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I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses
- zabzonk 2y agoAll those wires! Far more than my laptop (basically none, or one if I am charging). And what is the total weight and volume of all this stuff?
- supermatt 2y agoThe wires are inside your laptop. I'm more confused as to why he wants to put it all on the desk rather than operate it from his bag. From the article it sounds like less than a macbook: "Surprisingly, the Ugreen Nexode Power Bank is the heaviest item in this setup at just over 500 grams while the Khadas Mind 2S weighs 435 grams and the Xreal One glasses weigh 84 grams."
- java-man 2y agoI don't understand. Is this an ad? How long this setup lasts on a single charge? For half the price, one can get a macbook air with fantastic battery life and a good keyboard.
- tocs3 2y agoI was looking at wearable computer stuff years ago but gave up. The display was always the limiting factor. It would sometimes be nice to to walk around taking notes without holding a phone.
- tramc 2y ago[dead]
- sandspar 2y agoGuys who write about tech for a living tend to enjoy working with gadgets in their spare time. He's probably just having fun with a nifty idea.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- jasonjmcghee 2y agoit's hard to beat apple silicon MacBook airs right now. Used M1s sell for $300-400 (and $130 to have apple replace the battery if/when needed). If you buy an Anker battery pack (~25k mAh - $150 on sale) you can get another full charge.
- morninglight 2y agoDoesn't look like an ad but it may have been intended for the Onion. If you break out laughing while reading this, you are not alone.
- bee_rider 2y agoThe guy in the article is using a mechanical keyboard. MacBooks keyboards are fine for what they are but generally enthusiasts prefer mechanical. The glasses… I mean, it’s a totally different type of device, right? If nothing else, I’d love to never hunch over a laptop again. I dunno, haven’t tried them, but they seem quite interesting. Spine replacements are pricey I think.
- specproc 2y agoThe writing was nauseating. I lost track of the number of times the author said "the best". I honesty can't see the benefit over a small laptop. With the glasses, you're carrying more things, it's an expensive setup, you look like a gargoyle, you're partially blinded. I'm not sold at all.
- bshacklett 2y ago> you look like a gargoyle I'm glad to see that at least someone, here, reads classic literature. More seriously, there is something truly disturbing about someone's eyes not being visible. This definitely crosses a social boundary or two.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- raffraffraff 2y agoYou're right. This setup just doesn't work for most people. I've tried it (slightly different hardware but effectively a pair of 1080p OLED glasses with myopia dials, wirelesS 75% mech keyboard + mouse, MeLe Quieter 4C with battery pack. It's unwieldy, low res and awkward in real life. The battery doesn't last as long as a decent laptop. The only setup like this that works is the Apple, but it's due-wateringly expensive and heavy. If I was going to expand my mobile setup I'd just get a portable rechargeable monitor to stick beside my laptop.
- tocs3 2y agoCan AR glasses be used as just a monitor? I am under the impression that they are sort of smart devices. How do they get a video signal from the computer?
- fragmede 2y agoxreal air just have a usb-C wire coming down from the back of the glasses
- Borealid 2y agoVR headsets are usually quite smart. For better or for worse - and I personally think it's very much for the better - many AR glasses are a DisplayPort monitor that you wear on your face. They have inertial sensors and speakers, but the interface to the PC is Displayport-over-USBC for video to the glasses, USB Audio Class for the speakers, and usually a proprietary USB peripheral for the inertial measurements. Some AR glasses attempt to require being paired with a dedicated video phone-like device, largely to attempt to extract subscription revenue. Most do not. It's perfectly possible to drive a pair of AR glasses from an Android smartphone, a video-game-focused SBC, or a miniPC. Anything with DisplayPort video out at 1080p or better (3840x1080 if you want 3D videos).
- regularfry 2y agoThe position measurements on the XReal Air are indeed on a custom USB device, but it's been reverse engineered. You can slurp the positioning data off without too much hassle.
- throawayonthe 2y ago[dead]
- kotaKat 2y agoSo, the Xreal glasses are (generally) a dumb USB-C DisplayPort alt-mode device. Plug glasses in, get video to the little displays in your eyes. With a companion app (not needed) you can have your computer do some heavy lifting and make virtual displays out of it. The new "One" unit referenced in this review is the same but does have some smarts to do on-glasses processing of the virtual displays itself instead, if I understand it. Xreal also sells you some companion devices that are just little Android bricks to cast media to and from and play things from as well.
