In a very competitive industry like technology manufacturing, being one step ahead than the rest of the competitors is one way of establishing superiority. That is what Microsoft is trying to do now with its wearable holographic computer called HoloLens.
The Microsoft HoloLens is a wearable device, specifically a giant pair of tinted goggles, with built-in high-end CPU and GPU that capture information about the user's environment. This captured information is projected into animated 3D graphics that users can manipulate through voice and motion control via its dedicated "holographic processing unit."
The HoloLens has a wide encompassing potential, but the bottomline is, it could be the next generation of personal computing. As such, it could replace your personal computer, tablet, and smartphone especially that the Microsoft HoloLens has all the features of a computer built directly into the headset. The device does not even need cords or a smartphone to function.
Apparently that is what Microsoft is trying to accomplish with the HoloLens. As CNET put it, "The company is not trying to transport you to a different world, but rather bring the wonders of a computer directly to the one you're living in."
True, indeed, the HoloLens does not produce 3D images that everyone can see. Rather, it shows images only the wearer can see. This means you can still talk to another person or walk around because you can still see the world around you. Right now, the only available option to interact with the 3D images is through a midair click which can be done by either raising or lowering your finger.
The Microsoft HoloLens will be available in the Windows 10 timeframe. Likewise, the HoloLens APIs will have Windows 10 gaming SDK support. This could very much extend to Xbox games to make gaming experience more entertaining and delightful.
Early hands-on review said that it's too early to say whether it would be really useful or not. What's certain now is that it makes interaction and entertainment via an augmented world more engaging and delightful. If you don't mind wearing a giant pair of goggles and waving your hands to make an interaction, that is.
The Microsoft HoloLens holds a lot of useful potential with regard to work, entertainment, and other equally useful personal pursuits. If Microsoft can deliver everything it promised at the CES with the HoloLens, and if it is reasonably priced, there's a possibility for the device to overcome it's greatest challenge - that is, usefulness.
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