Microsoft HoloLens

Impressive announcement from Microsoft today — a set of goggles that projects 3D rendered images into your field of vision. No pricing or shipping date announced, but CEO Satya Nadella claimed it would ship “in the Windows 10 timeframe”, whatever that means.

A few thoughts:

  • HoloLens is like the anti-Glass. Google proposed Glass as something you’d wear everywhere, making you look weird and creepy. HoloLens is clearly something you’ll only wear in private, while working or playing. And, by virtue of being so much bigger and more obtrusive, HoloLens is far more powerful and capable.

  • Microsoft’s two-minute product intro video is a cheat. Compare the fidelity and precision of the projected elements in the product video with the video of the actual on stage demo. Let me be clear: the actual demo is very cool, and I would love to try this out. But it’s nowhere near as cool as the downright Minority Report-quality effects they show in the product video. Under-promise and over-deliver is the way to introduce new technology.

★ Wednesday, 21 January 2015