- tdeck 2y agoI thought it would be a mini laptop like these: https://gpdstore.net/product-category/gpd-mini-laptop/ https://gpdstore.net/product-category/gpd-mini-laptop/ But no, he carries around a little Nuc style machine and a full, separate keyboard and charger. It's cool and all, but there's no way this whole jumble would fit in a pocket or be convenient to use on the go.
- Borealid 2y agoThere was a recent announcement of a mini PC that was itself built into a folding keyboard - no screen. That would be the ideal device for this lifestyle.
- fragmede 2y agoraspberry pi comes in a keyboard form factor
- tdeck 2y agoI have one of those and I love it, but it's not powerful enough to be a daily driver for most folks, unfortunately.
- luyu_wu 2y agoI saw a video recently advocating for this exact use case of said PC. That would make it truly pocketable. It is in Chinese however! https://b23.tv/RxSHAhD https://b23.tv/RxSHAhD
- tdeck 2y agoI feel like this kind of product review video is somewhat comprehensible even if you don't speak the language - product reviews area good source of input for language learners!
- jimmySixDOF 2y agoThat was Spacetop and it was released for a while but the company discontinued the glasses now they provide desktop extension software for Xreal glasses. It was a good idea maybe a little ahead of its time.
- mrbonner 2y agoThe Xreal is a nice device. I got the first gen for $199. I'm able to plug this into the MacBook pro and watch Netflix in bed. The fonts do look a bit blurry and small. I don't think I can work with it full time. I don't have myopia (or my number is small to notice).
- jwr 2y agoThanks for posting this! I'd be very interested in more real-life usage comments from people, I don't trust YouTube "reviewers" (who get stuff for free and want cosy relationships with companies). I wonder specifically if their high-end devices (Xreal One Pro?) would be OK for some amount of coding work, or is it just a movie-watching screen. Even if it is only for watching movies, it might still be interesting for flights, though.
- TrueDuality 2y agoI have the Xreal Air and it's alright. Low resolution and a bit blurry text still. It's the nature of optics right now. It's a single virtual display by default unless you run a fairly unstable piece of software. I use it mostly on plane flights. It feels like the tech is almost close enough to really be useful but it's just not quite there yet. It's useful but not pleasant.
- mdp2021 2y ago> a bit blurry I found the Epson Moverio very crisp. ...Of course, though, I used at around 12..14 lines per screen. You have virtual relatively small screens in front of your eyes...
- throwaway290 2y agoCan it be a dumb screen and connect to your own PC like the article?
- mdp2021 2y ago
- metalman 2y agook, your a borg now:), should we call you 1 of 1 ?, or is resistance futile?
- mdp2021 2y agoI believe I have been more efficient with the Epson Moverio (1280x720, black-transparent OLED, Android, 5hrs battery, palm-sized processing unit with buttons and trackpad). Put the glasses on, the processing unit in a pocket (thumb on the controls), and you can walk around processing data overlaid to the scenery. But, like all tools, they are optimal for some tasks and inefficient for others. I never had the time to try and implement text-to speech, to overcome the absence of a practical keyboard (the on-screen one can only be an emergency tool) - with that, the system would have been much more flexible.
- herpdyderp 2y agoHow good are actual VR headsets at being virtual desktop screens? Specifically I've been interested in the Bigscreen Beyond 2 due to its extreme lightweight, but most people seem to use them for gaming instead of doing work. I want more screens (or, even better, an infinite screen) but I don't have the desk space for them. I know the Vision Pro sort of does this but I need the full power of my maxed out MacBook Pro, the Vision Pro is too heavy, and it's way too expensive.
- jbellis 2y agoThe ones that require base stations like the BB are not very portable.
- heelix 2y agoI picked up a Quest 3 headset, with the thoughts of using it coding when I had to deal with a hotel style work desk. The text was just not sharp enough to be usable for programming.
- dpig_ 2y agoWhat software were you using, Virtual Desktop? I find it super clear in a Quest 3 and I often work for hours in it.
