Microsoft turns 50 on April 4, and the celebration of everyone's favorite Windows developer has us all taking a look back at some of the company's greatest achievements (with a healthy mix of criticism mixed in).

Some of my first (and most memorable) experiences with Windows were gaming-related.

From my earliest days playing Solitaire on a Windows 95 PC before becoming so hopelessly addicted to Age of Empires II — both ranked among the best Microsoft games of all time by my colleague Rebecca Spear — that I nearly flunked Grade 7, Microsoft has been along for the ride.

Taking a big leap ahead in time, with plenty of PC gaming goodness in the middle, Microsoft was part of the VR bubble that began reinflating sometime around the mid-to-late '10s.

I'm taking a look back at Windows Mixed Reality's brief run to uncover its biggest positives as well as a few likely reasons why it didn't make it in the long run.

What was Windows Mixed Reality?

Windows Mixed Reality was first introduced at WinHEC 2016 as part of the 2017 Windows 10 Creator's Update.

WMR was one part of Microsoft's "Project Evo" initiative, and it aimed to bring low-cost headsets to market that would "raise the bar" surrounding expectations for Windows PCs.

It wasn't until CES 2017 that we got our first look at the WMR hardware — then called Windows Holographic VR before a rebrand — from Microsoft's partners.

Alex Kipman, HoloLens inventor and (at the time) Microsoft's WMR lead, took to the stage later in October wearing a WMR headset and bearing news that WMR headsets were available for preorder.

Kipman also released a lengthy blog post detailing his vision of Windows Mixed Reality:

"We are standing at the threshold of the next revolution in computing. A revolution where computers empower us to expand our capabilities and transcend time, space and devices. A revolution where we immerse ourselves in virtual worlds of our choosing and we accomplish seemingly impossible things, while making lasting memories with the people we love.

"Our sense of what is possible is set to be transformed as we enter a new era of computing, the era of mixed reality. We have started to see this transformation take place in the modern workplace and soon we'll see it in every facet of life. With mixed reality, our ideas move beyond the boundaries of paper, beyond the boundaries of screens, and beyond the boundaries of description. This is the fundamental promise of mixed reality. The barrier that exists between our physical and digital worlds will disappear."

Microsoft saw its WMR platform as a jumping-off point for the future of computing. Updates would push it to new limits, all while taking into account user needs and preferences.

👉 Related: What exactly is Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality?

From the start, WMR was intended to be used for everything from gaming to watching movies or TV, browsing the web, and meeting with friends in virtual chatrooms.

Here's a quick list of all the VR headsets released under the WMR banner:

• Acer AH101: Released October 17, 2017 at $399.99 (with controllers).
• Dell Visor: Released October 17, 2017 at $349.99 ($449.99 with controllers).
• HP WMR: Released October 17, 2017 at $449.99 (with controllers).
• Lenovo Explorer: Released October 17, 2017 at $349.99 (449.99 with controllers).
• Samsung Odyssey: Released November 6, 2017 at $500 (with controllers).
• ASUS HC102: Released February 20, 2018 at $399.99 (with controllers).
• Samsung Odyssey+: Released October 22, 2018 at $500 (with controllers).
• HP Reverb: Released May 6, 2019 at $599 (Consumer) and $649 (Pro).
• Acer OJO 500: Released October 17, 2019 at $399.99 (with controllers).
• HP Reverb G2: Released October 31, 2020 at $599 (with controllers).

Windows Mixed Reality got a lot right no matter how it ended

It's easy to look back on Windows Mixed Reality with a negative eye.

Its retirement as of Windows 11 update 24H2 left a lot of adopters holding e-waste, and it never really delivered on all of its promises.

However, it did a few things quite well, and in some areas was ahead of the competition.

Windows Mixed Reality was ahead of its time ... a classic Microsoft story

The first VR headset I tested was an early Oculus Rift version. The second was an HTC Vive.

Both setups required a network of base stations to be connected to your PC in order to track the movements of the headset and its controllers.

While inside-out tracking is now the norm for headsets like the Meta Quest (which is ultimately what became of the Rift after Meta bought Oculus), Windows Mixed Reality was ahead of its time in offering the feature.

I remember unboxing my first WMR headset; no base stations, no miles of cable. The headset was plug-and-play with the PC, and the tracking was all handled by built-in cameras and sensors on the hardware.

