Apple Vision Pro: A Software Engineer's Perspective
This article explores the Apple Vision Pro from a software engineer's perspective, evaluating its potential to enhance productivity and replace traditional desktop setups. The review compares the Vision Pro experience to a high-end, dual-monitor workstation.
Current Desktop Setup: The Benchmark
The speaker's current setup is a "dream setup" consisting of:
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Two 4K+ monitors (4K with extra vertical pixels, ideal for coding)
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MacBook Pro M2 Max with 96GB of memory
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Gaming PC
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A large desk accommodating various gadgets
The speaker emphasizes that this setup is optimized for programming, making him initially skeptical about the Vision Pro's potential benefits.
First Impressions: Pass-through and Virtual Display
The speaker uses three cameras to demonstrate the Vision Pro experience, including a view from within the headset.
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Pass-through: The pass-through view is considered "decent" but not exceptional. Text appears slightly blurry, especially with head movement, due to motion blur. Maintaining a stable head position is crucial for readability.
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Virtual Display: The primary method involves using the Mac Virtual Display feature to create a large virtual screen. However, activating the virtual display blacks out the physical monitors, rendering them unusable. The virtual display can be positioned and resized within the headset.
Working with the Virtual Display
The speaker describes using the virtual display for various tasks:
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Positioning the virtual display at a comfortable distance.
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Employing a technique of moving the head closer to the screen to effectively shrink the display size.
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Utilizing the environment dial to blend the real-world surroundings with the virtual environment to reduce eye strain.
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Positioning virtual windows like ChatGPT and Safari (for documentation) strategically within the virtual space.
Development Workflow in Vision Pro
The speaker demonstrates a typical development workflow:
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Code on the left, website on the right.
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The ability to detach windows, such as YouTube, into their own virtual spaces.
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The challenge of navigating without being able to see hands and the keyboard clearly.
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Seamless integration with the MacBook Pro via handoff features (e.g., automatic pasting).
Addressing Localhost Issues
The speaker encountered an issue with accessing localhost in the Vision Pro's Safari browser:
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Localhost on the Vision Pro is different from localhost on the connected Mac.
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The solution involves using the Mac's local IP address to access the development server.
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Automatic updating of the website in the Vision Pro's virtual Safari window is possible.
Aspect Ratio and Window Management
The 16:9 aspect ratio of the Mac's virtual display proved less than ideal:
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The speaker prefers a taller, narrower display to avoid excessive head movement.
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Multiple virtual displays offer a more flexible and efficient window management solution.
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Individual windows (like Trello) can be resized to take up less space.
Comfort and Usability
Comfort is a significant factor in the Vision Pro's usability:
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After approximately 30 minutes of use, facial fatigue becomes noticeable.
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The top strap helps to alleviate pressure on the nose, but pressure remains on the cheeks.
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Comfort varies significantly between users, with some reporting discomfort after extended use.
Conclusion: Fun vs. Productivity
The speaker concludes:
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The Vision Pro is not currently his primary development environment due to comfort and the already optimized physical setup.
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The device is viewed more as a fun gadget than a productivity tool for his specific needs.
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The Vision Pro could be a major upgrade for individuals with smaller working environments or lacking a dual-monitor setup, offering infinite virtual space.
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Ultimately, the productivity gains from the Vision Pro depend heavily on the user's pre-existing setup.
The speaker also mentions plans to discuss Vision Pro app development in a future video.