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I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses

348 points by T-A 2 months ago | 222 comments

raffraffraff 2 months ago
I tried this with the Viture Pro XR glasses last year and it sucks. Can't use it with Linux, except in dumb monitor mode. No head tracking unless you're using a supported OS. Android app sucks becaus you can't use it with any old app, eg productivity apps (their app is like a demo of head tracking that only supports stuff like YouTube and local media). Maybe I should have purchased the Xreals?
- regularfry 2 months ago
  The first gen XReal glasses are similar in that you need software running on the host to get anything other than dumb monitor mode. With these newer models they've moved a bunch of the functionality into hardware on the glasses themselves, so you get virtual monitor and wider device support out of the box.
  There are a couple of projects that are trying to get better open source support of the Airs on linux; I've not kept up with their progress.
  - Hojojo 2 months ago
    I really liked the new Xreal glasses because of the built-in head tracking. But I was getting a lot of drift over time such that after anywhere between a few minutes and maybe half an hour, the center of the screen wouldn't be straight ahead anymore. Meaning I would need to reset the display location far too often. I ended up returning them because of it.
    - regularfry 2 months ago
      Oh ick. That's not so good. Hope they can firmware-update their way out of that. It's odd that they've got that problem because my experience with the tracking on the Airs with the desktop software driving it has been pretty much fine.
  - arend321 2 months ago
    Waiting for the XReal One Pro to vibe code using Aider and Samsung DeX in a Termux terminal while walking my countries national parks (just something I would like to try)
    - fsiefken 2 months ago
      I tried something like that 2 decades ago with a 640x480 monocular strapped to my sunglasses, with interpolation i could use a 1024x768 resolution in combination with a arm based pocketpc with host usb and compactflash video-out. I used it for reading and 'fast' offline wikipedia/tr3 database search with both frogpad and twiddler2 and some voice commands.
      The problem is that you can see the foreground and depth ok as the monocular screen on my left eye 'merged' semi-transparently due to brain processing. I assume this is a bit worse on the XReal. The main issue was that when walking you make a slight sinus wave up and down compared to the foreground. You don't notice this usually, but with a paragraph of text or code positioned in front of your eyes it becomes very distracting.
      One solution, using a mode of transport that doesn't involve moving up and down slightly, for example using a bicycle or car for transportation. In both circumstances, the latter being the most problematic, it's not advisable safety wise (or even illegal) and a screenreader solution is better. I had the idea of using Emacsspeak for this, or do a smart speakup echo from the commandline.
      Another solution is using RSVP, or using both RSVP and text to speech. Samsung DeX is great though, Motorola, Huawai and recent Android have support for desktop mode too (if the phone supports video-out).
    - sitkack 2 months ago
      Will you be going all voice, or will you need some chording keyboards?
      https://www.charachorder.com/
    - carpo 2 months ago
      I was thinking the same while was walking my dog.
    - benjiro 2 months ago
      > I’ve found that simply converting a standard, normalized PostgreSQL database doesn’t work well in practice. Instead, you need to design your database with YugabyteDB’s distributed architecture in mind.
      I wanted to reply to your previous posting but ycombinator does not allow for comments on older posts.
      To put it simply, we spend almost 3 weeks trying out YB for your own usage and ran into massive performance issues.
      The main issue seem to be that anything sharded (what it is by default), will perform sort/filter/and other operations only after retrieving sufficient data from those shards.
      The results is that this massive impacts data. The YB teams somewhat hides this by spending mass amounts of resources on Seq Scans, or require you to explicite design Index's pre-sorted.
      In our experience, a basic 3 node YB cluster barely does 7000 inserts/s, where as Pg instance does easily 100.000+ insert/second (with replication). Of course there is the cheating. Like "look how we insert 1 million / second" (3x), with 100 heavy AWS nodes. Ignoring that they are just inserting rows with no generated IDs ;) If you put that in front of pq, your easily hitting 150.000 insert / second on a single node.
      There are issue like trigrams taking up 8x the space compared to pg trigrams (no row level packing). Materialized joins that are pre-sorted, are not respected as inserts are done by hash distribution. So item 1 can be on node 3, item 2 on node 1, ... what needs to be fetched and resorted, killing the performance benefits.
      A optimized materialized join pulls out data between 0.2ms to 10ms, where we have seen YB doing between 6ms to minutes. On the exact same dataset, inserted the same way, ... on only 100 million rows of data. What you expect to be those databases their playgrounds.
      Plugs that are broken in the new 2.25 version.
      We lost multiple times t-master and t-server nodes. Ironically, the loss of the t-master was not even reported in the main UI. What can only be described as amateuristisch.
      CockroachDB is another series of similar issue with latency, insert speed, and more ... combined with the new horrible "we spy on you free license, that we may or may not extend every year." We found CRDB more mature in a sense and less a Frankenstein's monster of parts, but lacking in postgres features (or working differently).
      In essence, as long as you use them as mongoDB like denormalized databases that can run SQL, great. The issues really start when your combining normalization and expecting performance.
      And the resources that both use means you need to scale to a 20x cluster, just to reach the equivalent of a single pq node. And each of those YB/CRDB nodes, need to have twice the resources then the pq node.
      In general, my advice is to just run pq, replicate/patroni, maybe scale to more pq clusters where you separate tables to different clusters. Use the build in postgres_fdw to create materialized read nodes to offload pressure and load balance. Unless you are running reddit at scale, the benefits of YB/CRDB totally outway the tons of disadvantages.
      The uptime, easy of upgrading, and geo-distribution is handy, not going to lie. But its software that really only gets benefits for companies that reach a special demand or high scale and even then. I remember that reddit ran (still runs?) on barely a few DB servers.
      What is even worse, is that as you stated, you need to design your database so much around YB/CRDB. that you can use the above mentioned pq solutions to get way more gains.
      I hope this responds is of use.
- hoppp 2 months ago
  I have xreal air 2 that gets zero use. I dont recommend them that much, working on a laptop is better and since they constantly making newer versions its worth the wait to not buy anything current and wait for the next one which which will be better. I had the buyers regret, wishing I waited longer for the newer version but unless I buy a steam deck to play games Ill probably never use them.
  - pridkett 2 months ago
    Ditto. I bought them because I travel a lot for work and TVs at hotels are always a mess when it comes to HDMI in. I use them on maybe 1 of 4 flights I’m on (usually on SteamDeck with XR plug-in in Decky), and rarely at the hotels.
    The only time they were really helpful for me was one flight when I had to work on some sensitive content and the person next to me was obviously trying to shoulder surf me.
    Maybe it would be more productive if I had a newer iPhone with USB -C or the XReal One glasses. But having to use all the dongles to get to go from iPhone to lightning/HDMI adapter to HDMI to USB-C cable to original XReal Beam (which is way underpowered), to USB-C to glasses, that’s a ton of cables. And some forget, you’ve now got to pair your AirPods with the Beam! Ughh. It’s a little better with the Beam Pro. It’s faster and generally a good experience, but it’s still another device and still doesn’t have a good way to stream 3D content from Plex/NAS. Ugh.
