One thing I find with Apple devices is that they have an ecosystem of extremely passionate developers, and all their other "new paradigm" platforms also initially shipped with no software (Mac, iPhone, iPad). The mainstream usage of these devices is really based on what developers built for them in the first couple years after release, not the use cases Apple tried to sell us on.
The shortcomings and skepticism surrounding the AVP is pretty reminiscent of the above examples' own initial releases. Unless AVP is an exception to the rule, I think both the hardware and the software will start to get extremely good over the next few years. But that is unavoidably predicated by a flawed gen 1 being released.
> and all their other "new paradigm" platforms also initially shipped with no software (Mac, iPhone, iPad). The mainstream usage of these devices is really based on what developers built for them in the first couple years after release... Unless AVP is an exception to the rule...
what about Apple Watch, AppleTV and HomePod? Those don't have the app success story of the Mac, iPhone and iPad.
There's two paths that lead to a passionate developer base popularizing your platform via their apps:
1) build a platform that developers love to use i.e. Mac and iPhone to a certain extent
2) offer access to a product with a lot of users i.e. iPhone and iPad
The AVP is more like the first HomePod (quite expensive compared to its 'competition' and irrelevant long before the mini arrived) than the iPhone and iPad which launched at competitive/accessible prices so we're not expecting a product with lots of users.
Could the AVP be a platform that developers love to use? The mostly likely use case from a developer perspective appears to be as a portable big screen monitor for your Mac albeit with limitations*. Would that be compelling enough? Craig Hockenberry https://furbo.org/2024/01/29/the-next-40/ :
"Apple Vision Pro is a technical marvel, but ultimately falls short in ways that satisfy the natural curiosity of developers."
*p.s. there are other headsets with similar display specs to AVP rumored for later this year. It might be worth waiting if you primarily want virtual monitors for your Mac
The shortcomings and skepticism surrounding the AVP is pretty reminiscent of the above examples' own initial releases. Unless AVP is an exception to the rule, I think both the hardware and the software will start to get extremely good over the next few years. But that is unavoidably predicated by a flawed gen 1 being released.