5 ms·

I can't disagree more. I actually think the opposite. Games and stuff are nice, but everyone I've known that uses a vive or oculus gets tired of needing to mov

I can't disagree more. I actually think the opposite. Games and stuff are nice, but everyone I've known that uses a vive or oculus gets tired of needing to move around in VR pretty fast. But being able to get rid of the 3-4 screens on my desk, and replace them with a headset that I wear? That I can put windows everywhere? Behind me, far left, even throw one up above me to glance at? That's HUGE imo. And the cost can quickly make sense. I'm in the market for a new set of screens for my machine. I want to go to 4k. I'm looking at realistically $1500 for new screens. If something like Magic Leap or hololens was only 2x more than that and could get even "1080p equivalent" resolution compared to my screens, i'd happily drop the extra cash right now. Yes, it's still not at that point as far as I can tell, but I don't think needing to increase resolution a bit is going to be the thing that ends up making VR/AR "impossible".

foobarbecue 8y ago
So basically, you want multiple desktops a la Win 10 Virtual Desktops or KDE activities, but instead of pressing a key combo to switch between desktops, you want to rotate your head? And then in order to stay in the virtual desktop you've selected, you want to have to keep your head pointed at a particular angle? Are you sure about this?
- Klathmon 8y ago
  yeah i'm sure. How is it any different than working with papers on a physical desk? Or working with a large corkboard or whiteboard where you place many items while working on something big? Because that's the idea i'm envisioning. Being able to put papers or applications on a virtual whiteboard that completely encircles you. Move them to where you want, make them "fullscreen" (full-view?), maybe even be able to move them forward and backwards in focus and "position". Hell, with some extra work, we could even put them on surfaces around the room. Throw a monitoring program on the wall next to my window, "project" keybindings on top of my keyboard's keys when i'm pressing parts of a combo, etc... Hell, even if you hate the idea of an "augmented reality desktop", you could just project "fake" screens and use them the same as you normally do. I mean it's not like our current tools just go away and I'd start craning my neck to look up and to the left as far as possible for 9 hours a day... You could still have tools like "multiple desktops", and change/move them. But now I have the option of putting my task manager above me at like a 60 degree angle straight ahead and can glance up at it when needed.
- mcjiggerlog 8y ago
  Why wouldn't you be able to switch between "desktops" with a key press any more? Have some imagination.
- hexomancer 8y ago
  You say that as if there are not millions of developers using multi-monitor setups already.
- bcraven 8y ago
  What if all the screens you were using were off in your peripheral vision, but you could swipe them in front of you when needed. It would make it much easier to keep track of things.
- tomp 8y ago
  That's how (some) realy people already work. I'm staring at 3 screens right now, arranged next to each other.
- tigershark 8y ago
  Are you seriously using only one screen for work??? I have 8 screens at work, I would love to be able to ditch all the screens and wear an headset to achieve something even better.
  - syllogism 8y ago
    ...Why do you use 8 screens? (And before you ask: Yes, I use one laptop screen for all my work.)
  - colanderman 8y ago
    I use one screen, and it's too large. I don't understand why anyone would want two screens, let alone eight. I find having anything onscreen but my code and offline documentation (i.e., not in a web browser) incredibly distracting. What in the world do you put on those other seven screens?
    - Dylan16807 8y ago
      My IDE has enough going on to dedicate an entire HD screen to it. Then I need more room for documentation, and showing the app for debugging. Even if I'm blocking out the rest of the world that's at least two screens full. > offline documentation (i.e., not in a web browser) This deeply confuses me. Why does it matter if the documentation is in a browser or not?
      - colanderman 8y ago
        I am four keystrokes away from Hacker News if I have a web browser on my screen.
        ericd 8y ago
        I wrote a simple script for a cronjob that nukes HN and a bunch of other sites via my hosts file during work hours, and removes them from the hosts file outside of work hours. Highly recommended.
        8y ago
- atonalfreerider 8y ago
  How about programming with 0 screens: http://primitive.io/ http://primitive.io/
- golergka 8y ago
  Why desktops? With this, you could just float individual windows around you. Quick splitting and navigating between splits in Vim is already one of the features of this editor I use the most - and if I could do that in 3d, leaving small splits all around me and moving them around, it would be an immense boost in productivity.
root_axis 8y ago
> If something like Magic Leap or hololens was only 2x more than that and could get even "1080p equivalent" resolution compared to my screens, i'd happily drop the extra cash right now. Of course you would, that's like saying "if something like a Tesla could operate completely autonomously in all weather and road conditions I'd happily drop the extra cash right now!". Unfortunately, this is a "hard" problem and while I'm not saying it won't happen, we are nowhere near anything that can render 1080p VR monitors... 4k VR monitors are unlikely to be possible (in a consumer product) within the next 20 years, and you can definitely be sure that anything like that will not be wireless.