- LeonM 2y agoI'd say most of us are actually more curious about the software setup you're using. You seem to have a setup that works for you for productivity tasks, so please share!
- andybak 2y agoNot GP but I use Virtual Desktop with decent home Wifi so I can max out the quality settings. (I can even work remotely if both sides have very fast broadband) One caveat - this is an alternative to using a laptop and my eyesight is somewhat flawed due to middle age. If you're a 20-something with perfect vision and an addiction to 4k screens then this is probably a step down. For me it's on par with my non-VR experience.
- jareds 2y agoI got excided looking at this hoping there was a laptop with out a screen. I'm totally blind so the power draw of a screen is pointless. I currently use my ROG Alli with a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to my more powerful laptop which has a keyboard that's going bad. While this setup works well and the battery life is pretty good it would be much nicer if I didn't have to put a keyboard on my lap, and the Alli on a table. At least the Alli doesn't need to be somewhere where I can look at it.
- KolibriFly 2y agoHonestly surprised no one's really leaned into that as a product category yet. Seems like there could be a small but very appreciative market for it
- nemomarx 2y agoWould one of those computer in a keyboard set ups work, like the rapsberry pi one?
- tmzt 2y agoI'm not sure if this would work for you, but there are inexpensive devices that plug into an HDMI port. They appear to the computer as a monitor. I use them for screen sharing to a remote display, but they should enable to think there is a monitor attached. It negotiates the display information as if it was an actual monitor. Here's the pack of three I purchased on Amazon. Woieyeks 3 Pack HDMI Dummy Plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKKLTWMN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKKLTWMN
- CasperH2O 2y agoSince you mentioned the ROG Ally, if you are looking for a handheld without a screen (basically a controller with a built in computer) you may like the Tecno Pocket Go. Also, great pun with being blind and "excited looking at this".
- gostsamo 2y ago> Also, great pun with being blind and "excited looking at this". I'm also blind and this is not a pun. No one blind I know would change their usage of language to avoid using vision verbs for the sake of underlining how blind they are.
- sathackr 2y agoI've been doing this a few months now with an xreal one and minisforum um790. Same ability to power via usb-C and have other ports available. It's worked very well, the 1920x1080 resoultion of the glasses is pretty clear but I find "anchoring" the screen to be most usable because the edges do get a little blurry, but with the screen anchored you can just "look around" a little to bring them into focus. The biggest drawback is the resolution. While still very sharp and clear, it's tough going from a framework laptop 2256x1504 to 1920x1080. I'm just used to everything being a little smaller and being able to fit more info into my FoV vs having to look around a "larger" screen for it.
- senectus1 2y agoyeah this is whats holding me back... if it was half the price i could handle that resoultion just for the portability benefit, but double the res and I'll dump my monitor
- cma 2y agoAre any of them 4:4:4 1080? Previous gen was only green at full resolution I think which wasn't great for text
- raffraffraff 2y agoSame with the Viture Pro. The OLED is crisp and colourful but the resolution is too low to be useful for productivity unless they really nail the head tracking, and can support lots of virtual monitors (and they haven't done that).
- sathackr 2y agoyea I tried the Viture and the headtracking was nowhere near where it needed to be. I really liked everything else about the Viture Pros. They were lighter than the Xreal ones, generated less heat, and had individual diopter adjustments on each lense. Xreal One however has rock-solid head tracking. It does drift occasionally but it's very tolerable. I returned the Viture Pro and ketp the Xreal one.
- KolibriFly 2y ago
- eternityforest 2y agoSeems like the thing that actually makes this all work is the built in battery on the mini PC. Without it, accidentally unplugging the power bank would be a big problem.
- bee_rider 2y agoIt is as bad as yanking the cord on your computer. I mean, not the greatest thing to do, but not the end of the world with modern filesystems. I used a NUC with some battery pack for ages, accidentally unplugging wasn’t a big problem really. (Sadly smart glasses weren’t where they are now at the time, so I had to lug around some kind of display sometimes).
- cma 2y agoDual Sense edge has a good solution for cable locking, I think it has special places for the hooks to fit in though https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dR9E1gCkNI8&t=1m30s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dR9E1gCkNI8&t=1m30s
- eternityforest 1y agoTowers are generally put in places where it's pretty hard to trip over the cord. I'm pretty sure if I used a mini PC as a portable, it would be a weekly annoyance...
