), all the others were just hacked together to make extra cash for movie studios. The glasses of course don't help, but they made people sick because the tech was awful - in the active glasses case it would blank out each eye momentarily so that it could sync with different images on the TV.

3D has failed over and over and over again for over 70 years. The issue isn’t the technology. The issue is that 3D doesn’t add anything of value to either story teller or viewer when it comes to movies and TV.

 

[jorgeandresf]

OK, now replicate that solution on the move, on the plane, in the train, etc. If it's not necessary for you, then certainly put your money to better use. Other people may have different situations where having screens they can summon up anywhere could help them.

yes we need to replicate that setup in the metro! people should work in their commute, specially on the move in a train, metro or an airplane ...

 

[Surf Monkey]

Based on this list, a lot of the things I've had evangelist tell me are why they're getting one don't actually seem to be possible at launch. Makes me wonder how many people are going to get one and then realise their dream of a virtual command centre with displays floating all around them is still out of reach.

The inevitable reply: “No one ever said it was going to be a virtual command center with displays floating around them!”

 

[boss.king]

The inevitable reply: “No one ever said it was going to be a virtual command center with displays floating around them!”

Ha, probably.

 

[christian_k]

You can in fact use an Intel Mac's desktop with a Quest or Pico headset, but it "goes without saying" this is not possible with an Apple headset?
That would be stupid.

To use an Intel Mac (or Windows PC) with a Quest for a virtual desktop you don't need massive gpu power. All you need is a hardware video encoder for h.264 that can encode the desktop as a video stream in real time. 2nd Gen Intel core ("Sandy bridge") can do it in full hd, 4th Gen ("Haswell") can do it in 4k. Haswell was released in 2013. AMD CPUs and dedicated graphics cards also had this feature for a looooooooong time.

People should not accept any lame excuse for locking out older hardware.

 

[G5isAlive]

Countless people have said EXACTLY that. “I’ll wait a couple generations until it’s smaller and cheaper.”

You do realize words count right? You said DRASTICALLY smaller.... not smaller. shrugs. You implied people were stupid to think it would get DRASTICALLY smaller.

Maybe take some more time on wording your posts if you don't want to be taken at face value.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Do we know that for sure? I thought Vison Pro would present ported apps that resembled the interface depth more closely to iPadOS apps (ignoring spatial axis display of information) then the application depth on MacOS.

While this is technically true, I don’t hesitate when I say that for the majority of people, at least with the default built-in apps, the majority of usage is pretty much the same between the Mac and iPad versions.
This wasn’t so true 15 years ago, but today there’s very little benefit to for example Safari on the Mac compared to Safari on the iPad. Especially now that Adobe flash isn’t really a factor.
Or Mail, contacts, calendars, News, Weather, TV, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Photos… They’re all basically the same with some OS specific interfaces.

So I don’t doubt that a very popular workflow will be using the mirrored Mac display for one main Mac exclusive application, and then using visionOS apps to accompany it.

It’s not uncommon for most people with multi monitor set ups to have one display simply dedicated to a web browser or an email client, visionOS can handle that.
You don’t necessarily need the macOS version of Safari to just have a website to reference…

 

[Pezimak]

3D tv's failed because it was a gimmick, there was basically 10 movies that were actually shot with the intention of being 3D (Even now I think that is probably pretty accurate.), all the others were just hacked together to make extra cash for movie studios. The glasses of course don't help, but they made people sick because the tech was awful - in the active glasses case it would blank out each eye momentarily so that it could sync with different images on the TV.

They still make films in 3D. Animated films were not ‘hacked together’ either, in fact no film was considering what is involved in making it 3D. So for a gimmick it’s done extremely well.

 

[Siliconguy]

“This is stupid no one is going to pay $600 for an iPhone”

“Why do I need an iPhone again?”

Those first two still apply to me.

I wear glasses so VR headsets are non-starters. Depending on how well it deals with presbyopia it may be a non-starter for a large section of the population.

 

[iLloyd]

I wish they would… except Google really does have a huge advantage here already.

I suspect it will be a bit like Apple Maps catching up to Google Maps. No matter how hard they try they are always just behind.

I think the market is big enough for both of them, and Apple excels at tightly integrating hardware and software, plus a huge installed base of iPhones and EarPods. They may be playing catch up, but if they focus they could pull off something great, in addition to it being a genuine service to humanity (i.e., a perfect fit to the company's ethos).

Re Apple Maps. It's actually really good these days, I used the iPhone app exclusively while in Rome recently and it was excellent.

Btw, love your signature.

 

[ke-iron]

It's VisionOS, running IOS apps. When was that ever in doubt? That said, you can run a giant screen on a plane or in a hotel room. Multiple screens running mulitiple apps.

It’s visionOS running visionOS apps. It can run some iOS and iPadOS apps too, but there definitely will be new apps built for this since it’s a lot more powerful than an iPad and iPhone.

 

[Eso]

Though granted we all said the same about the iPhone in 2007: who is it for? Who wants to browse the limited web very slowly on a small screen for a lot of money when you can do it better at home?

I’m not sure that is how it went.