The headset keeping track of the controllers led to some wonk — especially if you moved your hands (with controllers) behind you — but it was a lot easier to set up and use for the average adopter.

Windows Mixed Reality's high visual fidelity was a selling point

In terms of visual fidelity, WMR was ahead of many other mainstream VR systems.

Dell, Acer, HP, and Lenovo all released WMR headsets in 2017 to kick off the partnered initiative, and they came with a 1440x1440 resolution.

Putting that into perspective, the HTC Vive launched in 2016 with a 1080x1200 resolution while the PSVR (also released in 2016) had a lowly 960x1080 resolution. Even the Oculus Rift CV1 topped out at 1080x1200.

Considering how important a high resolution is in VR, WMR offered a significant visual upgrade while retaining relatively affordable pricing.

The Samsung Odyssey launched in 2017, and it took everything to the next level with an AMOLED display at a 1440x1600 resolution. It took HTC another year to launch the Vive Pro with the same screen.

In 2019 and 2020, HP released its Reverb and Reverb G2 WMR headsets, pushing the resolution up to 2160x2160.

I reviewed the Reverb G2 favorably, and I'll argue that it was probably the best chance WMR had at succeeding.

Windows Mixed Reality had some of the most affordable hardware

Windows Mixed Reality headsets and their controllers were some of the most affordable ways to get into VR.

The initial run of systems from Microsoft's partners hit the market with sub-$500 price tags, and Acer's AH101 system was the cheapest at $400 for the complete kit with controllers. It didn't take long for these headsets to drop in price.

Putting that into perspective, the Rift CV1 was selling for $599 and the HTC Vive for $399. Even PSVR was a $400 investment if you wanted the headset and controllers.

The awesome Samsung Odyssey headset with its high-res AMOLED display launched at $500, but it was also prone to frequent discounts.

Besides, it was way ahead of its time. The Vive Pro with the same display launched about a year later at $1,099 for the full system, so Samsung's headset was a major steal.

Windows Mixed Reality worked flawlessly with Steam

Every PC gamer's favorite developer and retailer, Valve, was quick to implement WMR support in its SteamVR toolkit.

All you had to do in order to unlock the vast library of Steam games was install the tool on the main Steam app and download Microsoft's WMR for SteamVR app.

From there, it was just a matter of plugging in your headset and following the on-screen prompts. Any VR games you launched on Steam were sent automatically to the WMR headset.

For PC gamers looking to get into VR titles, WMR represented an affordable and fully compatible way to fully immerse themselves.

It's worth pointing out here that WMR even saved some software from extinction.

AltspaceVR was on the rocks in 2017 when Microsoft purchased it, which at the time seemed like an indicator of how serious Microsoft was about VR.

Too bad AltspaceVR ended up in the trash heap anyway when it was abandoned in 2023.

The demise of Windows Mixed Reality ... and the reasons leading up to it

The death of WMR wasn't entirely Microsoft's fault.

Looking at Statista numbers, consumer interest in VR headsets hasn't grown as quickly as expected, and worldwide demand for VR hardware and software has been eclipsed by Augmented Reality.

Those who do want a VR headset generally turn to Meta's Quest lineup of wireless, self-contained headsets, while Valve's own VR platform, Index, remains the leading hardware for PC gaming.

There are, however, a few pain points that didn't help Windows Mixed Reality's progress and attempts to gain market share.

I'm still waiting on that whole 'Mixed Reality' part

"Windows Mixed Reality" didn't really represent what Microsoft's VR platform could do. However, "Windows Virtual Reality" didn't really have the same ring to it.

Augmented reality at the time was being pushed forward by Microsoft's HoloLens, which could display information over the real world in front of you.

At the other end of the spectrum was virtual reality, which shut you off from the outside world completely for complete immersion.

The headsets were full virtual reality, with many hoping that the mixed part would arrive sometime in the future. That, of course, never panned out.

I'm not sure how much the "mixed" feature never arriving actually harmed the product, but it certainly didn't make the emerging world of VR any less complicated for those looking in from the outside.

The cheapest WMR hardware made a poor first impression

As a counterpoint to one of my earlier positive notes regarding the affordability of WMR headsets, the cost cut didn't come without side effects.

