6 ms·

Can anyone make the case for why VR will be more productive than a laptop and monitor? The Simula website mostly talks about specs and not why I'd want to use t

Can anyone make the case for why VR will be more productive than a laptop and monitor? The Simula website mostly talks about specs and not why I'd want to use this for work.

georgewsinger 5y ago
Here are some reasons: - 10x more windows/virtual screens than PCs & Laptops - Persistent ("always on") computing wherever you are able to walk and think. - Promotes better posture (you don't have to sit hunched over a laptop screen, but have more freedom of movement). - Better work immersion/focus than PCs & Laptops. There's something about having the world around you blocked out and just focusing on your work (though Simula will support an AR mode via front cameras when you need to see things). Though I am biased, there is also great aesthetic appeal to working in "The Future". From Iron Man to The Minority Report, our Sci-Fi has been promising us for decades a future of always-on spatial computing with omnipresent screens. Working in a VR Computer allows you start to experience that future.
- NationalPark 5y ago
  Does it actually promote better posture? They don't mention its weight anywhere, which makes me think it's heavier than competing headsets, which already aren't the most comfortable to wear for long periods. I am excited about the possibilities this opens though. Will it be more convenient than a terminal emulator running tmux? Maybe not for me, but I could see people who deal with more visual assets like game developers using this.
  - kanetw 5y ago
    We don't promote the weight because we aren't yet at the stage of integration where we can promote it at. However, you can expect it to be around 800g front+back combined, so around the same as an Index. In our experience, a balanced headset is more important than a light one.
- adventured 5y ago
  > 10x more windows/virtual screens than PCs & Laptops That's a productivity drain not a benefit. Modern operating systems could already drown us in zillions of screens if it were actually useful - it's not. That's a productivity fantasy element, like people pretending it's possible to multi-task (more screens, more work, more output). All you get is the equivalent of the hoarder clutter of a thousand browser tabs for no great reason. Humans max out on productivity and usefulness gains from additional screens at a very low number. > Persistent ("always on") computing wherever you are able to walk and think. A tablet, a smartphone - it's a trivial difference in timing, as those items are a moment away from use in terms of always on. And where are you walking with a VR computer on your head? > Promotes better posture (you don't have to sit hunched over a laptop screen, but have more freedom of movement). That one is false and probably your worst premise. Posture is a choice, you either consciously choose to pursue better posture and constantly reinforce it or you don't, and if you don't then absolutely nothing will keep you from bad posture. A VR computer on your head is very low on the list of things that is likely to finally encourage someone to consciously adjust their body toward better posture. I'd bet on the opposite outcome as far more likely, body damage from wearing a heavy object for too long.
  - yet-another-tim 5y ago
    with respect to posture,have you considered this opens you up to computing in a supine position? Quite a few people have experimented with this and find it helps.
- criddell 5y ago
  My preferred setup is a sit/stand desk with a single high resolution monitor and a window to the left or right of me. For many years I worked with two or three monitors but found that it was more distracting than anything. When I'm stuck on a problem, I stare out the window or go sit outside with a pencil and pad of paper. I can't imagine I'd be happy working in a VR setup. I could see it being useful when I want some type of virtual presence (at least until I start feeling sick), but I only need that a few times a year.
  - freemint 5y ago
    Why stair at grass when you could stare at deserts, oceans, live animals or at the earth from the ISS?
    - criddell 5y ago
      If I wanted to watch TV, I could do that too. It's not really what I want. Also, I think there's a big difference in focusing on something 5 cm away vs focusing on something that is a 100 m away. Part of the reason I spin around and put my feet up and stare out the window is because I want to stop looking at a screen.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
3np 5y ago
Portability is a huge one for me. Having vast screen real-estate plus immersion seems great for roaming.
ptom 5y ago
I made several arguments along those lines in this article: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041 For me it comes down to functionality, focus, comfort, and productivity. Convenience too, but it took a lot of setup and tuning to get to that point, so the net "convenience" gain is probably neutral. These days I don't want to work any other way.
- georgewsinger 5y ago
  Highly recommend ptom's article: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041

