HoloLens - First Impressions

SamG

I want to preface this discussion by stating that I'm a long-time user (and fan) of Microsoft products (starting with Windows in the mid-80s). I'm also a loyal developer who has worked in the Microsoft space since the MS-DOS days.

I recently signed up for the HoloLens Developer program and attended a demo at a Microsoft store. Frankly, I was disappointed with the 3 demos that I saw. There's a wide quality gap between the videos that Microsoft has posted demonstrating HoloLens experiences and the actual experience that you get when you use the device. In brief, these are the areas where I think the device has significant shortcomings. Keep in mind my experience only lasted 45 minutes:

1) Very limited field of view. In all 3 demos, it didn't take much head movement to have holograms shift out of view. A proper distance of around 4-5 feet seemed to be always necessary.

2) Holograms were not as sharp as they appeared in all the demo videos.

3) The device appeared to be somewhat sluggish at times in reacting to user commands or rendering holograms; I guess this is understandable given the pre-release nature and the current hardware configuration.

I'd be prepared to overlook the above shortcomings if the unit price was somewhat reasonable, but at the asking price of $3,000, I'll probably pass if I'm invited.

I still believe this technology has a lot of promise, but not at the current (32-bit) hardware configuration and price. I'd be very interested in opposing views; it's quite possible that my initial, limited interaction did not do the device justice.

HoloSheep

@SamG said:
it's quite possible that my initial, limited interaction did not do the device justice.

I think most of us will agree with that part of your post

I shared my first impression with HoloLens in early 2015.

To be honest, the more I work with the device the more immersive I find the experience.

Sure, I still notice the limited FOV (which is only going to improve as we continue along the exponential technology curve), but I am also finding that the brain seems to adapt in an interesting way where the body's movement and the responsive window into the holographic space begin to blend the two worlds together in a way that is quite immersive.

HoloTour is another great example where this one app has changed my view about the significant VR like potential that the HoloLens also has beyond its already very potent MR abilities.

@SamG said:
I'd be prepared to overlook the above shortcomings if the unit price was somewhat reasonable, but at the asking price of $3,000, I'll probably pass if I'm invited.

While you focus on what you perceive as the shortcomings of the device, be aware that many others are focusing on the potential and what they can create with the ground breaking V1 version of this device now in anticipation of where the Windows Holographic platform is heading.

SamG

@HoloSheep, thank you for your thoughtful response and the link to your detailed earlier experience with HoloLens.

I have a lot of respect for what the various dev teams have accomplished so far with the platform - and I agree with you that there's great future potential for this technology. I just have to determine if, in my various use-cases (financial apps mostly), there's long-term value to getting involved this early.

SamG

@HoloSheep, thank you for your thoughtful response and the link to your detailed earlier experience with HoloLens.

I have a lot of respect for what the various dev teams have accomplished so far with the platform - and I agree with you that there's great future potential for this technology. I just have to determine if, in my various use-cases (financial apps mostly), there's long-term value to getting involved this early.

CurvSurf

Any concern about the HW performance of HoloLens will be no issue at all, e.g., about FOV, resolution, speed, heat, etc. Every 3~4 years will give you SW developers 10 times gains and freedom, at least for the next 10 years.

We CurvSurf are totally satisfactory for the current performance of and the currently foreseeable progresses with HoloLens (We have experiences in both HW and SW development of 3-D cameras).

Microsoft Kinect, Google Project Tango, Intel RealSense, and now Microsoft HoloLens are the futuristic directional arrow.

But, the current concerns about HoloLens for us as SW developer are that the raw streaming data e.g. point cloud are not available to SW developers. You Microsoft have no reason to cover them over.

Wiredcoach

SamG, I understand your comments and perspective. It's probably not at all clear if financial apps can benefit from the HoloLens experience.

I do want to give a different perspective, though. In 1984 I got a Mac 128K and started a Mac software company. But, you couldn't actually program on the Mac, there were no tools. You had to buy the Lisa computer. It cost me about $10K to get everything. In today's dollars that would be at least $15K, I would guess. And I promptly handed it over to a high school kid. (I'm not a coder.) So $3K for the device doesn't seem steep to me, at all.

That early Mac certainly had its limitations, but I could see that it was a game-changer, with its GUI. I got in on the ground floor, and my brand new company flourished. So, that same kind of opportunity just might exist here. I just think that this whole holographic thing will take longer to pan out than the the Macintosh did, so you probably should take that into account.

• • Charlie Jackson - -

SamG

@Wiredcoach (Charlie) - Thanks for your sage advice! We have a shared point of origin (1984), You chose a Mac, I chose an AT&T PC6300 [for the young ones, yes, AT&T made PCs back then!] You were much more successful with your ventures and I'm humbled and inspired that you took the time to give your perspective on my original question!

I agree with you that it will take time for this new interface to catch on and the hardware probably has to morph substantially before this happens. I ordered and received my device as part of Wave 2 despite my initial reservations - and I'm glad I did. It's also only slightly more expensive in absolute dollars than my AT&T 6300 was in 1984

Over the next few weeks and months I'll be researching and hopefully developing a compelling app experience for financial services using HoloLens. If it's worth sharing, I'll certainly post again to this forum.

DanglingNeuron

Dont miss the forest for the trees. I just received mine and I dont think you want to be bogged down by battery time and FOV and whatever else you think is not perfect. It is a developer device - 1st iteration. Price, yes thats also a way for Microsoft to give to people who are "really" interested and serious about it. I wish I was one of the early wave1 recipients.. I might have had several apps published by now but hey better late than never!

qporit

@HoloSheep said "Sure, I still notice the limited FOV (which is only going to improve as we continue along the exponential technology curve), but I am also finding that the brain seems to adapt in an interesting way where the body's movement and the responsive window into the holographic space begin to blend the two worlds together in a way that is quite immersive."

The FOV matters differently in different applications. It also depends on how well the headset is adjusted, especially with glasses. The FOV will certainly improve as the tech improves.

For the eventual CONSUMER edition of the HoloLens, though, the FOV must not be any kind of problem with ANY application, even (or especially) the first time the consumer tries the device!