[Wear-Hard] Perhaps a cheaper HMD

[Brian Chabot]

Friar wrote:

> The only way to prove that QVGA is a workable
> display size is to show that you can ONLY
> solve a cool problem by wearing a computer as
> apparel.  This is the old "killer app" concept.
> And at this point, it has to be truely genre-
> busting to make an impact and still manage to
> make a fashion statement instead of a fashion
> faux pas.  Otherwise people will just continue
> to fill their pockets with the ipodphone-
> gameboy combo and lug around a laptop when
> they actually need computer work done.

There are apps that you really need a wearable with HMD to pull off but
few have really made it out of Alpha testing - reality augmentation and
memory enhancement come to mind.  For that you really need a partially
transparent HMD which would also help in the loss of depth perception
and balance.


> In my opinion, the minimum display rez that
> will actually capture attention is probably
> native 720p HDTV (1280x720x24bpp). 


The other possibility is to use the "pixels" measurement rather than
display resolution - 300,000 pixels sounds better to the average
unthinking consumer than "VGA" or "640x480".

> All without
> looking like a freak.


There's the key.  The display needs to be discreet.  If you look like
you're on your way to a Star Trek convention, it's not going to be a big
selling point.


> (and anybody who says "but, what about
> truely mobile computing?" has never tried
> strapping a computer to a newbie and
> watched them proceed to walk into every
> coffee table/sharp object within 10 feet.
> Hilarious? Yes.  Mainstream? No).

...and never tried to read a long file while walking...

Displays hidden in glasses are good.  Especially if they're
semi-transparent.  Geordie LaForge visors and Borg attachments have a
low sales appeal. (...as much as some of us may be amused by them...)

In any case though, $2000USD is not going to cut it, no matter how good
the display is otherwise.  $2000 for a complete system with
context-aware environment, GPS mapping, facial recognition, voice I/O,
wifi, 3G, BT, and cell phone?  Now we're talking.


Brian

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