    That being said, when I put in the effort, the picture is very nice.
    - NBJack 2 months ago
      The iPhone sucks with most if not all AR glasses solutions. Most flagship Android devices just need a single cord. Apple made their choices, and it sucks.
  - NBJack 2 months ago
    The Air 2 sadly went backwards in the clarity at the edges, which makes them harder to use for work.
- georgewsinger 2 months ago
  SimulaVR[1][2] is releasing our standalone (belt-strappable) compute packs this year, which will (ii) come pre-installed with our FOSS Linux VR Desktop compositor and (ii) work with AR headsets like the Rokid Max series (and potentially the XReal headsets). So basically: you'll get full Linux Desktop apps in AR (not just Android ones) with actual VR window management (not just "dumb monitor mode").
  [1] I know we're taking forever D: But we intend for this to be a way to release an intermediate product (which we've been making anyway for our full headsets).
  [2] Our next blog update will be about this. Here's a video video preview: https://youtube.com/shorts/Y67D8DkqScU?si=LpdSpjmfGn2k2rxP
- gattr 2 months ago
  I'd like to try this kind of setup (coding from a lounge chair with just a keyboard tray & trackball, yay!), "dumb monitor" would be sufficient - but since switching to high-DPI displays in 2016 I really need this to be 4K.
  - ytjohn 2 months ago
    I did this with nreal air glasses (now xreal air), specifically for coding. Most uses cases for these type of glasses is around media consumption, so I was taking a bit of a leap when doing it for coding/heavy text usage.
    There are two modes. One is fixed so that the virtual monitor stays in one spot on the lenses. The single virtual monitor stays directly in front of you. The other is floating, which basically keeps the virtual monitor in one spot and you can turn your head to look away. This mode also lets you set up 3 virtual monitors side by side so you can turn to look at them. It uses head tracking to basically shift the image in the opposite direction you turn your head.
    In both cases, the screen does move, and this is super relevant when looking at text and down at status bars. The fixed one is better because it moves relative to your head, but both cases have some amount of jitter. I found the best case coding scenario is the fixed monitor (no head tracking), and being in a seat wth head rest and you can press your head back into it. This minimizes your head movement, which minimizes how much the text moves about. The downside is that we're used to looking up and down at the screen, so you want to set the monitor at a proper distance so you can look up and down with just your eyes. You really want to shrink the monitor to a size close to that of a laptop.
    I ultimately ended up not liking the experience very much. No matter what, you're gonna end up with some amount of text movement. There is also a bit of light saturation bleed through (old CRT style). Putting the blackout blinders on helps a lot, but the projected nature remains an issue. Essentially only usable long term in a recliner or a car seat with headrest. Unlike the author, I am using a work provided laptop and I have that with me anyways. There was coolness to leaving the laptop in my backpack and just bringing the glasses up via wire - but to actually do anything, I need a keyboard. Which means taking along a Lenovo's thinkpoint trackpad keyboard (really great backpack keyboard); or pulling out the laptop.
    The newer ones, like Xreal One from the article might be a better experience. A coworker had the air 2 pros and used them for travel. He said he didn't really notice the things I did, so maybe it was a improved experience even with that version. But he mostly worked in office documents and only occasional terminal work. When traveling and using the glasses, it was almost all "office docs", and only for short periods of time. For me - I am going to wait and be a slow adopter to move to a new version.
    - russfink 2 months ago
      Thank you for your detailed insights. I was on the fence, now I think I’ll wait.
  - WesolyKubeczek 2 months ago
    If your monitor keeps following your head movements, even teeny tiny ones, it gets annoying very fast.
    - raffraffraff 2 months ago
      Yep, can't get past it
- rendaw 2 months ago
  The drivers here https://github.com/wheaney/XRLinuxDriver mark Viture as "recommended" with the best support. I do see some mention that head tracking is a desktop responsibility, but I presume that means some support in the driver... do you have more informatio non this?
- 0x400000 2 months ago
  The open-source Breezy GNOME is worth a try. It has head tracking and multi-monitor in beta with GNOME DE.
  https://github.com/wheaney/breezy-desktop
  - 1oooqooq 2 months ago
    open source that requires a commercial license. and the drivers link to a repo that 404. think i will pass.
    - mzajc 2 months ago
      It gets even worse, looks like their driver makes calls to google analytics.[1] I'd stay away. The README doesn't even mention it, and the promise that "your personal data will never be shared, sold, or distributed in any form." certainly sounds misleading when you consider this.
      [1] https://github.com/wheaney/XRLinuxDriver/blob/main/src/plugi...
    - mbreese 2 months ago
      Which is particular odd to have a publicly available GPL repo. For this project, it looks like anyone could just comment out those sections of code that check for a license and redistribute. Or is there another binary somehow required and wasn’t clear in my 2 minutes of searching?
    - rendaw 2 months ago
      Which link? All the links I could find worked.
- psyclobe 2 months ago
  No Linux? Full stop.
- vaxman 2 months ago
  If only there were credit-card sized, LiPol-battery powered 'puter with built-in wireless networking and a GPU-accelerated remote streaming app that output HDMI, all made and distributed by a Five Eyes alliance country for less than $15 each. If only... /s
  The choice of a trusted HMD is a little more complex, but very solvable ;)
sathackr 2 months ago
I've been doing this a few months now with an xreal one and minisforum um790.
Same ability to power via usb-C and have other ports available.
It's worked very well, the 1920x1080 resoultion of the glasses is pretty clear but I find "anchoring" the screen to be most usable because the edges do get a little blurry, but with the screen anchored you can just "look around" a little to bring them into focus.
The biggest drawback is the resolution. While still very sharp and clear, it's tough going from a framework laptop 2256x1504 to 1920x1080.
I'm just used to everything being a little smaller and being able to fit more info into my FoV vs having to look around a "larger" screen for it.
- raffraffraff 2 months ago
  Same with the Viture Pro. The OLED is crisp and colourful but the resolution is too low to be useful for productivity unless they really nail the head tracking, and can support lots of virtual monitors (and they haven't done that).
  - sathackr 2 months ago
    yea I tried the Viture and the headtracking was nowhere near where it needed to be. I really liked everything else about the Viture Pros. They were lighter than the Xreal ones, generated less heat, and had individual diopter adjustments on each lense.
    Xreal One however has rock-solid head tracking. It does drift occasionally but it's very tolerable. I returned the Viture Pro and ketp the Xreal one.