The headsets created by Microsoft's partners resulted in a wide range of quality, and I remember plenty of reports regarding Acer's budget option not faring well under heavy use.

It certainly wasn't the only hardware that had a cheap feel compared to competitors like HTC and Oculus.

Attempting to jumpstart an entirely new sector on the back of shoddy hardware is never a good idea.

Although there were WMR headsets that rivaled everything else on the market in terms of quality, the cheap stuff is what sold most, giving more people a negative impression.

It was a great way to give VR a shot without investing a ton of money, but it didn't do justice to the platform as a whole.

Despite Steam integration, WMR didn't have one killer app or game

Jumping into Windows Mixed Reality on Windows was fun at first. There was an entire house to decorate and set up, acting as your launch pad for everything WMR.

The excitement quickly waned as I found myself usually skipping any sort of intermediary software and jumping straight into the app or game of my choice.

Once SteamVR integration came along, I really didn't need to touch the WMR portal built into Windows at all. It just kind of became an annoying add-on.

Microsoft never really created that one killer app or game in an attempt to sell WMR, and it never got anywhere with Xbox integration.

Even Xbox head Phil Spencer was quoted in 2019 as saying "Nobody's asking for VR" on Xbox, though others argued it could be a perfect fit for the console.

Sony ultimately proved Spencer's point with PSVR and PSVR 2, which fizzled out due to poor sales and an overall lack of interest.

Still, I look at Valve's Half-Life: Alyx, released in 2020 to complement the Valve Index VR system, which currently sits at an Overwhelmingly Positive rating with more than 84,000 reviews.

What could have been if Microsoft had invested in turning one of its legendary brands into a VR game?

Could anything have saved Windows Mixed Reality?

Windows Mixed Reality support is officially dead if you've made the switch to Windows 11.

It's still kicking around in Windows 10, but its support is done, and besides, Windows 10 is being retired in October 2025.

That leaves a whole lot of e-waste sitting around. Microsoft could likely have lifted restrictions on code, turning it into an open-source platform and allowing enthusiasts to take it to the next level.

I don't know if anything could have saved WMR. Microsoft definitely didn't put as many resources into it as it could have, but the market appeal across all VR cooled off not long after it began heating up.

So, here we are in 2025 with Windows Mixed Reality pushing daisies in Microsoft's graveyard. Where do we go from here?

In 2024, it was reported that Microsoft is planning an MR/VR headset to take on the Apple Vision Pro, with a focus on gaming and media rather than any sort of metaverse.

That hardware, if it ever materializes, likely won't arrive until late 2025 or 2026.

It appears Extended Reality (XR) hardware — cutting-edge Goovis Art is currently being tested by Windows Central Editor in Chief Daniel Rubino, and XREAL is another favorite — is the next big push for consumer headsets.

XR offers hardware that's much less intrusive and heavy, and it delivers a better version of mixed reality than Windows Mixed Reality ever could. But, whether or not it sticks around remains to be seen.

Did you use WMR? Do you still use WMR? How could it have been saved from annihilation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Microsoft has confirmed that it is seeking to hand-off development and production of its military IVAS hardware and software to a third-party via a new partnership with Anduril Industries, an American defence technology company.

The news comes as Microsoft essentially washes its hands of all first-party Mixed Reality efforts. In the last year, the company has retired its Windows Mixed Reality platform and ended production on HoloLens 2. In 2022, the company outright canceled the HoloLens 3.

Microsoft's corporate vice president of Mixed Reality, Robin Seiler said in a blog post “We are incredibly proud of the work our teams have put in to help the U.S. Army transform its concept of a soldier-borne, AR headset into reality with the IVAS program. Our Soldier-Centered Design approach helped reimagine technology development with the Army that continuously took in real-world soldier feedback to develop a product that soldiers love. We are excited to partner with Anduril for the next phase of IVAS and leverage our combined strengths to meet our commitments on this vital program and deliver a game-changing capability for every U.S. soldier.”

IVAS was a specialized version of HoloLens 2 designed for the United States military. Microsoft was awarded a $22 billion contract in 2021 to deliver an augmented reality device for U.S. soldiers, but the project has faced many issues throughout development. The current iteration of IVAS is version 1.2, which addresses key issues and concerns from soldiers who had provided feedback on earlier iterations of the hardware.

