I left the headline like the original, but I see this as a massive win for Apple. The device is ridiculously expensive, isn’t even on sale yet and already has 150 apps specifically designed for that.

If Google did this, it wouldn’t even get 150 dedicated apps even years after launch (and the guaranteed demise of it) and even if it was something super cheap like being made of fucking cardboard.

This is something that as an Android user I envy a lot from the Apple ecosystem.

Apple: this is a new feature => devs implement them in their apps the very next day even if it launches officially in 6 months.

Google: this is a new feature => devs ignore it, apps start to support it after 5-6 Android versions

  • Oh yeah, I meant eventually, not with this device. I doubt this will take off honestly, the tech is too new and bulky and expensive still. If virtual environments ever do become prolific though, I doubt we’ll still use a visual representation if a keyboard at all, what would be the point.

    • @Zworf@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      110 months ago

      What do you envision we’ll use then? Dictation perhaps?

      I don’t really use that much because it’s not really up to scratch yet IMO. But of course that may come.

      • Dictation in some cases sure, but it’s not really secure if you’re around people, and could also get weird talking to air all the time. I think if ar/wearable screens really want to take off were going to need an entirely new input method. Typing on a virtual keyboard is just so impractical, especially if you’re say on a train or something. I think it’ll be something like what I described, a lightweight wearable glove or fingertip sensor or something, and you input based on fingertip taps. You can keep your hands down by your sides while typing, don’t have to flail about in the air just to quickly google something or answer the text that popped up on your glasses. Or a physical little keypad that can slip in your pocket, but with few enough buttons that you can type without having to look at it, like t9 texting.

        • @Zworf@beehaw.org
          link
          fedilink
          110 months ago

          Hmm interesting yeah…

          I was thinking of swype typing. I notice I can comfortable type on tiny keyboards this way (like the one on my Unihertz Jelly which has a 2.5" screen). Perhaps that would work better in VR especially because it doesn’t rely so much on forwards/backwards movements but only sideways/up-down which are much easier to track from the point of view of the head.