- KolibriFly 2 months ago
  I feel like resolution is kind of the last big hurdle for AR glasses to really feel like a true laptop replacement
- cma 2 months ago
  Are any of them 4:4:4 1080? Previous gen was only green at full resolution I think which wasn't great for text
- senectus1 2 months ago
  yeah this is whats holding me back... if it was half the price i could handle that resoultion just for the portability benefit, but double the res and I'll dump my monitor
- 2 months ago
Abishek_Muthian 2 months ago
AR glasses brings great accessibility improvements, especially those who are bedridden; I wrote the need-gap for wearable low latency computer displays[1] ~6 years ago when I was in bed recovering from a spinal fusion surgery as the only option available to me were those unwieldy bed mounts for monitors and it requires help from others to adjust the angles.
[1] https://needgap.com/problems/16-wearable-low-latency-display...
- EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 2 months ago
  I am partially bedridden ... so far mackbook air remoting to my desktop PC looks like the best solution - it's light, sturdy, stays cool, has decent resolution and excellent battery life. The only thing I don't like is non-standard keyboard.
- wordpad 2 months ago
  Since when is having a laptop on your lap or by your side a problem in bed? That's my default wfh setup. I even have a 2nd monitor on a standard arm mounted to my bedrest for when I need it. I do also use Xreal One but only when I'm trying not to wake my partner.
  - Abishek_Muthian 2 months ago
    There are people who can only lie flat on the bed and can't sit without support.
  - em-bee 2 months ago
    to use a laptop you need to be sitting up. when you are bedridden many times you can't do that. and even healthy, sitting in bed with my legs stretched out is uncomfortable for longer periods of time. not to mention most people would balk at their partner doing that when they share a bed. consider yourself lucky. but do check that you are giving enough attention to your partner otherwise. i have at least one friend who got divorced specifically because he was more interested in computers than his wife.
    - Dylan16807 2 months ago
      > not to mention most people would balk at their partner doing that when they share a bed. consider yourself lucky. but do check that you are giving enough attention to your partner otherwise. i have at least one friend who got divorced specifically because he was more interested in computers than his wife.
      The question was about a laptop as contrast to AR glasses. AR glasses are worse here.
    - EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 2 months ago
      Computers are definitely better than wives :)
  - 2 months ago
jareds 2 months ago
I got excided looking at this hoping there was a laptop with out a screen. I'm totally blind so the power draw of a screen is pointless. I currently use my ROG Alli with a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to my more powerful laptop which has a keyboard that's going bad. While this setup works well and the battery life is pretty good it would be much nicer if I didn't have to put a keyboard on my lap, and the Alli on a table. At least the Alli doesn't need to be somewhere where I can look at it.
- tmzt 2 months ago
  I'm not sure if this would work for you, but there are inexpensive devices that plug into an HDMI port. They appear to the computer as a monitor. I use them for screen sharing to a remote display, but they should enable to think there is a monitor attached. It negotiates the display information as if it was an actual monitor.
  Here's the pack of three I purchased on Amazon.
  Woieyeks 3 Pack HDMI Dummy Plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKKLTWMN
- nemomarx 2 months ago
  Would one of those computer in a keyboard set ups work, like the rapsberry pi one?
- lnrd 2 months ago
  Google "headless macbook", there is a community of people making macbooks without displays.
  The idea started from recovering macs with a broken display and using them like a mac mini. It's possible to find "broken macs" for cheap in second hand market and if the problem is only the display you can go for the headless approach and have macOS with Apple Silicon for very cheap.
  Apple Silicon has outstanding battery life, without a screen I would think even more.
- stoltzmann 2 months ago
  You could take a normal laptop and remove the screen.
  - RandomBacon 2 months ago
    I've seen several laptops used like this. The only issue is that the WiFi antennas are (usuall?) in the screen.
    - jareds 2 months ago
      I wonder how the Framework laptops work with out a screen? I'm interested in the new Framework 12 for it's small size.
    - stoltzmann 2 months ago
      You can get some other antennas, place them in the chassis and connect them to the network card. On (at least the first run of) MNT Reform laptops that's how it's done.
- balfirevic 2 months ago
  On my Macbook Air, if I bring the screen brightness all the way down the screen appears to be completely off.
- justincormack 2 months ago
  He says he uses the Khadas Mind / Khadas Mind 2 which is a mini pc that has a battery so its pretty much a screenless laptop. Not clear the battery is very large but he uses an external one too as its usb c powered.
  - stavros 2 months ago
    It says that the battery is for when you want to move the PC between desks, so I'd imagine it only lasts for five minutes or so.
    - nashashmi 2 months ago
      It goes into standby mode when unplugged. And lasts for 25 hours in standby. It is great for unplugging from one workplace and plugging into another.
    - ac29 2 months ago
      Its a 90Wh battery powering a mobile SoC. It should last significantly more than 5 mins.
- CasperH2O 2 months ago
  Since you mentioned the ROG Ally, if you are looking for a handheld without a screen (basically a controller with a built in computer) you may like the Tecno Pocket Go.
  Also, great pun with being blind and "excited looking at this".
  - gostsamo 2 months ago
    > Also, great pun with being blind and "excited looking at this".
    I'm also blind and this is not a pun. No one blind I know would change their usage of language to avoid using vision verbs for the sake of underlining how blind they are.
    - wizzwizz4 2 months ago
      Obligatory SMBC comic: https://smbc-wiki.com/index.php/Dragons
  - supermatt 2 months ago
    The Tecno Pocket Go kickstarter seems to already be 4 months late and lots of complaints in the comments
- nashashmi 2 months ago
  There is a handheld keyboard you can get called the mini keyboard. It has a trackpad for a mouse. Connects by Bluetooth.
- KolibriFly 2 months ago
  Honestly surprised no one's really leaned into that as a product category yet. Seems like there could be a small but very appreciative market for it
Mortiffer 2 months ago
Sounds like sponsored content. Every other review I have read people say they go back to laptop because the text fidelity, eye strain and keyboard on lap is just the best productivity setup
- videogreg93 2 months ago
  I had trouble believing anything in the article since every sentence or 2 has a link to "the best laptop" or "the best powerbank". Just seems like a hub for a bunch of links to sponsored content.
  - tdehnke 2 months ago
    Don't forget the link to the massively updated Best Chair post, loaded with affiliate links :)
- andybak 2 months ago
  I'm over 50 and need reading glasses as well as distance glasses. I actually find working in the Quest 3 better than a laptop in many ways. The balance betweeen (virtual) screen size and focussing distance seems to be easier to balance. With a laptop the distance sweet spot for vision isn't always the same as the comfort sweet spot for posture. I could probably optimize my desk setup to improve this - but the point of a laptop is freedom from being chained to a desk.
  If I could get a remote keyboard/trackpad with a better range then I wouldn't need a laptop at all but currently I also use a laptop and Chrome Remote Desktop when I need text entry or a regular mouse.
  - losvedir 2 months ago
    Yeah, it's interesting because the focal distance in the Quest is a fixed ~5 ft, regardless of the apparent depth of the thing you're looking at in VR. This is a pretty comfortable spot for old eyes, so it can make things a little crisper compared to real life, at shorter and further apparent distances.