- anonzzzies 2y agoI have used a similar setup for a couple of years now; just plug the glasses into my phone.
- tcherasaro 2y agoThis setup reminds me of “Snow Crash” that Neal Stephenson novel.
- eesmith 2y agoIt reminds me of Steve Mann's WearComp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_computer#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_computer#History
- jz10 2y agotried this before. great for videos, images but fonts were hard to read and edges were blurred. i concluded it wasnt conducive for work so i decided to sell it and stick with my laptop
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- plun9 2y agoUsing AR glasses instead of computer monitors can prevent nearsightedness (myopia) because the virtual image is several meters away.
- ctrlp 2y agoWhat do you do if you already wear prescription lenses?
- system2 2y agoThere are companies selling lenses for Xreal one. I saw one youtube reviewing them.
- raffraffraff 2y agoThe Viture Pro XR have myopia dials. They work well. But I couldn't recommend them for any type of productivity. They're a novelty toy that suits in my drawer, depreciating.
- regularfry 2y agoThey have a mounting for a lens clip where you can put custom prescription lenses. When I bought my Airs they came with a lens frame and opticians' blanks - basically reference lenses that show where the eyeline is - which you can take to an optician for them to use. I got my first set done at a high street optician - Specsavers in the UK - and they were able to do it based on some lens blanks they already had that were close enough in size to what XReal sent. Took less than a week to let me know they were done. But also there's a partner that XReal advertise on their site to do the job. When I got a new prescription recently I gave them a try, and they results are just as good. A little better, actually, but I can't tell what's them and what's having a newer prescription. I should point out that my lenses mainly correct astigmatism, so any models which only have myopia correction wouldn't be any good to me at all. It's got to be custom lenses for me, and it's fine.
- tippytippytango 2y agoThese glasses give me an instant headache and 1080p is abysmal if you are used to 5K displays. I love the idea, hate the actual glasses.
- system2 2y agoHave you tried Xreal One? I heard nothing but good things about them. Although only YouTubers reviewing these are not from the United States, that makes me think Xreal has a different market in the EU.
- regularfry 2y agoI think it's as simple as only shipping to very early customers and reviewers. I've ordered the Pro but I don't expect to get the hardware for another month or so yet.
- KolibriFly 2y agoThe concept is super cool in theory, but in practice it kinda feels like early VR all over again
- LeonM 2y agoWell in all fairness, the first laptops were also barely usable. Ever seen the horrible LCD screen on an early 90s laptop? Being an early adopter will always have downsides, but give it a few more years and the glasses will get better.
- ohgr 2y agoYeah. Also most of the people who review these things seem to have eyes that don’t work.
- kelvie 2y agoThis is how I use my Framework laptop around 80% of the time. So much so that I wish I could just detach the screen (and re-attach it easily). I have the xreal air 1, and have the xreal one's on order, they seem to be the leader in this space with their on-glasses processing for "anchor" mode. I got these primarily to start gaming, but really, I just use the one hour of downtime before bed to do side projects (usually coding) while laying down, and it's been great. And the spouse does not complain about the bright screen. Another advantage is that the muscles around my elbows are a lot less sore, as a laptop really isn't ergonomic to stare down into, unless you build one with a much taller screen [1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIm6Dhxn3Ak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIm6Dhxn3Ak
- raffraffraff 2y agoI tried this with the Viture Pro XR glasses last year and it sucks. Can't use it with Linux, except in dumb monitor mode. No head tracking unless you're using a supported OS. Android app sucks becaus you can't use it with any old app, eg productivity apps (their app is like a demo of head tracking that only supports stuff like YouTube and local media). Maybe I should have purchased the Xreals?
- 0x400000 2y agoThe open-source Breezy GNOME is worth a try. It has head tracking and multi-monitor in beta with GNOME DE. https://github.com/wheaney/breezy-desktop https://github.com/wheaney/breezy-desktop
- 1oooqooq 2y agoopen source that requires a commercial license. and the drivers link to a repo that 404. think i will pass.
