First impressions from a 30 min demo.
I’ve always been someone who is impressed by gadgets. By those shiny, smooth devices that look hi-tech and like they’re from a sci-fi blockbuster. But for some reason, I wasn’t too engaged with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro (AVP). Probably because the astronomical price just meant I was never entertaining the idea.
I have family that work for Apple, and while it means I’m maybe not the biggest geek in the family, it does mean I get a little insight into the newest products coming from their stores. New phones, laptops or tablets rarely get much more than some positive comments. The AVP however, generated some very excited messages to my phone. Maybe this was something more special than I thought?
I admit to watching the youtube reviews, including the full length review from Marques Brownlee. Both of them.
These reviews came out in Feb this year and while they clearly comment that the AVP is far from perfect, it is something very different. Different for Apple and something different for us gadget lovers. This isn’t an Apple advert, but their ideas and possibilities looked so impressive (and sometimes a bit weird), although I didn’t think what they were trying to do was plausible, and wanting for a better word… realistic.
I don’t own a VR headset. I have used them in various contexts but have never felt the need to have them in my life, either for work or for play. However, I’m fascinated by what immersive experiences can do for teaching and learning, and as more development continues, these new horizons look impressive and exciting. So, I booked a demo and headed for what I thought was going to be a flashy, new, VR headset.
Apple don’t label the AVP as a VR headset. They tag it as ‘spatial computing’. Very Apple I thought but as my demo began, I started to realise that while immersion is the intention, it is absolutely about the space around the user as much as the virtual space generated within. Augmented reality is nothing new, but the connection between the user’s gestures, eye direction, hearing and movements felt groundbreaking. There’s plenty of photos to browse in the demo. Panoramic visions of Iceland or Africa were stunning but the real shocks came from the 3D photos and video. Special mention to the 3D 360 degree vision of the Moon’s surface. Just wow.
From moving application windows around me to interacting with ultra realistic 3D models floating in the Apple store in front of me, with very subtle pinch gestures I started to feel completely at ease with what I was experiencing. Delivering a presentation to a boardroom or keynote to a theatre (both of which could be filled with other AVP users) started to open ideas of how this technology and philosophy could bridge gaps in teaching, learning and assessment (TLA). Distance learners could be very easily transported to campus, to meet for lectures, workshops, tutorials. The 3D capturing of the AVP means that content could be captured in ways not currently available. Such 3D perspectives in engineering, medicine, dentistry, beauty to name just a few could transform the way in which content is engaged with.
I’m trying not to sound over enthusiastic. When gadgets meet TLA, there’s often a bit of tail wagging the dog. Like someone who has a new hammer looking for something to hit. Keeping my feet on the ground as much as I can, this device, firstly, feels like an entertainment tool. (I haven’t even touched on that side of it. And there is only so much I can experience in a 30 min demo). But there are the sounds of doors opening to opportunities within TLA. The tools on board to bring people together in ‘spaces’ is something I would want to explore with regard to engaging learners and students. While there are many people developing great TLA content for XR (extended reality), the next level could really be arriving in the shape of the space around the Apple Vision Pro.
There are many headsets available. Most of them are nothing like the whopping price tag that sits on the AVP. But for your own experience, and some fun along the way, it may be a very inspiring 30 mins to book a demo and see the new bar level.
I ducked the basketball.
