Apple and VR/AR -- "Stay Tuned!"

That's an inkling of a start.

I think it's worth pointing out that when people talk about "VR" they're generally referring to something relatively specific like an Oculus - full immersion. AR, on the other hand, is a far broader term, often referring to things like Invisimals or Pokemon Go or the aforementioned translation app - it can be full immersion but can also be screen-based experiences.

This is pure speculation, but I get the impression from the linked article that the comment is distancing Apple's possible interest in AR from an interest in VR.

It makes a lot of sense that AR is "larger", in so far as the devices we already carry in our pockets not only already can do it, but often already are and have been for quite some time. It also makes a lot of sense to me to start things in existing and already mass-accessible (screen-based) AR formats that can be expanded to full-immersion formats later on. Early adopters and enthusiasts could then use their headsets and whatnot without the requirement for such things stopping the application from being more widely adopted.

For instance, that Minecraft demo Microsoft showed off with the Hololens is really cool, though I see no reason you couldn't do something very similar using a tablet as a window-style IO device. No, it wouldn't be as cool, but it'd still be pretty darn cool, and it'd be immediately accessible to loads of people. And then later when people actually get to buy headsets then they get to upgrade that experience. In other words, it gets to the same "VR/AR" destination in the long term with a far more accessible adoption curve in the middle.

 

Well really Apple should make their Apple dev program free or something more reasonable like $25. I have had the embarrassment of being asked to donate to a elementary school fund raiser for iPads! I'm like oh, the government or Apple won't help schools with that, a childless, uneducated stranger must, as if they really need those iPads. Hope they have fun and learn with them at least, personally I think eraser fights are more fun.

 

Government loves to spend money frivolously. Personally I think they'd be better off with a bunch of Amazon Kindle Fires as the things are ridiculously cheap to begin with but maybe the iPads can be better locked down.

 

Actually you can good Androids even cheaper and there is that Google School Classroom app or whatever it's called. LOL, maybe it's one of those magnet schools.