As part of this partnership, Anduril Industries will use Microsoft Azure as its preferred hyperscale cloud for all workloads related to the IVAS project and Anduril AI technology. Anduril Industries' founder, Palmer Luckey said "The ultimate goal is to create a military ecosystem where technology acts as an extension of human capability. By empowering soldiers with the tools they need to make faster, smarter decisions, we’re building a future where technology and human ingenuity combine to ensure mission success.”

Should the partnership be approved, this will mark the end of a Microsoft-made augmented reality device for the military, with Anduril Industries taking over design, development, and production of the hardware and software. The partnership will need to be approved by the U.S. Department of Defence before it can proceed.

• Mixed Reality Link for Windows 11 is now available to download.
• The app in preview lets you connect your PC to a Quest VR headset.
• Use up to three virtual displays and control your PC inside your VR space.

Last month, Microsoft announced that Meta Quest headsets would soon be able to connect to and interact with Windows 11 PCs seamlessly, similar to the integration between Apple Vision Pro and a Mac. Today, Microsoft has now released the first preview of the Mixed Reality Link app for Windows 11, which lets you setup the connection between a Windows 11 PC and Meta Quest headset.

• Download Mixed Reality Link (Preview) from Microsoft Store

You can download the Mixed Reality Link app from the Microsoft Store now, which will guide you through the setup process for linking your Meta Quest headset to your Windows PC. This feature only works on the latest Meta Quest 3 and 3S headsets, meaning Quest 2 and Quest Pro users are out of luck, at least for now.

"Microsoft is partnering with Meta to make this experience available today in public preview, and we’re excited to get feedback from the community" says a Microsoft support document. "Access to your local Windows PC from a Quest headset is seamless and it takes only seconds to connect to a private, high-quality, multiple-monitor workstation."

Wirelessly connecting to your Windows 11 PC within your Meta Quest 3 or 3S headset is a great tool for turning the Meta Quest into a productivity machine. While Microsoft no longer supports Windows Mixed Reality, it's good to see that Windows desktop is still usable within other virtual reality platforms.

As the app is currently in preview, there will likely be some bugs and issues that arise during normal use. Microsoft and Meta are inviting feedback from users during this preview period, so if you run into any issues be sure to let them know.

There's also a known issues list:

• On a Teams call, a call comes in, but the toast to accept the call does not appear.
• Audio may not transfer properly to an expected device or may play on a PC and headset simultaneously after establishing a connection.
• Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete will end your connection so you can quickly get back to your PC.
• Existing connections may show as available when they are not.
• Three active displays may restrict the quality if the PC doesn't meet the PC graphics requirements above. 

These issues will likely be ironed out in the coming weeks. For now, download the Mixed Reality Link app from the Microsoft Store!

What you need to know

• Nobody wants an Apple Vision Pro. 
• That's it, basically. 

According a report via Mac Rumors, water is wet nobody wants to spend $3000 dollars to wear an Apple Mac computer on their head, even if it has holograms. 

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Cuo reports that Apple has reduced its orders for Vision Pro devices, after demand in the United States fell "sharply beyond expectations." Supposedly, Apple will use the humbling to approach sales in other regions a little less optimistically. Supposedly, Apple will unveil wider Vision Pro availability at this year's WWDC conference, where we could see the expensive hologrammatic paperweight hit Europe and other regions. Apple supposedly expects demand for the headset to only decline year-over-year too, which doesn't exactly paint a rosy picture for the nascent market. 

It seems that Apple learned nothing from Microsoft's failings with HoloLens, although Apple was arguably far better positioned to actually make something of its tech. Apple's mixed-reality headset offers full inside-out virtual landscapes, utilizing cameras that reproduce the external environment, overlaying holograms on top. Apple also enjoys far more consumer confidence in hardware than Microsoft most likely, yet it still couldn't make the use-case for this monstrosity make any sense. 

Instead of full inside-out virtualization, HoloLens used clever prisms and lenses to overlay Windows windows directly on top of the real world, complete with spatial anchoring. The downside of HoloLens was its "letterbox" effect, since the field of view was incredibly small. The upside was that the headset didn't make you feel like throwing up, unlike Apple's, which due to subtle latency differences between the real world and virtual world, creates a sea sickness-like affliction in many users. 