foobarbecue 8y ago

So basically, you want multiple desktops a la Win 10 Virtual Desktops or KDE activities, but instead of pressing a key combo to switch between desktops, you want to rotate your head? And then in order to stay in the virtual desktop you've selected, you want to have to keep your head pointed at a particular angle? Are you sure about this?

Klathmon 8y ago
yeah i'm sure. How is it any different than working with papers on a physical desk? Or working with a large corkboard or whiteboard where you place many items while working on something big? Because that's the idea i'm envisioning. Being able to put papers or applications on a virtual whiteboard that completely encircles you. Move them to where you want, make them "fullscreen" (full-view?), maybe even be able to move them forward and backwards in focus and "position". Hell, with some extra work, we could even put them on surfaces around the room. Throw a monitoring program on the wall next to my window, "project" keybindings on top of my keyboard's keys when i'm pressing parts of a combo, etc... Hell, even if you hate the idea of an "augmented reality desktop", you could just project "fake" screens and use them the same as you normally do. I mean it's not like our current tools just go away and I'd start craning my neck to look up and to the left as far as possible for 9 hours a day... You could still have tools like "multiple desktops", and change/move them. But now I have the option of putting my task manager above me at like a 60 degree angle straight ahead and can glance up at it when needed.
mcjiggerlog 8y ago
Why wouldn't you be able to switch between "desktops" with a key press any more? Have some imagination.
hexomancer 8y ago
You say that as if there are not millions of developers using multi-monitor setups already.
bcraven 8y ago
What if all the screens you were using were off in your peripheral vision, but you could swipe them in front of you when needed. It would make it much easier to keep track of things.
tomp 8y ago
That's how (some) realy people already work. I'm staring at 3 screens right now, arranged next to each other.
tigershark 8y ago
Are you seriously using only one screen for work??? I have 8 screens at work, I would love to be able to ditch all the screens and wear an headset to achieve something even better.
- syllogism 8y ago
  ...Why do you use 8 screens? (And before you ask: Yes, I use one laptop screen for all my work.)
- colanderman 8y ago
  I use one screen, and it's too large. I don't understand why anyone would want two screens, let alone eight. I find having anything onscreen but my code and offline documentation (i.e., not in a web browser) incredibly distracting. What in the world do you put on those other seven screens?
  - Dylan16807 8y ago
    My IDE has enough going on to dedicate an entire HD screen to it. Then I need more room for documentation, and showing the app for debugging. Even if I'm blocking out the rest of the world that's at least two screens full. > offline documentation (i.e., not in a web browser) This deeply confuses me. Why does it matter if the documentation is in a browser or not?
    - colanderman 8y ago
      I am four keystrokes away from Hacker News if I have a web browser on my screen.
      - ericd 8y ago
        I wrote a simple script for a cronjob that nukes HN and a bunch of other sites via my hosts file during work hours, and removes them from the hosts file outside of work hours. Highly recommended.
      - 8y ago
atonalfreerider 8y ago
How about programming with 0 screens: http://primitive.io/ http://primitive.io/
golergka 8y ago
Why desktops? With this, you could just float individual windows around you. Quick splitting and navigating between splits in Vim is already one of the features of this editor I use the most - and if I could do that in 3d, leaving small splits all around me and moving them around, it would be an immense boost in productivity.

root_axis 8y ago

> If something like Magic Leap or hololens was only 2x more than that and could get even "1080p equivalent" resolution compared to my screens, i'd happily drop the extra cash right now. Of course you would, that's like saying "if something like a Tesla could operate completely autonomously in all weather and road conditions I'd happily drop the extra cash right now!". Unfortunately, this is a "hard" problem and while I'm not saying it won't happen, we are nowhere near anything that can render 1080p VR monitors... 4k VR monitors are unlikely to be possible (in a consumer product) within the next 20 years, and you can definitely be sure that anything like that will not be wireless.