Can anyone make the case for why VR will be more productive than a laptop and monitor? The Simula website mostly talks about specs and not why I'd want to use this for work.

georgewsinger 5y ago

Here are some reasons: - 10x more windows/virtual screens than PCs & Laptops - Persistent ("always on") computing wherever you are able to walk and think. - Promotes better posture (you don't have to sit hunched over a laptop screen, but have more freedom of movement). - Better work immersion/focus than PCs & Laptops. There's something about having the world around you blocked out and just focusing on your work (though Simula will support an AR mode via front cameras when you need to see things). Though I am biased, there is also great aesthetic appeal to working in "The Future". From Iron Man to The Minority Report, our Sci-Fi has been promising us for decades a future of always-on spatial computing with omnipresent screens. Working in a VR Computer allows you start to experience that future.

NationalPark 5y ago
Does it actually promote better posture? They don't mention its weight anywhere, which makes me think it's heavier than competing headsets, which already aren't the most comfortable to wear for long periods. I am excited about the possibilities this opens though. Will it be more convenient than a terminal emulator running tmux? Maybe not for me, but I could see people who deal with more visual assets like game developers using this.
- kanetw 5y ago
  We don't promote the weight because we aren't yet at the stage of integration where we can promote it at. However, you can expect it to be around 800g front+back combined, so around the same as an Index. In our experience, a balanced headset is more important than a light one.
adventured 5y ago
> 10x more windows/virtual screens than PCs & Laptops That's a productivity drain not a benefit. Modern operating systems could already drown us in zillions of screens if it were actually useful - it's not. That's a productivity fantasy element, like people pretending it's possible to multi-task (more screens, more work, more output). All you get is the equivalent of the hoarder clutter of a thousand browser tabs for no great reason. Humans max out on productivity and usefulness gains from additional screens at a very low number. > Persistent ("always on") computing wherever you are able to walk and think. A tablet, a smartphone - it's a trivial difference in timing, as those items are a moment away from use in terms of always on. And where are you walking with a VR computer on your head? > Promotes better posture (you don't have to sit hunched over a laptop screen, but have more freedom of movement). That one is false and probably your worst premise. Posture is a choice, you either consciously choose to pursue better posture and constantly reinforce it or you don't, and if you don't then absolutely nothing will keep you from bad posture. A VR computer on your head is very low on the list of things that is likely to finally encourage someone to consciously adjust their body toward better posture. I'd bet on the opposite outcome as far more likely, body damage from wearing a heavy object for too long.
- yet-another-tim 5y ago
  with respect to posture,have you considered this opens you up to computing in a supine position? Quite a few people have experimented with this and find it helps.
criddell 5y ago
My preferred setup is a sit/stand desk with a single high resolution monitor and a window to the left or right of me. For many years I worked with two or three monitors but found that it was more distracting than anything. When I'm stuck on a problem, I stare out the window or go sit outside with a pencil and pad of paper. I can't imagine I'd be happy working in a VR setup. I could see it being useful when I want some type of virtual presence (at least until I start feeling sick), but I only need that a few times a year.
- freemint 5y ago
  Why stair at grass when you could stare at deserts, oceans, live animals or at the earth from the ISS?
  - criddell 5y ago
    If I wanted to watch TV, I could do that too. It's not really what I want. Also, I think there's a big difference in focusing on something 5 cm away vs focusing on something that is a 100 m away. Part of the reason I spin around and put my feet up and stare out the window is because I want to stop looking at a screen.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

3np 5y ago

Portability is a huge one for me. Having vast screen real-estate plus immersion seems great for roaming.

ptom 5y ago

I made several arguments along those lines in this article: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041 For me it comes down to functionality, focus, comfort, and productivity. Convenience too, but it took a lot of setup and tuning to get to that point, so the net "convenience" gain is probably neutral. These days I don't want to work any other way.

georgewsinger 5y ago
Highly recommend ptom's article: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28678041