The Magic Leap developers kit has begun shipping for…duh, duh, DUHHHHHH…$2,295 USD. So far the reviews have been apologetically mixed. Technologically, it is being well received for being more inexpensive than the Microsoft Hololens, it is more comfortable to wear and use, the lightfield technology seems to be easier on the eyes for the time that journalists got to wear it, and the content demonstrations are somewhat more impressive than what was shared in that unfortunate developer preview several weeks ago.
Where the “mixed” comes in is in the eyes of the beholders, it isn’t dramatically superior to the Microsoft Hololens, the price is not mass market friendly (though that wasn’t intended), the clarity leaves something to be desired at times, and Magic Leap has become a prisoner of its own hype and expectations tied to their multi-billion dollar investments, X thousand employees, and secretive “this sauce is too good to see” marketing practices.
In this author’s opinion, the release of the Magic Leap developers kit has less if not nothing to do with the practicality of what the public thinks or what they will ultimately use. This is all about the hopes and dreams of developers. Is this developers kit enough proof that some day the technology will exist in gymnasium busting whale crashing form, and are developers willing to take that Magic Leap with their cash, careers and time on this earth to wait it out and plan for the best?
These are the real multibillion dollar questions, and if the answers are positive, some serious thought needs to be put into getting from point A to B to C.
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