The Apple Vision Pro could end up being remembered as one of Apple's most high-profile hardware failures in recent years. 

Is mixed reality doomed?

Both Microsoft's HoloLens and Apple's Vision Pro suffer from the same central issue: nobody wants to wear a huge, ugly computer on their face. Literally nobody. Even people who claim to like wearing the Apple Vision Pro are lying to you, me, and everybody else — and most of all, themselves. The only place these types of devices have any potential is in business scenarios, where you wear the headsets for a specific purpose before removing them. Wearing them for any length of time is simply uncomfortable, throw paying thousands of dollars on top of it for the privilege and you make for a seriously dumb product.

At least you wouldn't have to sell a kidney to grab a Meta Quest or something like that. Meta even "opened up" its platform recently, allowing Microsoft to build its very own Xbox edition Meta Quest, although it won't really be anything different from a regular Meta Quest, besides coming pre-installed with Microsoft Office and Xbox Cloud Gaming, perhaps. 

The best augmented reality headset remains the sleek, sexy, and small XREAL Air glasses. Which as you might expect from my description there, are actually just glasses. Connected to your phone, laptop, or gaming handheld, the XREALs give you a personal HD cinema for gaming, media consumption, and beyond — without looking stupid. If any of these products are ever going to make sense, it's going to be in a small package like the XREALs, rather than some huge face-hugging thing like Apple's effort. 

As I watched WWDC, a strange feeling overcame me. I hate the pretentious tone of some Apple enthusiasts. I love trolling Apple for "inventing" things. But during one part of the presentation, I forgot about all of that and just enjoyed technology being shown off. The Apple Vision Pro got me more excited about virtual reality and augmented reality than I have been in a long time.

I've covered virtual reality since the Samsung Gear VR. I've written guides on how to use the Oculus Go, reviewed the first Oculus Quest, and covered the launch of the Quest 2. On the mixed reality side of things, I've written dozens of stories about HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality. At one point I interviewed a game developer in Australia as I virtually fought him in his own game even though he was thousands of miles away. But despite all that, Apple scratched my VR itch in a way that no other company has.

I don't think it's envy

I tried to come up with a single word to describe how I feel about Apple Vision Pro. I don't think it's envy, though that was the first thought that came to mind. It's not like I made HoloLens or Meta Quest. It would be reasonable for the companies behind competing VR and AR devices to be envious of Apple. After all, Apple's first-generation virtual reality headset is getting more buzz than even the refined versions of HoloLens and Quest. But I don't have a dog in the race. I could go out and buy an Apple Vision Pro if I wanted, though I'd probably have to use my house as collateral.

I believe the right word is frustrated. I'm frustrated that Apple could swoop into the VR game years late and deliver such a promising device. Oculus (now Meta), Microsoft, HTC, and Sony have all worked on virtual reality in some way or another over the past decade, yet it's Apple that showed off what I believe is the most promising — ahem — vision of mixed reality.

Apple Vision Pro isn't perfect

Before you write me off as someone with blinders on, I'm very aware that Apple Vision Pro VR has flaws. It looks ridiculous. It requires an external battery pack to get just 2 hours of battery life. Its $3,500 price tag makes it unattainable for almost any average person.

While virtual reality is still cool in my eyes, it's definitely lost some of its buzz. The metaverse came and flopped. Gaming in VR is probably the most successful implementation of the technology, but even that's niche.

On top of all that, Apple Vision Pro fails to overcome some of the inherent flaws of virtual reality. At the end of the day, you're still sticking a screen on your face that only you can see. There are some social experiences within VR, but at that point, you're talking about having to spend over $7,000 to get multiple headsets.

Our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino ran through the faults and follies of Apple Vision Pro and VR. I agree with pretty much everything he said. I'm just also excited to see what Apple will do with its headset.

So, what do I like?

With all those flaws and the fact that many of the concepts shown off by Apple have existed in other headsets, the natural question is what am I excited about? I think Apple's entry into VR looks like a more refined experience. It takes some of the best aspects of virtual reality, adds some Apple magic, and infuses them with a thriving ecosystem.

Marques Brownlee went hands-on with Apple Vision Pro, so he has a better gauge of the tech than I do. While he couldn't show any footage of him using the device, it's clear from his tone and recap that he's impressed by Apple's headset and the visionOS it runs.