More like browse full webpages on an innovative touch screen, made especially for the times you are away from home.

The appeal was very straightforward. Browse the web from wherever you are, whenever you have a bit of downtime, all just by taking out a small device from your pocket and pressing a button. It was simply unprecedented. Its capability * convenience factor was very high, which was a huge factor in it becoming so successful.

The experience of using the Vision Pro sure seems impressive. But that‘s just novelty, which wears off quickly. I think its capability * convenience factor is relatively low. It’s not highly capable and not very convenient.

 

[OrenLindsey]

This product is not the future. Future, smaller, cheaper versions of it probably are. Apple just needs to release something to get it going.

 

[Surf Monkey]

You do realize words count right? You said DRASTICALLY smaller.... not smaller. shrugs. You implied people were stupid to think it would get DRASTICALLY smaller.

Maybe take some more time on wording your posts if you don't want to be taken at face value.

Pedantry doesn’t rebut my position.

 

[AL2TEACH]

3D TVs failed because no one liked wearing glasses all the time

That was the least of the problem with 3D TV's. The lack of brightness along with ghosting and the post production 3D were some issues.

This will do well, but not iPhone well. It's niche.

In the computing world, Apple could be considered a niche


Imagine having the software for interior design, engineering, construction and etc...with some version of the Apple Vision Pro. It will happen but it won't be an Apple product.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I’m not sure that is how it went.

More like browse full webpages on an innovative touch screen, made especially for the times you are away from home.

The appeal was very straightforward. Browse the web from wherever you are, whenever you have a bit of downtime, all just by taking out a small device from your pocket and pressing a button. It was simply unprecedented. Its capability * convenience factor was very high, which was a huge factor in it becoming so successful.

The experience of using the Vision Pro sure seems impressive. But that‘s just novelty, which wears off quickly. I think its capability * convenience factor is relatively low. It’s not highly capable and not very convenient.

In fact people had been anticipating an “iPod phone” for a couple years before Apple released it. Speculation was hot and heavy since the iPod was such a raging success. People were NOT lukewarm about iPhone with the exception of Apple’s competition, which is where primary criticism was coming from. When Jobs pulled that iPhone out of his pocket people stood up and cheered.

There’s a lot of revisionist history that gets thrown around here.

 

[Surf Monkey]

That was the least of the problem with 3D TV's. The lack of brightness along with ghosting and the post production 3D were some issues.

Bigger issue: it doesn’t offer movie and tv makers any compelling tools that they don’t already have. 3D doesn’t actually add much value to a movie or show, even when it’s implemented well.

In the computing world, Apple could be considered a niche

Not if you consider iPhone a computer, which it absolutely is.

Imagine having the software for interior design, engineering, construction and etc...with some version of the Apple Vision Pro. It will happen but it won't be an Apple product.

This already exists. Industry specific hardware. Apple isn’t targeting that market since it’s already well served.

 

[nick42983]

Hmm. I've planning to preorder since this thing was announced last year, but the whole "you likely can't arrange Mac apps in virtual space" thing is giving me pause. I was very much imagining being surrounded by After Effects, Illustrator, Safari, Zoom, Outlook and the usual suspects in separate windows. If that's not a thing, my interest in this device takes a pretty significant hit.

From what it sounds like, you'll be able to have 1 Mac virtual display as big as you want running all of those Mac apps, since this is just an AirPlay of what's on your Mac screen. This is likely more efficient than having the apps floating around you, since you'll have one big canvas to work on right in front of you. Then you'll also be able to have at least several VisionOS apps floating around this, including Safari for sure and probably Zoom and Outlook at launch or soon thereafter. I'll bet Adobe will be onboard quick.

It doesn't make sense to be disappointed about missing capabilities to a new computing paradigm that you haven't experienced yet. It's also well-known by now that multitasking with a bunch of windows open in front of you is not good for productivity. Our brains are overloaded enough with dopamine-fueling digital stimulation already. I'll bet that most users will focus on immersive, one-app-at-a-time experiences (like Apple has marketed it so far) rather than substituting a multi-monitor setup for the AVP.

 

[allenvanhellen]

"Mac and Vision Pro: What You (Likely) Can't Do: Arrange Mac Apps in Virtual Space"

Can you not have two Mac apps side by side, for example, just as you can on your Mac? Can you not have a few windows arranged on the desktop?

 

[eifelbube]

“This is stupid no one is going to pay $600 for an iPhone”

“Why do I need an iPhone again?”

“The iPhone is not the future and it will flop”.

Steve Balmer: “the iPhone will never be a success”

The future will tell … the present tells me that people do not wear their iPhone strapped to their forehead 😊

 

[eifelbube]

When Apple first unveiled its next-generation Vision Pro headset at WWDC 2023, the company shared promotional videos that briefly teased the potential applications of using the $3,499 spatial computing device in conjunction with a Mac.

Despite Apple's announcement that Vision Pro will launch on February 2, Apple has yet to expand on the specifics of how the two devices work together. But sift through code and marketing materials, and there are subtle indications about what is possible - and what the limitations are likely to be. Here's what we know.