    Though it comes with its own set of discomfort issues: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergence-accommodation_confl...
  - EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 2 months ago
    Do you wear both VR and regular glasses? I'm not sure the VR set can accommodate cylinder and astigmatism of my prescription lenses.
- jbs789 2 months ago
  I thought the same. Notice he doesn’t say it’s better than a laptop, only better than he expected. Then he goes on to explain what he doesn’t like about laptops generally, without explaining what he doesn’t like about this set up.
- regularfry 2 months ago
  I really, really wanted the SimulaVR headset to work out because of th attention they were paying to text rendering. The hardware feels dead but the virtual desktop project might still have legs: https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula
  As far as eye strain goes, I think there's room for argument: having virtual screens cinema-screen-distance away from you is less straining than something under a meter away, but only if the text rendering is up to the job.
  - bgribble 2 months ago
    I don't know that the hardware is dead yet. They got a cash infusion last year and there are occasional hardware updates in their Discord. It's just a slow process with 1-2 engineers total working on the many different hardware and software and firmware elements of the overall product.
    - regularfry 2 months ago
      Yeah - last update on the web page was, what, December? I think they're going to get outrun by the rest of the market. "Walking dead", possibly. If I can get NUC+XReals+some sort of integrated desktop then they'd need something really compelling to make their headset worthwhile at the price they're aiming at.
- NBJack 2 months ago
  I use a pair of Air Ones with prescription lens inserts and a DIY nose pad for comfort. I can't beat my desktop monitors for clarity, but it is fantastic if you have to read a lot of documentation and like distraction free environments. My job let's me book up my Samsung phone for basic access to documents, and I enjoy reading up on things as I get away from my desk for a change of pace. To say nothing of flying coach with my steam deck on a massive screen.
- layer8 2 months ago
  Laptops are pretty bad ergonomically, compared to a proper desktop setup. It’s true that current AR tech is even worse for most.
mrbonner 2 months ago
The Xreal is a nice device. I got the first gen for $199. I'm able to plug this into the MacBook pro and watch Netflix in bed. The fonts do look a bit blurry and small. I don't think I can work with it full time. I don't have myopia (or my number is small to notice).
- jwr 2 months ago
  Thanks for posting this! I'd be very interested in more real-life usage comments from people, I don't trust YouTube "reviewers" (who get stuff for free and want cosy relationships with companies).
  I wonder specifically if their high-end devices (Xreal One Pro?) would be OK for some amount of coding work, or is it just a movie-watching screen. Even if it is only for watching movies, it might still be interesting for flights, though.
  - TrueDuality 2 months ago
    I have the Xreal Air and it's alright. Low resolution and a bit blurry text still. It's the nature of optics right now.
    It's a single virtual display by default unless you run a fairly unstable piece of software. I use it mostly on plane flights.
    It feels like the tech is almost close enough to really be useful but it's just not quite there yet. It's useful but not pleasant.
    - mdp2021 2 months ago
      > a bit blurry
      I found the Epson Moverio very crisp.
      ...Of course, though, I used at around 12..14 lines per screen. You have virtual relatively small screens in front of your eyes...
  - mrbonner 2 months ago
    I would not use this for coding, even with their high end glasses and corrected vision. I don't use all of the fancy 3D, VR features either. They just feel like gimmicks with buggy software for me.
    If you keep that expectation and use it like an external dumb monitor, it is great.
    - nine_k 2 months ago
      I can imagine that such glasses would allow to really work, or at least read comfortably, on an airplane, flying economy class.
  - regularfry 2 months ago
    I've used my Air for coding work. I found that I couldn't stick with it in Dumb Screen mode. I have astigmatism and the lenses to correct it; and my impression is that the lenses slightly contract the usable FoV which means you need the head tracking to be able to look around the screen more. That means you need the virtual desktop code running on the host (or the dongle, which I don't have) and the OSes you can use are them restricted.
    With that, though, it's fine. The main reason I don't spend as much time in them these days is that I'm spending a lot more of my time in video calls than coding and we've not socially normalised big black sunglasses on video calls yet.
  - criddell 2 months ago
    Xreal lets you return devices for 30 days. You could try one basically for the cost of return shipping.
- KolibriFly 2 months ago
  Watching Netflix in bed with a giant virtual screen sounds pretty ideal though, not gonna lie
  - elcritch 2 months ago
    It’s pretty good on airplanes too
    - KolibriFly 2 months ago
      Oof yeah, I didn't even think of that - turning a cramped seat into your own personal theater?
herpdyderp 2 months ago
How good are actual VR headsets at being virtual desktop screens? Specifically I've been interested in the Bigscreen Beyond 2 due to its extreme lightweight, but most people seem to use them for gaming instead of doing work. I want more screens (or, even better, an infinite screen) but I don't have the desk space for them. I know the Vision Pro sort of does this but I need the full power of my maxed out MacBook Pro, the Vision Pro is too heavy, and it's way too expensive.
- heelix 2 months ago
  I picked up a Quest 3 headset, with the thoughts of using it coding when I had to deal with a hotel style work desk. The text was just not sharp enough to be usable for programming.
  - bemmu 2 months ago
    Same, while I use it for Beat Saber all the time, after testing virtual desktop and the new native desktop sharing, I quickly abandoned attempts to use it for work.
    Not only because of the resolution, but also it’s tiring to have something strapped to your face, and it makes it hard to have a cup of coffee or a snack.
  - dpig_ 2 months ago
    What software were you using, Virtual Desktop? I find it super clear in a Quest 3 and I often work for hours in it.
    - LeonM 2 months ago
      I'd say most of us are actually more curious about the software setup you're using.
      You seem to have a setup that works for you for productivity tasks, so please share!
- KronisLV 2 months ago
  I remember using my old Quest 2 with an app called Immersed that ran on the Quest too and rendered the environment there, seemingly streaming the monitors in what felt like higher resolution vs the Quest Link. It was really pleasant until the Immersed app removed support for physical monitors and I could no longer use my 4 monitor PC setup in VR: https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/1cm2niy/imm...
  I actually enjoyed it, because having nothing other than a black void or space or whatever in my vision was surprisingly zen and nice. It wasn’t quite like my 1080p monitors, a bit closer to what felt like 720p, though the absolute biggest issue was the pressure on my head which meant that it became uncomfortable after a few hours, even with a custom strap - something that had gotten better in the more recent hardware.
  Aside from that, I’d say that Virtual Desktop is pretty nice but also has artificial limitations on how many screens it can display: https://www.uploadvr.com/virtual-desktop-multiple-monitors-u...
  I’ve never really found that sweet spot that I had between discovering Immersed and them ruining the app for me again.
- raffraffraff 2 months ago
  These AR glasses are not. It feels like sitting at my desk looking at a single static 27" monitor with 1080p res. The fully immersive ones like the Quest 3 or Apple Vision are better.
