But wait a minute. Isn’t AR the main function of Apple Vision Pro?
Although tech and mainstream media outlets have pointed out that sales of the Apple Vision Pro aren’t as high as Apple had hoped, a community of enthusiasts still use the product in droves every day. The most practical and productive use for these heavy users is to expand the MacBook Pro’s desktop to gigantic proportions, like an AR display floating in the air.
The general idea of using AR for desktop computing rather than video games, holographic hikes, or teleportation meetings is at the core of Sightful’s Spacetop computing platform.
Sightful’s Spacetop G1 was a unique augmented reality laptop that used AR glasses instead of a screen. This system displayed a virtual 100-inch display in front of the user, who was fixed in space based on the keyboard. The system ran on a proprietary Android-based operating system called SpaceOS and behaved like a Chromebook, running apps from the cloud instead of desktop applications running on the device.
The SpaceTop G1 was scheduled to be released this month, but the release was cancelled, so the past tense is used here. Sitefull sent an email to those who pre-ordered, informing them that it would refund their deposits and cancel the product launch. Instead, it’s currently developing software that will allow you to project your Windows PC’s display onto AR display glasses from Xreal, the same brand that came with the SpaceTop.
AR virtual desktops are now a feature, not a product
Sitefull discovered that AR virtual desktop screens are a feature, not a product. Unfortunately, this service has limited availability and is essentially an unnecessary feature. The integrated package combined with the laptop was unrivaled, but the software will join a smaller but fiercely competitive market.
Xreal already supports both Windows and macOS using its Nebula software. It’s not clear why users should choose Sitepool’s software over Xreal’s.
Viture One supports Windows and macOS, allowing users to set up virtual displays in a variety of configurations.
TCL NXTWEAR S is compatible with Windows PC devices, so users can view the PC screen through the glass.
Lenovo ThinkReality A3 works with Windows computers to output virtual desktops on up to three virtual screens.
There are many other products.
Another interesting new product is Visor, a lightweight spatial computing device very similar to the Apple Vision Pro developed by startup Immersed. It features two 4K OLED screens with a 100-degree viewing angle, 6DoF tracking, and hand and eye tracking. It weighs only 186g, making it much lighter than competing products such as the MetaQuest 3 or Vision Pro. Like the Vision Pro, the visor is VR, but with pass-through video to create the illusion of AR.
Visor, powered by the Qualcomm XR2+ 2nd generation chip, focuses on work productivity. Users can work with multiple virtual screens in both pass-through and fully virtual modes. However, recent demos showed issues with readability, heat management, and pass-through quality. This product provides users with five HD screens on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
Imused’s Visor, which starts at a regular price of $1,050 and is also available as a subscription model, will launch a limited edition ‘Founder’s Edition’ next month and will be released for more people to use in April 2025. It’s a promising product, but given the device’s ongoing development and problems observed in recent demonstrations, potential buyers should approach it with caution.
There is no clear home run product yet.
Some of these AR glasses support hand gestures through sensors, and most hold the desktop screen completely in place.
Sitefull’s SpaceTop G1 has a feature that these solutions do not have: integration with laptops. The keyboard base of the SpaceTop G1, which is equipped with its own Qualcomm processor, served as an anchor to spatially track the AR glasses. This allowed the system to maintain a consistent positioning of the virtual display relative to the physical keyboard. By mounting a depth camera above the keyboard to track the user’s position relative to the keyboard and where the user is looking, it was possible to provide a much better AR experience when sitting in front of the keyboard.
SpaceTop G1 integrates sensors that map the physical environment to ensure that virtual elements are accurately anchored to the real world. It also used custom X-real glass equipped with a camera specifically designed to detect the SpaceTop.
In summary, the system takes into account both the user’s location and the surrounding environment, and the glass and base units work together to improve screen holding and gesture control. If you use a location tracking sensor on a laptop and glasses together, you can get much better results than using AR glasses alone.
What the industry needs now are laptops with built-in sensors designed to work with AR glasses for screen position, eye tracking, and gesture control.
Apple doesn’t support cheaper third-party solutions, so you can’t get your hopes up. The Vision Pro experience is amazing, but the admission fee is a whopping $3,500.
The two best platforms for supporting AR glasses
The two platforms best suited for dedicated hardware support for AR glasses are Windows and Chrome OS.
Chrome OS is particularly interesting because it is a platform often used by people looking for very affordable hardware, such as in schools. By optimizing AR glasses for virtual desktops, you can get not only a very cheap laptop, but also several very cheap large displays.
Microsoft is in a unique position to offer Windows laptops with built-in AR glasses using its own glass. In fact, the entire Windows and Linux OEM market will have to either develop their own or partner with companies that make AR glasses.
As a digital nomad who frequently travels overseas and likes large screens that are too big to carry around, I have very high expectations for the virtual desktop screen. Now all you have to do is optimize your experience through the integration of your laptop and AR glasses.
Sitepool had a good idea, but it may not be the right company. It is very difficult for a new company to enter the PC market with an untried usage model. That kind of leap is usually only possible at large, established companies with enormous financial resources.
Speaking of which, someone (maybe Google?) took over Syspool, five or so patents, two founders, 60 employees, and the vision for an AR laptop and turned their idea into a mainstream operating system like Chrome OS. Must do it.
AR will definitely become a reality. The concept of providing a huge virtual screen to a small laptop will also become a reality. The industry needs to optimize and mainstream this idea so it doesn’t become the preserve of Apple Vision Pro enthusiasts.
Laptops should come with built-in sensors and OS support, and AR glasses should be available for purchase separately as another display option. It’s difficult to experience a high-quality virtual desktop screen on a laptop when it costs $7,000 (the combined price of the MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro). For a low-end Chromebook, $700 is enough, and for a Surface laptop, $1,000 is enough.
Virtual screens are much better than giant physical displays in terms of mobility, environment, and cost. By improving the user experience and lowering prices through integrated sensors and operating systems built into laptops, virtual screens could become an important mainstream option for how laptops are used.
editor@itworld.co.kr
Source: www.itworld.co.kr
