You may be aware that the Apple Vision Pro is set to launch soon. Even before the reviews become available, I'm eager to assess the device based solely on the information we currently have, including Apple's announcement and narrative.
From my observations of Apple's keynote, advertisements, and YouTube videos, it appears that the Apple Vision Pro is content consumption device first. While it may support productivity software such as email and other applications, I don't envision this device being utilised extensively for work or content creation.
My reasoning behind this perspective stems from several factors. Firstly, wearing the Apple Vision Pro for extended periods, exceeding an hour or two, might pose discomfort due to its weight. Given that content creation and work often entail extended periods of engagement, the discomfort associated with prolonged wear renders it impractical for such tasks. Secondly, the feasibility of using a traditional mouse and keyboard while wearing the headset appears dubious for serious work. Many individuals rely on glancing at their keyboards while typing, a habit that isn't seamlessly facilitated by the see-through keyboard option offered by the headset. Moreover, the gestures and eye tracking functionalities likely fall short of the precision required for proficient work and content creation tasks.
Additionally, it's essential to note that the Vision Pro isn't a Mac, and all compatible applications must be sourced exclusively from Apple's App Store. Consequently, a significant portion of productivity software may not be available on the visionOS platform. The alternative method of accessing such software would involve having a Mac within the same vicinity and mirroring its display as a window within the Vision Pro, which does not seem like an optimal solution for serious work.
However, the device seems to excel in its content consumption capabilities. The video viewing experience is expected to be exceptional and fully immersive, making browsing through personal photos and videos a delight. Additionally, watching tv shows and movies should also be an excellent viewing experience, with the added bonus of supporting 3D movies. Also, the ability to immerse oneself in fully virtual spaces promises an enjoyable adventure that blurs the lines between the virtual and the real. Furthermore, gaming, although not extensively discussed by Apple thus far, can be another strong suit of the device. Overall, the Apple Vision Pro appears to be positioned as a premier device for content consumption and entertainment, offering a plethora of immersive options for users.
This echoes the capabilities of the iPad. Historically, the iPad has reigned supreme as the ultimate portable consumption device, surpassing even the Mac and iPhone in these aspects. Whether for watching movies, tv shows, browsing photos and videos, gaming, reading, or video calls, the iPad has consistently offered a superior experience. Its simplicity, ease of use, compact size, lightweight design, and impressive screen and speakers have made it the go-to choice for those seeking a device primarily for content consumption and sparingly for productivity tasks.
If you think about the Vision Pro is almost exactly that. Its key strengths lie in browsing photos and videos, tv shows, movies, immersive video calls, and potentially gaming. Similar to the iPad, it doesn't excel as a primary device for intensive tasks such as photo editing, video editing, coding, and various other professional endeavors.
Certainly, while individuals like Federico Viticci and Christopher Lawley might find methods to adapt their entire workflow to the Vision Pro, much like they have done with the iPad, for the majority, utilising the Vision Pro as a primary work computer would likely not be feasible.
Apple is adopting the Apple Watch strategy with the Vision Pro. Just as they initially experimented with various features for the Watch and eventually found success with Health, Fitness, and Notifications, Apple is now employing a similar approach for the Vision Pro. However, my speculation is that, the Vision Pro will predominantly emerge as a content consumption device rather than a primary work computer for the majority of users. It seems likely that the Vision Pro could evolve into the equivalent of an iPad for many users in the future.
