4 ms·

There were proto-smartphones in the early 90s Which phones are you thinking of? I would consider either the Nokia Communicator in 1996 or the Ericsson R380 fro

• IggleSniggle 3y ago
  I guess your question is the gist of my point. The Apple Newton is a great touchpoint as it points in a particular direction, but it was 1) the wrong form factor, 2) too expensive, 3) emphasized the wrong features. Still, it pointed a clear direction. From Newton to iPhone is 15+ years, but it's not totally unreasonable to consider the Osborne 1 with an acoustic coupler to be the real starting line, given its popularity as a portable comms computer, and really iPhone 3G/3GS is probably a better "we've arrived" point than the first iPhone. Of course, VR tech could be "started" much earlier than the current fad. However, I think DK1 was Osborne 1 in terms of the technology meeting the needs of the medium, maybe Newton-level on the timeline if you're already a VR enthusiast and have enthusiast blinders on. That was 2013, only 10 years ago. Theres still underlying tech that isn't totally "there" in terms of supporting the "right" VR experience, but most people who have tried any modern headset can feel the potential. It's like using a Windows Mobile from 2003; it feels like a glimpse of an inevitable future, even though you can simultaneously recognize that it's time has not yet come.