- dr_kiszonka 2 months ago
  I am very curious about BB2 too. I can't really imagine using them outside (cafe, train) because without a pass through I wouldn't feel comfortable, but at home it shouldn't be a problem. (Unless, you have cats maybe.)
- jbellis 2 months ago
  The ones that require base stations like the BB are not very portable.
- plun9 2 months ago
  They're pretty good. It's just that they get uncomfortable to use for long periods of time.
kelvie 2 months ago
This is how I use my Framework laptop around 80% of the time. So much so that I wish I could just detach the screen (and re-attach it easily).
I have the xreal air 1, and have the xreal one's on order, they seem to be the leader in this space with their on-glasses processing for "anchor" mode.
I got these primarily to start gaming, but really, I just use the one hour of downtime before bed to do side projects (usually coding) while laying down, and it's been great. And the spouse does not complain about the bright screen.
Another advantage is that the muscles around my elbows are a lot less sore, as a laptop really isn't ergonomic to stare down into, unless you build one with a much taller screen [1].
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIm6Dhxn3Ak
java-man 2 months ago
I don't understand. Is this an ad?
How long this setup lasts on a single charge? For half the price, one can get a macbook air with fantastic battery life and a good keyboard.
- specproc 2 months ago
  The writing was nauseating. I lost track of the number of times the author said "the best".
  I honesty can't see the benefit over a small laptop.
  With the glasses, you're carrying more things, it's an expensive setup, you look like a gargoyle, you're partially blinded.
  I'm not sold at all.
  - bshacklett 2 months ago
    > you look like a gargoyle
    I'm glad to see that at least someone, here, reads classic literature.
    More seriously, there is something truly disturbing about someone's eyes not being visible. This definitely crosses a social boundary or two.
  - 2 months ago
- sandspar 2 months ago
  Guys who write about tech for a living tend to enjoy working with gadgets in their spare time. He's probably just having fun with a nifty idea.
- tocs3 2 months ago
  I was looking at wearable computer stuff years ago but gave up. The display was always the limiting factor. It would sometimes be nice to to walk around taking notes without holding a phone.
  - tramc 2 months ago
    [dead]
- raffraffraff 2 months ago
  You're right. This setup just doesn't work for most people. I've tried it (slightly different hardware but effectively a pair of 1080p OLED glasses with myopia dials, wirelesS 75% mech keyboard + mouse, MeLe Quieter 4C with battery pack. It's unwieldy, low res and awkward in real life. The battery doesn't last as long as a decent laptop.
  The only setup like this that works is the Apple, but it's due-wateringly expensive and heavy.
  If I was going to expand my mobile setup I'd just get a portable rechargeable monitor to stick beside my laptop.
- jasonjmcghee 2 months ago
  it's hard to beat apple silicon MacBook airs right now. Used M1s sell for $300-400 (and $130 to have apple replace the battery if/when needed). If you buy an Anker battery pack (~25k mAh - $150 on sale) you can get another full charge.
- bee_rider 2 months ago
  The guy in the article is using a mechanical keyboard. MacBooks keyboards are fine for what they are but generally enthusiasts prefer mechanical.
  The glasses… I mean, it’s a totally different type of device, right? If nothing else, I’d love to never hunch over a laptop again. I dunno, haven’t tried them, but they seem quite interesting.
  Spine replacements are pricey I think.
- 2 months ago
- morninglight 2 months ago
  Doesn't look like an ad but it may have been intended for the Onion.
  If you break out laughing while reading this, you are not alone.
jaxtracks 2 months ago
I've been doing something similar for the past couple years for several different modes of working:
1) In my campervan with Starlink internet so I don't need to set up additional screens
2) Cafes and co-working spaces when I don't mind looking like a huge dork
3) Out at trailheads/crags when I don't mind looking like an even huger dork
Some notes:
- Pocketable PC or laptop works, but Samsung phone with DEX is really the move since you don't need to tether or anything, just plug in, use Termux to SSH to your dev box (my beefy home rig over Tailscale usually) and go.
- Power demands aren't insane, phone battery is good for a few hours. Wireless charger or power splitter necessary for more.
- One-handed chording keyboard (I'm up to about 50wpm on a Twiddler) makes working in a terminal pretty straightforward. You can use the phone's screen as a mouse with this setup.
- The new XReal glasses with built-in chip are great. Pros drop soon, should be better. With Vitures or other glasses where the display is fixed, terminal work is still do-able if you're proficient with tmux or similar.
- Downside of the new integrated chip glasses is outdoor usability. They got hot in direct sun, and leak more light.
- You do look really weird using these in public since you're wearing dark glasses indoors looking around. I don't let it deter me from getting my work done but yeah, just be warned.
I've done week-long bikepacking trips taking only my phone, twiddler, XReals, and small solar panel. As long as I can hit cell for a couple hours a day I can still keep things moving with my consulting clients. I usually do this just sitting up against a tree wherever I got good signal.
Starlink mini seems like it would add more freedom to this (I like remote singletrack) but it's too heavy and power-hungry for leg or bike based trips still. We're about to try a rafting trip with a couple other outdoor-oriented digital nomads and a Starlink this season though!
seltzered_ 2 months ago
Fwiw, the /r/ergomobilecomputers tracks a number of these setups involving xreal glasses: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMobileComputers/search/?q=xreal .
Hasn't been my cup of tea but seems tempting if one has specific ergonomic needs like supine computing. There was one post of someone using them to juggle getting computer work done while handling childcare (endorsing such a thing likely depends a lot on context).
danielEM 2 months ago
Having nreal air. It is so freaking inconvenient to wear for longer that every time I see someone posting how they replaced regular screen with ar glasses or vr (yes, tried also Quest 2) I laugh HARD!
- andybak 2 months ago
  I regularly work for a few hours at a time in a Quest 3. Feel free to laugh.
  - danielEM 2 months ago
    Didn't try Quest 3, but biggest disadvantages of quest 2 are:
    - half a kilo hanging in front of your face
    - working in the summer w/o air conditioning is a nightmare
    - andybak 2 months ago
      Never massively noticed the weight but I guess I'm comparing with the OG Vive and other 1st gen headsets.
      As for the summer thing - I live in the UK so it's less of an issue...
spicyusername 2 months ago
Beware, this is just an ad
Tepix 2 months ago
It‘s sad to read through this article on Tom‘s that
a) awfully reads like an ad and
b) manages not to mention the screen resolution of AR glasses used as a desktop replacement!
- dazzawazza 2 months ago
  After a few paragraphs I just assumed it was a marketing post and moved on.
tippytippytango 2 months ago
These glasses give me an instant headache and 1080p is abysmal if you are used to 5K displays. I love the idea, hate the actual glasses.
- LeonM 2 months ago
  Well in all fairness, the first laptops were also barely usable. Ever seen the horrible LCD screen on an early 90s laptop?
