4 ms·

> News flash: no one wants to wear VR goggles This to me sounds similar to "I think there is a world market for maybe 5 computers" (https://www.lexology.com/l

> News flash: no one wants to wear VR goggles This to me sounds similar to "I think there is a world market for maybe 5 computers" (https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=164a442a-1b90-49e3-895d-4c54bb49ecce https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=164a442a-1b90...). That was wrong or "people don’t want to lug a computer with them to the beach or on a train to while away hours" (https://qz.com/593329/choice-quotes-from-a-1985-new-york-times-story-that-predicted-the-quick-demise-of-the-laptop https://qz.com/593329/choice-quotes-from-a-1985-new-york-tim...). Looking around the beach and especially the train, everyone is lugging around a portable computer (phone) I don't think today's VR/AR is "the thing" but I do think, in the same way people thought Palm Pilots and Windows CE devices were a small niche market for ~15 years and it wasn't until iPhone that the masses finally understood what a pocket device was good for VR/AR will eventually reach a version/device that will be more compelling than smartphones and similarly blow up It might take until they get to a small dot like "Striking Vipers" but I'm glad at least one company, if not 5, are pushing forward.

cvz 4y ago
The full line from the article appears to be more along the lines of (and I am paraphrasing here) "no one wants Mark Zuckerberg's cynical and unimaginative interpretation of VR" and not a dismissal of the technology itself.
walnutclosefarm 4y ago
Sounds just as much like what critics said about the Segway, which was supposed to revolutionize pedestrian movement, and which ... well, let's just say the critics turned out to be right. Which is to say, I don't think you can tell much about the stickiness of a technology from what it's proponents say for or against it. History is full of well-hyped failures, and not a few overperforming fringe ideas.
- andrewflnr 4y ago
  Yeah, it turns out what we wanted was e-scooters, OneWheels, and the like. That's actually a pretty solid example of the same principle.
  - Too 4y ago
    Let’s not forget the price difference of a e-scooter and a Segway is like 50x. Even more if you consider the new and popular rental model. Maybe they are cheaper nowadays, I remember the early days they would cost almost as much as a car. Whereas e-scooters today are in the price range where you can buy them as toys for your kids. A segway that competed in the price range of bikes instead of cars would be much more widespread.
kaashif 4y ago
> News flash: no one wants to wear VR goggles Cutting that sentence off there paints a slightly different picture from the full sentence: > News flash: no one wants to wear VR goggles to spend any time in a digital heaven where the role of God is played by Mark Zuckerberg and you can do anything you can imagine, including “work” and “shop”. Plenty of people want to wear VR goggles, but it's hard to see how the metaverse specifically will take off.
- HDThoreaun 4y ago
  Plenty of people spend time on facebook which is basically one step away from "digital heaven where the role of God is played by Mark Zuckerberg and you can do anything you can imagine, including “work” and “shop”."
midoridensha 4y ago
>This to me sounds similar to "I think there is a world market for maybe 5 computers" That was wrong >or "people don’t want to lug a computer with them to the beach or on a train to while away hours" Exactly. It's also just like how "people don't want to wear 3D glasses in a theater". That was wrong too: every single movie today is in 3D. Oh wait... No movies are in 3D now. They tried (for a 2nd time) and failed and gave up. VR goggles might get some popularity for gaming, but the "metaverse" thing is just dumb. AR, however, makes a lot of sense if they can make it convenient. I would love to have some cycling glasses connected by BT to my phone, which show a simple moving map display as I'm riding in the city so I know where to turn, instead of having to stop every so often and pull out my phone to look at where I am.

cvz 4y ago

The full line from the article appears to be more along the lines of (and I am paraphrasing here) "no one wants Mark Zuckerberg's cynical and unimaginative interpretation of VR" and not a dismissal of the technology itself.

walnutclosefarm 4y ago

Sounds just as much like what critics said about the Segway, which was supposed to revolutionize pedestrian movement, and which ... well, let's just say the critics turned out to be right. Which is to say, I don't think you can tell much about the stickiness of a technology from what it's proponents say for or against it. History is full of well-hyped failures, and not a few overperforming fringe ideas.

andrewflnr 4y ago
Yeah, it turns out what we wanted was e-scooters, OneWheels, and the like. That's actually a pretty solid example of the same principle.
- Too 4y ago
  Let’s not forget the price difference of a e-scooter and a Segway is like 50x. Even more if you consider the new and popular rental model. Maybe they are cheaper nowadays, I remember the early days they would cost almost as much as a car. Whereas e-scooters today are in the price range where you can buy them as toys for your kids. A segway that competed in the price range of bikes instead of cars would be much more widespread.

kaashif 4y ago

> News flash: no one wants to wear VR goggles Cutting that sentence off there paints a slightly different picture from the full sentence: > News flash: no one wants to wear VR goggles to spend any time in a digital heaven where the role of God is played by Mark Zuckerberg and you can do anything you can imagine, including “work” and “shop”. Plenty of people want to wear VR goggles, but it's hard to see how the metaverse specifically will take off.

HDThoreaun 4y ago
Plenty of people spend time on facebook which is basically one step away from "digital heaven where the role of God is played by Mark Zuckerberg and you can do anything you can imagine, including “work” and “shop”."

midoridensha 4y ago

>This to me sounds similar to "I think there is a world market for maybe 5 computers" That was wrong >or "people don’t want to lug a computer with them to the beach or on a train to while away hours" Exactly. It's also just like how "people don't want to wear 3D glasses in a theater". That was wrong too: every single movie today is in 3D. Oh wait... No movies are in 3D now. They tried (for a 2nd time) and failed and gave up. VR goggles might get some popularity for gaming, but the "metaverse" thing is just dumb. AR, however, makes a lot of sense if they can make it convenient. I would love to have some cycling glasses connected by BT to my phone, which show a simple moving map display as I'm riding in the city so I know where to turn, instead of having to stop every so often and pull out my phone to look at where I am.