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Comment by mncharity | Hacker News Reader

For a reality check on those large virtual desktop illustrations, while I do like the (same hardware?) NReal Light's 1080p, its 52 deg FOV means looking at such a desktop through a smaller, not-curved, head-pointed portal. Picture holding up your laptop, so it appears 5 fists across diagonally, and then waving it around, likely synchronized with your neck. Which looks something vaguely like these:[1][2].

[1] Phone photo through NReal Light https://twitter.com/mncharity/status/1397553615372529668/pho... [2] DIY rough analogy https://twitter.com/mncharity/status/1225091755667853318

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Also note the 53-degree FOV they quote is for the diagonal angle! In all their press releases they're comically cagey about giving actual resolution and angle info for the display, which makes me distrust them.

> comically cagey [...] distrust them

The less-than-transparent approach to specs has bothered me as well. But, at least as of a few years ago, their primary market was China, followed by SK and Japan. And was largely media consumption on phones. With competitors that would spin a wider fov, or more distant depth of focus, even with lower resolution, as "we're an N inch TV, not a mere M inch!". So, I've tagged it as culture mismatch, and consumer vs tiny tech. Several things they could have done differently, but unicorn dreams.

Compared with my 15 inch laptop, the glasses too are 1080p, visually about ~50% wider/higher, and ~2 meters out instead of ~half. I might be using it now, if only for posture, but for having diy kludged the eyeglass lens snapons. Face comfort/fit... can be an issue. Folks who live in a one-screen tiling window manager, or in terminals, might use it as a simple monitor. Using a magnetic USB adapter, it's trivially snap-on/off.

You aren't gonna answer the reply to that tweet? :(

I like the idea of wearing glasses like that and moving a Youtube video into the corner of my vision, like a recipe video while I'm cooking. Or something more stimulating than just a podcast when I'm running that I can tune in and out of.

Can you use the nreal without activation?

I just got the nreal air recently. Don't know if the nreal light is the same but the airs can be just used as a display through dp alt without the app. However, instead of a floating screen in a fixed position, it will just be a static display that moves with your head.

I will also say, for the nreal airs, they're not quite there yet. It's blurry throughout and completely unreadable off center, I find myself moving the glasses around so different parts of the screen will be in the center. Regardless of center or edge they they're always a bit blurry and hurt my eyes, and after taking them off I can't focus my eyes on things far away. I still like them as a low resolution screen for watching youtube while washing the dishes for example, but their use is quite limited.

I don't think you can, but activation is pretty straightforward through either a phone or a pc with usb c with display port alt mode.

Yes, Nreal Air (March 2023) without activation.

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