- mbreese 2y agoWhich is particular odd to have a publicly available GPL repo. For this project, it looks like anyone could just comment out those sections of code that check for a license and redistribute. Or is there another binary somehow required and wasn’t clear in my 2 minutes of searching?
- mzajc 2y agoIt gets even worse, looks like their driver makes calls to google analytics.[1] I'd stay away. The README doesn't even mention it, and the promise that "your personal data will never be shared, sold, or distributed in any form." certainly sounds misleading when you consider this. [1] https://github.com/wheaney/XRLinuxDriver/blob/main/src/plugins/metrics.c https://github.com/wheaney/XRLinuxDriver/blob/main/src/plugi...
- rendaw 1y ago
- Abishek_Muthian 2y agoAR glasses brings great accessibility improvements, especially those who are bedridden; I wrote the need-gap for wearable low latency computer displays[1] ~6 years ago when I was in bed recovering from a spinal fusion surgery as the only option available to me were those unwieldy bed mounts for monitors and it requires help from others to adjust the angles. [1] https://needgap.com/problems/16-wearable-low-latency-display-for-computers-display-wearables https://needgap.com/problems/16-wearable-low-latency-display...
- wordpad 2y agoSince when is having a laptop on your lap or by your side a problem in bed? That's my default wfh setup. I even have a 2nd monitor on a standard arm mounted to my bedrest for when I need it. I do also use Xreal One but only when I'm trying not to wake my partner.
- em-bee 2y agoto use a laptop you need to be sitting up. when you are bedridden many times you can't do that. and even healthy, sitting in bed with my legs stretched out is uncomfortable for longer periods of time. not to mention most people would balk at their partner doing that when they share a bed. consider yourself lucky. but do check that you are giving enough attention to your partner otherwise. i have at least one friend who got divorced specifically because he was more interested in computers than his wife.
- Dylan16807 2y ago> not to mention most people would balk at their partner doing that when they share a bed. consider yourself lucky. but do check that you are giving enough attention to your partner otherwise. i have at least one friend who got divorced specifically because he was more interested in computers than his wife. The question was about a laptop as contrast to AR glasses. AR glasses are worse here.
- throwaway290 2y ago
- supermatt 2y agoHow can the xreal one glasses be 3Dof and stay in place while this guy is moving forward and backwards in his chair? https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/bc70020e90a74871b14172454b0757d9/bc70020e90a74871b14172454b0757d9.HD-1080p-3.3Mbps-39117806.mp4?v=0 https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/bc70020e90a74... https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/a2b82ae2ea71479589604362d594b1b5/a2b82ae2ea71479589604362d594b1b5.HD-1080p-3.3Mbps-39117809.mp4?v=0 https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/a2b82ae2ea714... I appreciate its a marketing video, but this is just a lie, no? What is the actual supported input resolution of the display? How do virtual monitors work - are they just a composite screen that needs to fit in that max input resolution, or is there some virtual viewport that is being managed by the connected device? There is so little information about these on the website, and the few reviews I can find are basically people who got them for free (youtube is seemingly full of these right now) and clearly don't use multi-monitor setups to any great extent.
- wordpad 2y agoYou can check discord for a lot of people trying these out in various ways. The screen gets anchored to a direction and distance from you, so yes, leaning in would push the screen back (which feels natural, especially when you walk around).
- supermatt 2y agoin those videos i linked, the user is leaning in and the screen stays in the SAME position, which is why I am asking how it can be an accurate representation
- skykooler 2y agoThey do have accelerometers as well as gyroscopes, so technically they could integrate acceleration twice to keep track of position...but in practice it's way more reliable to just keep it at a constant distance from the head.
- supermatt 2y ago
- aquir 2y agoI would do the same but with a Mac Mini!
- seltzered_ 2y agoFwiw, the /r/ergomobilecomputers tracks a number of these setups involving xreal glasses: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/search/?q=xreal https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/search/?q=xreal . Hasn't been my cup of tea but seems tempting if one has specific ergonomic needs like supine computing. There was one post of someone using them to juggle getting computer work done while handling childcare (endorsing such a thing likely depends a lot on context).
- KolibriFly 2y agoI love the creativity, but for me? If I forget one cable, the whole mission falls apart and I'm back to scribbling in a notebook like it's 1995.