  Being an early adopter will always have downsides, but give it a few more years and the glasses will get better.
- system2 2 months ago
  Have you tried Xreal One? I heard nothing but good things about them. Although only YouTubers reviewing these are not from the United States, that makes me think Xreal has a different market in the EU.
  - regularfry 2 months ago
    I think it's as simple as only shipping to very early customers and reviewers. I've ordered the Pro but I don't expect to get the hardware for another month or so yet.
- KolibriFly 2 months ago
  The concept is super cool in theory, but in practice it kinda feels like early VR all over again
- ohgr 2 months ago
  Yeah. Also most of the people who review these things seem to have eyes that don’t work.
tcherasaro 2 months ago
This setup reminds me of “Snow Crash” that Neal Stephenson novel.
- eesmith 2 months ago
  It reminds me of Steve Mann's WearComp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_computer#History
mdp2021 2 months ago
I believe I have been more efficient with the Epson Moverio (1280x720, black-transparent OLED, Android, 5hrs battery, palm-sized processing unit with buttons and trackpad). Put the glasses on, the processing unit in a pocket (thumb on the controls), and you can walk around processing data overlaid to the scenery.
But, like all tools, they are optimal for some tasks and inefficient for others. I never had the time to try and implement text-to speech, to overcome the absence of a practical keyboard (the on-screen one can only be an emergency tool) - with that, the system would have been much more flexible.
nicbou 2 months ago
I don't see it mentioned, but I'd feel completely ridiculous using this in a coffee shop or on the train.
- LeonM 2 months ago
  That was also my first thought when reading the title. But then looking at it, these just look like any regular sunglasses. Maybe slightly more bulky, but there are plenty of people wearing 'designer' sunglasses bigger than that. This is already a huge step up from full head units like Quest/VisionPro/etc.
  Just remember that only a couple of years ago that Apple introduced the wireless earbuds and people also thought they looked ridiculous, now they're everywhere and nobody even notices anymore.
  I feel like I'm defending this article a lot here in this topic, but for one, I am genuinely excited about this concept. Tech is not really there yet, but I can totally see me ditching my laptop for such a setup.
  - nicbou 2 months ago
    I wouldn't do it, personally, and that would be one of the main reasons. It says more about me than about the idea itself though.
    I would love it for the ergonomics. If it's not too hard on the eyes I would consider it at home.
    - regularfry 2 months ago
      The real win for me is being able to work outside in full sunlight, without having to care about screen glare. I have used them in the office and in coffee shops but that's almost incidental.
- ThrowawayR2 2 months ago
  The question though is whether it is more ridiculous than everyone staring at a little glowing rectangular object held in their hands in a coffee shop or on the train was 25 years ago? Norms can change.
- roland35 2 months ago
  Doesn’t seem as dorky as a vr headset!
contingencies 2 months ago
Going to try this. Gentoo desktop at home but have a few solid months of business travel coming up and need hardware I can rely on. Went to the Apple store recently and was shocked they try to sell Macbooks with screens with a chunk out of them... what? I asked the salesperson and they said it's been this way for 2-3 years. Shows how much of a rock I live under, but gee Steve Jobs is surely glitching in his grave!
Looked seriously at framework but too slow and expensive here in Oz.
Nobody else seems to have decent ARM mini PC hardware. Therefore despite a strong distate for Apple I'm looking at Mac Mini + glasses (for flights) + bluetooth input + portable screen / 27K mAh 140W USB powerbank (for occasional mobile use). Hidden in a backpack I think it'll be a better roaming experience than a laptop (more keyboard choice, larger screen, screen position flexible, improved ergonomics) for a fraction of the Macbook (much less Apple vision!) price. Also, unlike a modern Macbook the IO devices and power bank can be upgraded and Asahi Linux will eventually run well on the things, which lends an air of potential longevity.
Final cost: Mini (24GB) @ USD$940 + 24k mAh USB powerbank @ USD$69 + 18" 2.5K screen @ USD$239 + VITURE Pro XR/AR @ USD$470 = $1718. Ordered some different input options, basically will be under $150 depending what I don't send back. So definitely under $1850. Entry level Macbook Pro with non-square screen, no glasses, lower specs, smaller fixed screen, annoying keyboard, zero repairability is $2500. I'll put the extra $650 toward upgrades later.
- contingencies 2 months ago
  ... and glasses don't fit. So much for that notion!
supermatt 2 months ago
How can the xreal one glasses be 3Dof and stay in place while this guy is moving forward and backwards in his chair?
https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/bc70020e90a74...https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/a2b82ae2ea714...
I appreciate its a marketing video, but this is just a lie, no?
What is the actual supported input resolution of the display? How do virtual monitors work - are they just a composite screen that needs to fit in that max input resolution, or is there some virtual viewport that is being managed by the connected device?
There is so little information about these on the website, and the few reviews I can find are basically people who got them for free (youtube is seemingly full of these right now) and clearly don't use multi-monitor setups to any great extent.
- skykooler 2 months ago
  They do have accelerometers as well as gyroscopes, so technically they could integrate acceleration twice to keep track of position...but in practice it's way more reliable to just keep it at a constant distance from the head.
  - supermatt 2 months ago
    sure, but in the videos its NOT a constant distance from the head, hence the question
- wordpad 2 months ago
  You can check discord for a lot of people trying these out in various ways.
  The screen gets anchored to a direction and distance from you, so yes, leaning in would push the screen back (which feels natural, especially when you walk around).
  - supermatt 2 months ago
    in those videos i linked, the user is leaning in and the screen stays in the SAME position, which is why I am asking how it can be an accurate representation
eternityforest 2 months ago
Seems like the thing that actually makes this all work is the built in battery on the mini PC. Without it, accidentally unplugging the power bank would be a big problem.
- bee_rider 2 months ago
  It is as bad as yanking the cord on your computer. I mean, not the greatest thing to do, but not the end of the world with modern filesystems.
  I used a NUC with some battery pack for ages, accidentally unplugging wasn’t a big problem really. (Sadly smart glasses weren’t where they are now at the time, so I had to lug around some kind of display sometimes).
  - cma 2 months ago
    Dual Sense edge has a good solution for cable locking, I think it has special places for the hooks to fit in though https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dR9E1gCkNI8&t=1m30s
  - eternityforest 2 months ago
    Towers are generally put in places where it's pretty hard to trip over the cord. I'm pretty sure if I used a mini PC as a portable, it would be a weekly annoyance...
ikurei 2 months ago
I've seen a couple of this kinds of setups online and I'm intrigued, as I'm just done with the laptop form factor, but I don't think this is it.
I see the appeal of the XR glasses for immersion and monitor real state, but if you wanted to be outside and went to a coffee shop... I woudldn't cover my eyes and immerse myself totally on the computer; for starters, I wouldn't feel safe. Also, I don't think anyone would also wear headphones with that in a public place, so I hope you don't get a particularly chatty group on the next table over...