Mac and Vision Pro: What You Can Do
Create a Virtual Desktop
When it comes to the Mac, the keystone feature of Apple Vision Pro is something called Mac Virtual Display. The system uses AirPlay 2, and allows you to connect your Mac wirelessly to the headset just by looking at your computer through your Vision Pro. According to Apple, this allows you to place and resize a virtual representation of your Mac's display anywhere in space, and "use Vision Pro as an enormous, private, portable 4K display, ideal for pro workflows."

Use visionOS Apps Alongside Your Mac
With Mac Virtual Display enabled, you will be able to able use visionOS apps right alongside your virtual Mac screen. This will allow you to, for example, work on a Final Cut Pro project on an enormous Mac display while also viewing and interacting with separate screens displaying visionOS apps like Photos, Notes, Files, and so on.

Mirror Vision Pro to Mac
Apple Vision Pro supports screen mirroring via AirPlay or FaceTime, according to code found in early beta releases of visionOS, the headset's unique operating system. When wearing Vision Pro, you will be able to select a Mac to mirror content to from the headset, allowing you to share your view with others and reduce any sense of isolation.

Connect Mac Accessories
Vision Pro includes a virtual keyboard for spatial computing sessions, but you can also wirelessly connect Mac accessories to the Vision Pro, including the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad for more traditional tactile input. Attaching Bluetooth accessories allows for a typical Mac workflow to continue to be used, just with the Mac display replaced by Vision Pro.

Mac and Vision Pro: What You (Likely) Can't Do
Arrange Mac Apps in Virtual Space
Prior to Apple's official unveiling of Vision Pro, many Mac users envisioned an ideal multitasking scenario where it would be possible to break out Mac apps individually in a mixed reality workspace and switch attention between them at a glance. Based on the information available, however, it is not possible to view individual Mac apps in virtual windows alongside one another in Vision Pro's spatial computing environment.

Create Multiple Virtual Displays
Another likely limitation of the first-generation Vision Pro is that it only supports mirroring your Mac's built-in display. In other words, it won't be possible to extend your Mac's screen or recreate a multiple monitor Mac setup in the mixed reality workspace. This could be due to bandwidth limitations (Mac Virtual Display outputs in 4K). On that basis, multiple Mac displays in Vision Pro's spatial computing environment may be something supported in a future version, but don't expect such functionality out of the box.

Connect an Intel Mac
This should probably go without saying, but older Macs based on Intel architecture won't come along for the ride into the spatial computing future. Though Apple hasn't come out and said it officially, only Apple silicon Macs are likely to have the processing horsepower to communicate with Vision Pro, which itself relies on Apple's M2 processor to do the heavy lifting.

Apple Vision Pro and the Future of Mac
As the above suggests, there are still some unknowns about Mac and Vision Pro interoperability. Bearing that in mind, are you optimistic about the future of Mac in the era of spatial computing? What, if anything, disappoints you about Vision Pro support for the Mac? Let us know in the comments.

Apple Vision Pro pre-orders open on Friday, January 19 at 5.00 a.m. PST, and the device goes on sale in the U.S. on Friday, February 2, with availability in Canada and the United Kingdom expected to follow later in the year.

Article Link: Your Mac and Apple Vision Pro: What You Can Do (and What You Can't)

Using the AVP as a Mac monitor:
Yes, $3.5k is a lot for such „VisionPro Studio Display“, but we will not have to pay extra for a height adjustable stand …

 

[G5isAlive]

Pedantry doesn’t rebut my position.

baseless insults doesn’t do much for your position. You like to make sweeping claims with no facts. opinions are one thing, but facts always helps. Words matter.

debating the merits of the AVP doesn’t have to be personal unless you have nothing to say.

my position continues to be AVP v1 is just the beginning. It’s expensive, if you want to wait. Wait. But I am willing to bet in 10 years we will laugh that people claimed the whole category was stupid.

 

[G5isAlive]

In fact people had been anticipating an “iPod phone” for a couple years before Apple released it. Speculation was hot and heavy since the iPod was such a raging success. People were NOT lukewarm about iPhone with the exception of Apple’s competition, which is where primary criticism was coming from. When Jobs pulled that iPhone out of his pocket people stood up and cheered.

There’s a lot of revisionist history that gets thrown around here.

um. No. I was there too. there wasn’t widespread talk of an phone iPod. And read the threads, to this day plenty of people are saying the iPhone was crap until iPhone 4. Yes we cheered Steve on, so? He was a showman.. who knows what he would have done with AVP.

but today we are waiting to discover what the AVP can do. See you in a month.

 

[Surf Monkey]

baseless insults doesn’t do much for your position. You like to make sweeping claims with no facts. opinions are one thing, but facts always helps. Words matter.

debating the merits of the AVP doesn’t have to be personal unless you have nothing to say.

my position continues to be AVP v1 is just the beginning. It’s expensive, if you want to wait. Wait. But I am willing to bet in 10 years we will laugh that people claimed the whole category was stupid.

It isn’t an insult and it isn’t baseless. If you’re going to engage in this kind of disingenuously slavish reading of my posts it becomes obvious that you’re not being forthright.