- LeonM 2y agoAuthor's setup doesn't really have that problem as far as I can see. AFAIK the cable from the xreal glasses don't even detach, keyboard and mouse are wireless. I guess you could forget the USB-C cable for power of the minipc, but you can get a USB-C cable literally anywhere. Or borrow one from someone whose laptop is already charged. The 'problem' you describe is not much different from forgetting to bring the charger for your laptop. USB-C being ubiquitous made this so much less of a problem.
- regularfry 2y agoThe cable on the XReal Air does detach, but there's a compartment in the case where it lives. It's unlikely you'll forget it.
- nicbou 2y agoI don't see it mentioned, but I'd feel completely ridiculous using this in a coffee shop or on the train.
- LeonM 2y agoThat was also my first thought when reading the title. But then looking at it, these just look like any regular sunglasses. Maybe slightly more bulky, but there are plenty of people wearing 'designer' sunglasses bigger than that. This is already a huge step up from full head units like Quest/VisionPro/etc. Just remember that only a couple of years ago that Apple introduced the wireless earbuds and people also thought they looked ridiculous, now they're everywhere and nobody even notices anymore. I feel like I'm defending this article a lot here in this topic, but for one, I am genuinely excited about this concept. Tech is not really there yet, but I can totally see me ditching my laptop for such a setup.
- nicbou 2y agoI wouldn't do it, personally, and that would be one of the main reasons. It says more about me than about the idea itself though. I would love it for the ergonomics. If it's not too hard on the eyes I would consider it at home.
- regularfry 2y agoThe real win for me is being able to work outside in full sunlight, without having to care about screen glare. I have used them in the office and in coffee shops but that's almost incidental.
- swader999 2y agoChairlift at ski hill. You're on it most of the ski day. I've done the math with Strava and a typical day has me on snow for less than half an hour lift and lodge are the rest. I used to study on chairlift during university with just a bunch of paper.
- 2y ago
- Mortiffer 2y agoSounds like sponsored content. Every other review I have read people say they go back to laptop because the text fidelity, eye strain and keyboard on lap is just the best productivity setup
- jbs789 2y agoI thought the same. Notice he doesn’t say it’s better than a laptop, only better than he expected. Then he goes on to explain what he doesn’t like about laptops generally, without explaining what he doesn’t like about this set up.
- videogreg93 2y agoI had trouble believing anything in the article since every sentence or 2 has a link to "the best laptop" or "the best powerbank". Just seems like a hub for a bunch of links to sponsored content.
- tdehnke 1y agoDon't forget the link to the massively updated Best Chair post, loaded with affiliate links :)
- andybak 2y agoI'm over 50 and need reading glasses as well as distance glasses. I actually find working in the Quest 3 better than a laptop in many ways. The balance betweeen (virtual) screen size and focussing distance seems to be easier to balance. With a laptop the distance sweet spot for vision isn't always the same as the comfort sweet spot for posture. I could probably optimize my desk setup to improve this - but the point of a laptop is freedom from being chained to a desk. If I could get a remote keyboard/trackpad with a better range then I wouldn't need a laptop at all but currently I also use a laptop and Chrome Remote Desktop when I need text entry or a regular mouse.
- losvedir 2y agoYeah, it's interesting because the focal distance in the Quest is a fixed ~5 ft, regardless of the apparent depth of the thing you're looking at in VR. This is a pretty comfortable spot for old eyes, so it can make things a little crisper compared to real life, at shorter and further apparent distances. Though it comes with its own set of discomfort issues: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergence-accommodation_conflict https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergence-accommodation_confl...
- ikurei 2y agoI've seen a couple of this kinds of setups online and I'm intrigued, as I'm just done with the laptop form factor, but I don't think this is it. I see the appeal of the XR glasses for immersion and monitor real state, but if you wanted to be outside and went to a coffee shop... I woudldn't cover my eyes and immerse myself totally on the computer; for starters, I wouldn't feel safe. Also, I don't think anyone would also wear headphones with that in a public place, so I hope you don't get a particularly chatty group on the next table over... There's many situations where I want to look at a display but I don't want to cover my eyes. On the other hand, this kind of on-the-go-but-with-a-desktop-pc only works with glasses. Some have tried it with a portable display and it seems like way too much fussiness to set up and carry. I doubt this guy actually ditched his laptop. He did an experiment for content (nothing wrong with that) and I reckon he'll be back on a laptop sooner rather than later.
