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Comment by mjamesaustin | Hacker News Reader

I find it amusing that the first headset with a very thoughtful approach to trying to maintain connection to other people is faced with even more forceful condemnation of its isolating effects.

Apple developed and invested significantly in a system to make interaction possible and (relatively) natural between users of the headset and others in their environment. I applaud that first step towards an AR future that doesn't isolate us from others.

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I think that’s exactly the problem, the “relatively” natural is still pretty darn awkward and freaky. With gaming VR, you’re not expected to be interacting with people who are co-present at the same time, it makes sense to spend an hour or two in this space having some fun.

With this, the intent is clearly to have you wear it all the time and let it be your entire interface to the world. And that, Apple trying to insert itself into regular human face-to-face interaction where technology is completely unnecessary, is what’s off putting about this.

I think it's commendable they tried but at the same time I'm going to be 100% annoyed conversing with someone who has one of these things on pointed at me while I'm trying to talk to them. Call me old fashioned but if these things ever catch on mainstream it's going to take me a while to adjust.

> I'm going to be 100% annoyed conversing with someone who has one of these things on

I suspect that I won't be willing to interact with them.

Because it’s reshaping your current purely analog relationships to people by inserting a massive corporation between you and them.

It seems like an incredibly isolating device, even if a bit less isolating than the others.

This is true, but on the other hand the previous VR/AR headsets confine their usage themselves, especially in social situations because they are not accepted by other people. Blurring that boundary might cause less isolation compared to other headsets - but might cause more isolation in the long run as an indirect effect due to more widespread usage.

wasnt google glass the first step?

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