There's many situations where I want to look at a display but I don't want to cover my eyes.
On the other hand, this kind of on-the-go-but-with-a-desktop-pc only works with glasses. Some have tried it with a portable display and it seems like way too much fussiness to set up and carry.
I doubt this guy actually ditched his laptop. He did an experiment for content (nothing wrong with that) and I reckon he'll be back on a laptop sooner rather than later.
- Philpax 2 months ago
  They're AR, not VR, so you can still see your surroundings.
jpencausse 2 months ago
I like the setup, have it in mind for XReal Pro but not convinced.
1. The FoV is limited, it's cool on the go but won't replace my Odyssey Ark 55 2. The CPU/GPU is limited, so why not simply using your Phone + XReal ? 3. All your meeting with Team/Zoom/Meet won't works
So yes if your task are surfing the web, using office app it should works until an AI do your job ;-) But if you are working ... Photoshop, Davinci Resolve, Advanced Coding, 3D Building, ...
tocs3 2 months ago
Can AR glasses be used as just a monitor? I am under the impression that they are sort of smart devices. How do they get a video signal from the computer?
- kotaKat 2 months ago
  So, the Xreal glasses are (generally) a dumb USB-C DisplayPort alt-mode device. Plug glasses in, get video to the little displays in your eyes. With a companion app (not needed) you can have your computer do some heavy lifting and make virtual displays out of it.
  The new "One" unit referenced in this review is the same but does have some smarts to do on-glasses processing of the virtual displays itself instead, if I understand it.
  Xreal also sells you some companion devices that are just little Android bricks to cast media to and from and play things from as well.
  - xattt 2 months ago
    What’s the resolution? Can you see the small text of individual items of the Word ribbon?
    - mojomark 2 months ago
      I don't know the answer to your question specifically, but in general, if someone tells you the resolution in terms of 'X by Y' pixels, that is unuseful information for an AR display. It drives me bananas that this isn't industry standard after all these years.
      Instead, you need resolution in terms of Pixels Per Degree (PPD). And, to have any hope of viewing legible text on a virtual monitor projected via an AR HUD, like you can on a physical laptop monitor, you need at least 35PPD.
    - Aaron2222 2 months ago
      The Xreal glasses are 1920×1080. The Air series is listed as 49 PPD, the One and One Pro will be a bit less due to the larger FOV (50° for the One and 57° for the One Pro as opposed to 46° for the Air series).
- Borealid 2 months ago
  VR headsets are usually quite smart.
  For better or for worse - and I personally think it's very much for the better - many AR glasses are a DisplayPort monitor that you wear on your face. They have inertial sensors and speakers, but the interface to the PC is Displayport-over-USBC for video to the glasses, USB Audio Class for the speakers, and usually a proprietary USB peripheral for the inertial measurements.
  Some AR glasses attempt to require being paired with a dedicated video phone-like device, largely to attempt to extract subscription revenue. Most do not.
  It's perfectly possible to drive a pair of AR glasses from an Android smartphone, a video-game-focused SBC, or a miniPC. Anything with DisplayPort video out at 1080p or better (3840x1080 if you want 3D videos).
  - regularfry 2 months ago
    The position measurements on the XReal Air are indeed on a custom USB device, but it's been reverse engineered. You can slurp the positioning data off without too much hassle.
- bobsmooth 2 months ago
  Checkout Voidstar Labs. He hacked a set of AR glasses to use as a teleprompter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAuwW7Wzrng
- fragmede 2 months ago
  xreal air just have a usb-C wire coming down from the back of the glasses
- throawayonthe 2 months ago
  [dead]
jean_de_baill 2 months ago
Where AR glasses realy shine is when used with Samsung Dex. I have been traveling with my XReal Air 2 Pro plugged into my Samsung Galaxy S23 (in m picket) connected to a Bluetooth mouse and foldable keyboard. It packs into a poutch. It is definitely not usable for long (eye strain, blurred edges) but enables me to get some work done on the go ( editing, email, spreadsheets, etc.. )
yokoprime 2 months ago
The thing with a laptop or tablet is that setup time id nearly nothing, so just kicking back in the couch or anywhere you can quickly reply to an email or do some work. this setup requires sitting down at a table or desk. this little overhead will create enough of a barrier that you wont actually do it unless you plan on doing some serious work. So that makes this at best a desktop replacement.
ctrlp 2 months ago
What do you do if you already wear prescription lenses?
- regularfry 2 months ago
  They have a mounting for a lens clip where you can put custom prescription lenses. When I bought my Airs they came with a lens frame and opticians' blanks - basically reference lenses that show where the eyeline is - which you can take to an optician for them to use.
  I got my first set done at a high street optician - Specsavers in the UK - and they were able to do it based on some lens blanks they already had that were close enough in size to what XReal sent. Took less than a week to let me know they were done.
  But also there's a partner that XReal advertise on their site to do the job. When I got a new prescription recently I gave them a try, and they results are just as good. A little better, actually, but I can't tell what's them and what's having a newer prescription.
  I should point out that my lenses mainly correct astigmatism, so any models which only have myopia correction wouldn't be any good to me at all. It's got to be custom lenses for me, and it's fine.
- system2 2 months ago
  There are companies selling lenses for Xreal one. I saw one youtube reviewing them.
- raffraffraff 2 months ago
  The Viture Pro XR have myopia dials. They work well. But I couldn't recommend them for any type of productivity. They're a novelty toy that suits in my drawer, depreciating.
zabzonk 2 months ago
All those wires! Far more than my laptop (basically none, or one if I am charging). And what is the total weight and volume of all this stuff?
- supermatt 2 months ago
  The wires are inside your laptop. I'm more confused as to why he wants to put it all on the desk rather than operate it from his bag.
  From the article it sounds like less than a macbook: "Surprisingly, the Ugreen Nexode Power Bank is the heaviest item in this setup at just over 500 grams while the Khadas Mind 2S weighs 435 grams and the Xreal One glasses weigh 84 grams."
2 months ago
nickzelei 2 months ago
Cool that they are shipping. I’ve had my eyes on the Visor for a long time now. They seem like the best solution but haven’t shipped yet. Not knocking them but it appears they are in production hell. If there is anyone that’s gotten their hands on a pair, would be curious to know how it stacks up to xreal.
giantg2 2 months ago
The keyboard is the real issue for me. Sure they make the laser protected ones, but they just feel weird (not to mention pricey). Maybe the super thin folding/rolling ones are OK. But why not a phone or a laptop? What use case does this really solve?
anonzzzies 2 months ago
I have used a similar setup for a couple of years now; just plug the glasses into my phone.
vaxman 2 months ago
XReal.isAChineseCompany == TRUE
Be sure to fill out the customer information/registration and download the latest firmware :/
KolibriFly 2 months ago
I love the creativity, but for me? If I forget one cable, the whole mission falls apart and I'm back to scribbling in a notebook like it's 1995.