- Philpax 2y agoThey're AR, not VR, so you can still see your surroundings.
- danielEM 2y agoHaving nreal air. It is so freaking inconvenient to wear for longer that every time I see someone posting how they replaced regular screen with ar glasses or vr (yes, tried also Quest 2) I laugh HARD!
- andybak 2y agoI regularly work for a few hours at a time in a Quest 3. Feel free to laugh.
- danielEM 2y agoDidn't try Quest 3, but biggest disadvantages of quest 2 are: - half a kilo hanging in front of your face - working in the summer w/o air conditioning is a nightmare
- andybak 2y agoNever massively noticed the weight but I guess I'm comparing with the OG Vive and other 1st gen headsets. As for the summer thing - I live in the UK so it's less of an issue...
- 1dom 2y agoI do this occasionally, and have done for years. On earlier or lower resolution headsets with Fresnel lenses, it does force you to look at a screen slightly differently - everything has to be a bit larger, you have to move your head/eyes a bit more to deal with blurry edges. Pancake lens devices like quest pro is fine though. I tend to favour one large virtual screen in vr though, whereas in real life, I prefer one large and one portrait second monitor. Being able to touchtype is useful. Haven't tried virtual desktop recently, but immersedvr has always been the best work vr app, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because the company is a bit of a joke. They are a case study in everything wrong with silicon valley tech over the past decade. Name a shitty money making buzzword, and they've pivoted towards it and failed at it.
- Tepix 2y agoIt‘s sad to read through this article on Tom‘s that a) awfully reads like an ad and b) manages not to mention the screen resolution of AR glasses used as a desktop replacement!
- dazzawazza 2y agoAfter a few paragraphs I just assumed it was a marketing post and moved on.
- spicyusername 2y agoBeware, this is just an ad
- giantg2 2y agoThe keyboard is the real issue for me. Sure they make the laser protected ones, but they just feel weird (not to mention pricey). Maybe the super thin folding/rolling ones are OK. But why not a phone or a laptop? What use case does this really solve?
- laweijfmvo 2y agoThat battery pack is too large to fly with, unless they changed the regulations? Used to be 10,000 mAH no?
- daggersandscars 2y agoThe limit (in the US?) is 100 Wh. If this is the right battery, the specs page says it's 90 Wh. https://www.ugreen.com/products/ugreen-nexode-power-bank-25000mah-200w-with-smart-digital-display https://www.ugreen.com/products/ugreen-nexode-power-bank-250...
- nashashmi 2y agoHe mentions that it is FAA compliant.
- jdietrich 2y agoThe limit is any number of spare batteries of up to 100Wh, or no more than two batteries of over 100Wh but less than 160Wh. 25000mAh worth of lithium cells works out to about 90Wh.
- Tepix 2y ago100 Wh, with LiIon usually around 27Ah
- neuroelectron 2y agoKind like the deck in Neuromancer.
- returntooffice 2y ago[flagged]
- steveBK123 2y agoLooks like with all the bits & bobs it takes up more space than a laptop, and is worse?
- T3uZr5Fg 2y ago[dead]
- creativenolo 2y agoSo hard to see the content sneaked in around the ads
- joeconway 2y agousing a mechanical keyboard on a plane is truly unhinged
- yokoprime 2y agoThe thing with a laptop or tablet is that setup time id nearly nothing, so just kicking back in the couch or anywhere you can quickly reply to an email or do some work. this setup requires sitting down at a table or desk. this little overhead will create enough of a barrier that you wont actually do it unless you plan on doing some serious work. So that makes this at best a desktop replacement.
- exiguus 2y agoSomeone got this to work with Linux?