A few elements of Apple Vision Pro stuck out to me. The displays look like they'll be among the best on the market. Eye tracking also seems to be quick and seamless. Brownlee discussed how looking at an object and clicking with his hand felt more natural than similar movements in other headsets.

Apple Vision Pro only has Apple's apps at this point, but I suspect that will change. Developers have a year to get their services onto the device. Apple has a track record of converting developers, so I don't think that will be an issue. Look at how many devs flocked to support Apple Silicon when the company started using its own chips in its Macs.

Apple also has spent a lot of money on media content. While Apple TV may be the main beneficiary, it looks like Apple Vision Pro will have some unique content. In addition to showing movies and other forms of media that you could watch on any device, the headset will have 3-D movies. It can even record 3-D videos, but it's quite awkward. As a quick aside, Apple needs to have a record mode that works without the headset on a person. That way, a person can record in 3-D while enjoying real life. They could then share the video and relive it later.

NextVR was purchased by Apple a while back, and I think that will help with Apple's push for media in VR. You can already watch NBA games through NextVR on other headsets, but I think Apple will optimize the experience for its VR headset.

Will Apple Vision Pro succeed?

I don't know Apple's metrics for the success of Apple Vision Pro. If the company's goal is to deliver the best consumer-facing virtual reality experience, I think that'll happen. The interface looks smooth, eye tracking and the displays of the device look top-notch, and developers love to optimize their apps and services for Apple hardware.

Becoming a commercial success could be a different matter. Apple enthusiasts are generally willing to spend a lot of money to be in the Apple ecosystem, but will they pay $3,500 to find out? I'm not sure, but I'm going to enjoy watching the reviews.

Apple's WWDC was today. Over one million people watched the event live on YouTube, and millions worldwide followed along as Apple unveiled iOS 17, macOS 14, the new Mac Studio, the new MacBook Air, and Apple Vision Pro VR. But what's an Apple event without people trolling about Apple "inventing" everything it announced?

Apple has a track record of holding off on new tech and then rolling it out on stage as if it's a new idea. It's a tradition at this point. Another tradition is tech journalists and enthusiasts taking the opportunity to make fun of Apple. Is it genuine criticism? Maybe a little. Is it a hint of jealousy? Maybe.

In any event, here are five things Apple announced at WWDC that will look familiar to anyone that's followed tech over the past few years.

Apple invents Mixed Reality

The most significant announcement of the day, even among other noteworthy news, was Apple unveiling Apple Vision Pro VR. The device is a mixed-reality headset that can toggle into a virtual-reality headset with the twist of a crown.

While wearing the headset, people can watch movies, sit at a virtual desktop, and even edit documents in it. Can you imagine? Editing Microsoft Word documents in a mixed reality headset and having a massive TV on your face? #Future

Apple invents Progressive Web Apps

What if every website you visited could be installed as an app on your computer? What if an operating system integrated some web apps alongside your other applications? You'd get up-to-date versions of your favorite services without requiring app updates. You'd have the same experience across all your devices, regardless of which OS you ran. Developers wouldn't have to make apps for each operating system, freeing up time and resources to improve your app experience.

Apple has answered your questions, and your prayers, with support for progressive web apps on W̶i̶n̶d̶o̶w̶s̶ ̶X̶P̶ macOS 14 Sonoma.

Apple invents interactive widgets

Sometimes you want to glance at information without having to open an app. The ever-clever Apple has figured out a way to do just that. macOS Sonoma supports widgets on the desktop, which came to Windows 11 when it was first announced (a future update will let you pin them to the desktop). You can interact with the widgets or browse them for info. Desktop widgets. What a time to be alive.

Apple invents Windows XP wallpaper

When Apple unveiled macOS Sonoma, I was overcome with emotion. The grass-like green graphic. The rolling curves, almost like hills below a top as blue as the sky. I was in bliss. It's truly amazing how Apple continues to create awe-inspiring art while making the best technology.

If you had any doubt that the macOS Sonoma wallpaper was inspired by the Bliss wallpaper of Windows XP, I'd like to point out that the famous Bliss image was taken in Sonoma County, California.

Bring it all together, and you have a graphic that looks like the Windows XP wallpaper, interactive widgets on the desktop, and the fact that the new macOS version is named after where the Windows XP wallpaper image was taken. That's a bit on the nose Apple.

