The Apple Vision Pro has been in the news a lot over the last few months. Now it’s actually available there’s increased interest and several reviews of the hardware. Rather than tell you whether you should buy one, I’m going to tell you why I’m not (yet) and how I hope that will let me achieve more in the short term.
This article is not a review, but you can find an in-depth review on the Mrwhosetheboss channel
Don’t buy it
There are many obvious reasons not to buy the Vision Pro, let’s get them out of the way first.
Price : starting at $3499 it’s not a cheap item. You could buy a Macbook or maybe two for less than that. That does not, by itself, make it a bad idea though. I spent about as much when I joined the (now discontinued) NAO developer programme run by Aldebaran Robotics. I’ve never got as much enjoyment from an investment before, or since. I had access to state of the art hardware, a community of very talented people and made several good friends.
Availability - the Vision Pro being on sale only in the USA is a bit of a blocker. I’m sure that will change, but that’s not the reason for the “yet” in the title - my reasoning would be the same even if the Vision Pro was currently on sale in the UK.
Battery life - It’s true. You’re not going to be wandering the streets for hours wearing this headset. But would you anyway? I’m not sure I have the confidence to wander around London for long periods of time with the Vision Pro stuck to my face.
Creepy looking avatars - It’s not like my real face is a work of art. I’m sure people could handle it.
Not many apps - No YouTube. No Netflix - Honestly, if I got one it wouldn’t be to lie on the couch and watch movies isolated from my family.
Buy it
There are some compelling reasons for a developer, like myself, to want a Vision Pro.
Technology - the Vision Pro is a seriously cool piece of kit. I’m impressed with what Apple have packed into a small package. It gives the impression of being the best (as well as the most expensive) headset on the market to date.
Opportunity - not many apps? That means the field is wide open for you to write one. It’s a bit like the early days of the iPhone when independent developers had a chance to get established in a new niche.
Why Dave? Why?
I admit it. I am very very tempted by the Vision Pro.
I’m a sucker for new technology. Photographers have a name for this: GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
I find it very easy to see a new piece of technology and imagine all the cool stuff I could do with it.
Focus
One of my weaknesses is a lack of focus. I start new projects and find it hard to finish them because I get distracted by some other new shiny thing.
I’ve found it hard to get stuff done these last few months - work and training for a 100km run has left me with little spare energy. Work on The Social Robot has stalled. In the light of this acquiring yet another distraction does not feel like a winning formula.
Don’t let me stop you buying a Vision Pro if it feels right for you. However, I have a few things to complete first…