- contingencies 1y agoGoing to try this. Gentoo desktop at home but have a few solid months of business travel coming up and need hardware I can rely on. Went to the Apple store recently and was shocked they try to sell Macbooks with screens with a chunk out of them... what? I asked the salesperson and they said it's been this way for 2-3 years. Shows how much of a rock I live under, but gee Steve Jobs is surely glitching in his grave! Looked seriously at framework but too slow and expensive here in Oz. Nobody else seems to have decent ARM mini PC hardware. Therefore despite a strong distate for Apple I'm looking at Mac Mini + glasses (for flights) + bluetooth input + portable screen / 27K mAh 140W USB powerbank (for occasional mobile use). Hidden in a backpack I think it'll be a better roaming experience than a laptop (more keyboard choice, larger screen, screen position flexible, improved ergonomics) for a fraction of the Macbook (much less Apple vision!) price. Also, unlike a modern Macbook the IO devices and power bank can be upgraded and Asahi Linux will eventually run well on the things, which lends an air of potential longevity. Final cost: Mini (24GB) @ USD$940 + 24k mAh USB powerbank @ USD$69 + 18" 2.5K screen @ USD$239 + VITURE Pro XR/AR @ USD$470 = $1718. Ordered some different input options, basically will be under $150 depending what I don't send back. So definitely under $1850. Entry level Macbook Pro with non-square screen, no glasses, lower specs, smaller fixed screen, annoying keyboard, zero repairability is $2500. I'll put the extra $650 toward upgrades later.
- contingencies 1y ago... and glasses don't fit. So much for that notion!
- jaxtracks 1y agoI've been doing something similar for the past couple years for several different modes of working: 1) In my campervan with Starlink internet so I don't need to set up additional screens 2) Cafes and co-working spaces when I don't mind looking like a huge dork 3) Out at trailheads/crags when I don't mind looking like an even huger dork Some notes: - Pocketable PC or laptop works, but Samsung phone with DEX is really the move since you don't need to tether or anything, just plug in, use Termux to SSH to your dev box (my beefy home rig over Tailscale usually) and go. - Power demands aren't insane, phone battery is good for a few hours. Wireless charger or power splitter necessary for more. - One-handed chording keyboard (I'm up to about 50wpm on a Twiddler) makes working in a terminal pretty straightforward. You can use the phone's screen as a mouse with this setup. - The new XReal glasses with built-in chip are great. Pros drop soon, should be better. With Vitures or other glasses where the display is fixed, terminal work is still do-able if you're proficient with tmux or similar. - Downside of the new integrated chip glasses is outdoor usability. They got hot in direct sun, and leak more light. - You do look really weird using these in public since you're wearing dark glasses indoors looking around. I don't let it deter me from getting my work done but yeah, just be warned. I've done week-long bikepacking trips taking only my phone, twiddler, XReals, and small solar panel. As long as I can hit cell for a couple hours a day I can still keep things moving with my consulting clients. I usually do this just sitting up against a tree wherever I got good signal. Starlink mini seems like it would add more freedom to this (I like remote singletrack) but it's too heavy and power-hungry for leg or bike based trips still. We're about to try a rafting trip with a couple other outdoor-oriented digital nomads and a Starlink this season though!
- 1vuio0pswjnm7 1y agoNB. This "pocketable" mini PC contains a fan and vapour chamber liquid cooling.
- nickzelei 1y agoCool that they are shipping. I’ve had my eyes on the Visor for a long time now. They seem like the best solution but haven’t shipped yet. Not knocking them but it appears they are in production hell. If there is anyone that’s gotten their hands on a pair, would be curious to know how it stacks up to xreal.
- jean_de_baill 1y agoWhere AR glasses realy shine is when used with Samsung Dex. I have been traveling with my XReal Air 2 Pro plugged into my Samsung Galaxy S23 (in m picket) connected to a Bluetooth mouse and foldable keyboard. It packs into a poutch. It is definitely not usable for long (eye strain, blurred edges) but enables me to get some work done on the go ( editing, email, spreadsheets, etc.. )
- vaxman 1y agoXReal.isAChineseCompany == TRUE Be sure to fill out the customer information/registration and download the latest firmware :/
- jpencausse 1y agoI like the setup, have it in mind for XReal Pro but not convinced. 1. The FoV is limited, it's cool on the go but won't replace my Odyssey Ark 55 2. The CPU/GPU is limited, so why not simply using your Phone + XReal ? 3. All your meeting with Team/Zoom/Meet won't works So yes if your task are surfing the web, using office app it should works until an AI do your job ;-) But if you are working ... Photoshop, Davinci Resolve, Advanced Coding, 3D Building, ...