Ask Slashdot: Should I Get Google Glass? 421
lunatick writes "I put in my application for Google Glass as a joke. I never figured I would be selected. Well in less than one week I got my invite to buy Google Glass. My main hold back is the $1500 price tag for a device that just seems to be a camera and navigation aid. Does anyone in the /. community have Google Glass and can they give some advice to the rest of us considering it?"
For 1500 Bucks... (Score:4, Interesting)
For $1,500 you could buy an Oculus Rifts, small form factor PC, battery rig, and a couple of EyeToys, and have a real augmented reality display, with money left over.
And, you know, look like a complete idiot, instead of an 80% idiot.
Re:Are you a creepy guy who wants to video tape pp (Score:2, Interesting)
My opinion of GG:
1: I don't want to get punched in the face because people get tired of being recorded.
2: I don't want to hit the restroom, forgetting to take the glasses off, and be hit by a felony, improper photography charge.
3: I don't care about seeing ads when I look around.
4: I have enough electronic gizmos to watch out for. I don't need another attractive target for a mugger [1] to single me out for.
5: I work with IT stuff all day. Similar to #4, I just want as little as possible.
6: I don't want another nice attack surface for a blackhat to attack or mess with.
7: GG is like Nitendo's Virtual Boy in a lot of respects... except VB was cooler.
8: What does Google do with the GPS and telemetry data? I don't really need another tracking device on my person.
[1]: When people stopped carrying cash and went to credit cards, it reduced mugging by an extreme factor. Now that every meth-head knows that an iPhone will net them a couple hundred dollars, even if it doesn't work (just the screen alone will sell for a C-note), a decent switchblade and a dark alley makes for a nice base of operations.
Finally, an actual response (Score:5, Interesting)
queue all the slashdotters who cannot read and have a bias sans experience. Kudos for eschewing the low hanging Oh Noooh! It's Google and it's new and it's different! I'm a gonna punch you in da noze if you wear it! crowd and offering an actual response with some possible value. I get that you probably don't own Glass yourself either, but at least you provided some feedback that actually has some value in it.
I also don't have Glass, but would certainly try it out if I has the $1500.00 In the end it comes down to what the OPs budget is, and how badly they want a new toy. If you are looking to live on the bleeding edge go for it. If you are expecting real utility from Glass for your $1500.00, wait for it to mature. The cost will come down drastically as the capabilities likewise improve.
Re:Yes. (Score:4, Interesting)
>The people who are scoffing at Google Glass right now just can't afford it yet.
Not all of them. A lot of us think that, at least in it's current iteration, Glass is pointless, creepy, distracting, and unacceptably invasive to both the surrounding populace and the user themself. If you gave me one for free I'd probably play with it a bit, but it'd get even less usage my tablet. More likely I'd sell it and use the money to buy a medium-high performance PC and a VR helmet, which is a technology I consider to have far more interesting potential. I already have an old smart phone that I occasionally find useful, I have no desire to strap the damn thing to my face.
Re:Yes. (Score:1, Interesting)
The people who are scoffing at Google Glass right now just can't afford it yet.
Not all of us want more "stuff". Further, it is not a question of affordability for quite a few
humans who are more advanced in their personal development than you seem to be.
I can pay cash for any new 911 Porsche sells, and yet I drive a VW. Why ? Because I don't
have the need to impress anyone with the car I own, and because in the US owning a fast car
will for me lead to legal hassles ( huge speeding tickets ) I would rather avoid.
I use an iPhone 3GS right now and it does everything I need a phone to do. Actually on a daily
basis I don't even need an iPhone, a plain old phone would do.
There is more to life than material things and gadgets. There is a big world out there, full of interesting
and rewarding experiences, and many of those experiences have nothing to do with money.
Of course the economies of countries like the US depend on mindless consumption, and in that
respect it's good for the economy that there are so many consumers of material stuff, but this is not
what enriches a human life which is well lived, and it is diametrically opposed to actual growth as
a human being in the ways that actually matter. You might think I am full of shit, but wait 30 or 40
years and revisit the question of consumption vs. experiences and I bet you will see things differently.
Bottom line : No one lies on his or her deathbed and expresses regret at never having OWNED a particular
material thing.
Re:Yes. (Score:5, Interesting)
--GPS without having to take your eyes off the road. (Or GPS while you're walking in a crowded area where using a phone means you bump into people, like much of NYC.)
--Finding out when the buses run by looking at a bus stop sign and having Glass cross-reference the appropriate schedules.
--Referencing a manual when you're in a position that makes it difficult to read printed material (like under a car, or even just twisted under a dashboard to pull a component)
--Taking notes when you're in that awkward position
--Pilots pulling up a checklist without having to fish around for the actual checklist (especially useful in emergency situations)
--Conferring with colleagues on the best course of action during the job without having to bring them on-site (already happening during surgeries)
--Walking people through first-aid procedures while help is still on the way
--Emergency alert notifications such as for tornadoes, floods, or evacuation that might only trip a notification on your phone.
Those are just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are plenty of others that would never occur to me if someone else didn't come up with them first.