- LeonM 2 months ago
  Author's setup doesn't really have that problem as far as I can see. AFAIK the cable from the xreal glasses don't even detach, keyboard and mouse are wireless. I guess you could forget the USB-C cable for power of the minipc, but you can get a USB-C cable literally anywhere. Or borrow one from someone whose laptop is already charged.
  The 'problem' you describe is not much different from forgetting to bring the charger for your laptop. USB-C being ubiquitous made this so much less of a problem.
  - regularfry 2 months ago
    The cable on the XReal Air does detach, but there's a compartment in the case where it lives. It's unlikely you'll forget it.
creativenolo 2 months ago
So hard to see the content sneaked in around the ads
plun9 2 months ago
Using AR glasses instead of computer monitors can prevent nearsightedness (myopia) because the virtual image is several meters away.
- kinow 2 months ago
  Is that a fact? Has anything about it been published?
  - plun9 2 months ago
    Not exactly the same concept, but: https://eyewiki.org/AR_Computers_To_Terminate_Eyestrain_And_...
    - kinow 2 months ago
      Interesting! Thanks for the article!
laweijfmvo 2 months ago
That battery pack is too large to fly with, unless they changed the regulations? Used to be 10,000 mAH no?
- jdietrich 2 months ago
  The limit is any number of spare batteries of up to 100Wh, or no more than two batteries of over 100Wh but less than 160Wh. 25000mAh worth of lithium cells works out to about 90Wh.
- daggersandscars 2 months ago
  The limit (in the US?) is 100 Wh. If this is the right battery, the specs page says it's 90 Wh.
  https://www.ugreen.com/products/ugreen-nexode-power-bank-250...
- nashashmi 2 months ago
  He mentions that it is FAA compliant.
- Tepix 2 months ago
  100 Wh, with LiIon usually around 27Ah
aquir 2 months ago
I would do the same but with a Mac Mini!
1vuio0pswjnm7 2 months ago
NB. This "pocketable" mini PC contains a fan and vapour chamber liquid cooling.
steveBK123 2 months ago
Looks like with all the bits & bobs it takes up more space than a laptop, and is worse?
jz10 2 months ago
tried this before. great for videos, images but fonts were hard to read and edges were blurred. i concluded it wasnt conducive for work so i decided to sell it and stick with my laptop
tdeck 2 months ago
I thought it would be a mini laptop like these:
https://gpdstore.net/product-category/gpd-mini-laptop/
But no, he carries around a little Nuc style machine and a full, separate keyboard and charger. It's cool and all, but there's no way this whole jumble would fit in a pocket or be convenient to use on the go.
- ganoushoreilly 2 months ago
  I was hoping to see this too. I regularly travel with my vision pro and it has been fantastic. It's definitely bulky though. I also tend to carry a couple laptops for work and recently switch my windows laptop to a GPD pocket. While I like it (using right now), the keyboard has many nuances you have to adjust to. Both of those options end up with me bringing a small keyboard and mouse.
  I own a previous gen Xreal set and it just wasn't there for me resolution wise. I may have to try this newer gen and see.
  - jbellis 2 months ago
    All the AR glasses are stuck at 1080p still. :-/
- Borealid 2 months ago
  There was a recent announcement of a mini PC that was itself built into a folding keyboard - no screen. That would be the ideal device for this lifestyle.
  - luyu_wu 2 months ago
    I saw a video recently advocating for this exact use case of said PC. That would make it truly pocketable.
    It is in Chinese however!
    https://b23.tv/RxSHAhD
    - tdeck 2 months ago
      I feel like this kind of product review video is somewhat comprehensible even if you don't speak the language - product reviews area good source of input for language learners!
  - jimmySixDOF 2 months ago
    That was Spacetop and it was released for a while but the company discontinued the glasses now they provide desktop extension software for Xreal glasses. It was a good idea maybe a little ahead of its time.
    - Borealid 2 months ago
      No, I was talking about https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/mini-pcs/ryzen-mini-pc... . I don't think it's discontinued.
  - fragmede 2 months ago
    raspberry pi comes in a keyboard form factor
    - tdeck 2 months ago
      I have one of those and I love it, but it's not powerful enough to be a daily driver for most folks, unfortunately.
- benoau 2 months ago
  I think a "NUC" is the logical conclusion if you don't want the screen and don't like the keyboard compromises! There's a lot of room for powerful devices in that space like discrete GPUs, or AI crunching, etc.
  But I think what really sells this concept to me - unless I'm on a MacBook, I'll have to carry my keyboard, mouse and maybe powerbank or charger anyway. It's definitely more compact than that!
- regularfry 2 months ago
  I've made myself a split wireless keyboard in part so that it can be more portable than having the style of keyboard in the article in my bag. And that's replacing an Atreus, so already relatively compact.
  But then, there are degrees of portability. This sort of thing is fine for a coffee shop. Better, in some ways, than a laptop because it's usable in full sunlight.
  It's only the fact that everything's wireless that makes it practical, really. I'd be tempted to print up a chassis for the NUC and the power bank so that they become a single unit, then the only setup is the glasses cable.
- user070223 2 months ago
  Truly, it should have been a smartphone, their performant today is better than my 10 years old (totally fine) desktop
  - regularfry 2 months ago
    You can do this! The XReal Airs will take a signal certainly from Samsung smartphones and a few others. I'm expecting wider compatibility from the One line but we'll see how that shakes out.
    The fly in the ointment is battery life. Given only a single USB-C port on the phone and wanting to avoid having to find a hub with Display Port going one way and power the other, the glasses have to get powered from the phone itself.
    Also worth pointing out that XReal themselves make a phonelike device for exactly this use case. No idea how good it is though.
1dom 2 months ago
I do this occasionally, and have done for years. On earlier or lower resolution headsets with Fresnel lenses, it does force you to look at a screen slightly differently - everything has to be a bit larger, you have to move your head/eyes a bit more to deal with blurry edges.
Pancake lens devices like quest pro is fine though. I tend to favour one large virtual screen in vr though, whereas in real life, I prefer one large and one portrait second monitor. Being able to touchtype is useful.
Haven't tried virtual desktop recently, but immersedvr has always been the best work vr app, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because the company is a bit of a joke. They are a case study in everything wrong with silicon valley tech over the past decade. Name a shitty money making buzzword, and they've pivoted towards it and failed at it.
exiguus 2 months ago
Someone got this to work with Linux?
neuroelectron 2 months ago
Kind like the deck in Neuromancer.
joeconway 2 months ago
using a mechanical keyboard on a plane is truly unhinged
T3uZr5Fg 2 months ago
[dead]
returntooffice 2 months ago
[flagged]
metalman 2 months ago
ok, your a borg now:), should we call you 1 of 1 ?, or is resistance futile?