Apple invents Windows Game Mode

Everyone knows all the cool gamers use macOS. In addition to Windows and Linux being too mainstream, they lack the raw power of the Mac Pro with the mighty M2. While macOS handles the five games it supports like a champ, sometimes you may want to focus your system resources on gaming. In comes Game mode, the revolutionary idea from Apple.

When you enable game mode, your computer prioritizes whatever title you play. This results in better frame rates and reduced latency on accessories like Xbox controllers.

If only Microsoft had been watching WWDC...

• How to enable (or disable) Game Mode in Windows 10 and 11

What you need to know

• In the latest update in the massive Microsoft layoffs, we now have a better idea of how deep the cuts run in Microsoft's Mixed Reality team. 
• The team behind AltSpaceVR and also the Mixed Reality Tool Kit have been laid off in their entireties. 
• Potentially, these layoffs throw serious doubt on the future of HoloLens, which is currently struggling to retain its military contract with the U.S. government. 

The scale of the Microsoft layoffs keeps revealing itself through social media posts, as we get to grips with just how deep and broad Microsoft is looking to restructure. 

This past week, Microsoft revealed its joining Amazon, Google, and others in laying off thousands of employees. The cuts reduces Microsoft's global workforce by 5%, which grew rapidly to take advantage of opportunities that were presented during the pandemic. With work-from-home culture ending, inflation spiraling, and Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine disrupting energy markets, Big Tech is scaling back to keep shareholders happy in a tough economic environment. 

Microsoft is rearranging its bets for the future of the company as a result. Despite having acquired AltSpaceVR back in 2017, Microsoft culled the entire team behind the virtual reality workspace project this past week. As a result, AltSpaceVR will shutter for good in March, effectively ending Microsoft's "metaverse" efforts with it. Supposedly, Microsoft Mesh will be AltSpaceVR's successor, but it remains to be seen just how serious the company is about the so-called "metaverse," despite CEO Satya Nadella's buzzword-laden speeches on the topic at recent events. 

In addition to the death of AltSpaceVR, Microsoft has also culled the entire team behind the popular MRTK framework. MRTK is Microsoft's "Mixed Reality Tool Kit," which is a cross-platform framework for spatial anchors in virtual reality spaces. MRTK was built for Unity VR integrations, and works with Meta's headsets with a focus on HoloLens. 

HoloLens has been scaled back already in recent years following the departure of its chief architect Alex Kipman. Microsoft has been pursuing a HoloLens contract with the U.S. military, which was recently scaled back by the U.S. Congress, owing to reported problems with the program. 

For Microsoft to cull the entire team behind MRTK, which was due to release a new version just next month, it paints a picture of a company that perhaps no longer believes in virtual reality. There are many who believe the "metaverse" represents the next big opportunity in human-computer interfacing, but even Facebook, who rebranded its entire company to Meta in the belief of this technology, is scaling back in this area as well — laying off 11,000 staff back in November. 

What you need to know

• Microsoft has announced plans to bring Microsoft 365 and Xbox Cloud Gaming to Meta Quest devices.
• Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, Outlook, and Game Pass will be accessible on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro.
• Windows 365 Cloud PC service is also coming to Meta Quest devices.

Microsoft is bringing its vast suite of productivity and entertainment services to Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro devices in a newly announced partnership with Meta. Microsoft 365 apps and services, such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint, will soon be accessible on Quest devices.

The company is also bringing Mesh for Microsoft Teams to the platform, which "builds on years of research and Microsoft Cloud innovation, from Azure Digital Twins to Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and Teams video meetings." Mesh for Microsoft Teams on Meta Quest devices is designed to help people gather virtually using Meta's VR and MR headsets. 

Windows 365 is also coming to Meta Quest devices, allowing users to stream a Windows Cloud PC directly to the headset for access to personalized apps, content, and settings.

Lastly, Microsoft has announced that it's also bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to the Meta Quest Store, which will allow Game Pass subscribers access to hundreds of games that can be streamed directly to the headset, just like Windows 365 Cloud PCs.

No word on when these apps and features will begin rolling out on Meta Quest devices, but the partnership between Meta and Microsoft has been confirmed by Microsoft's president of collaborative apps and platforms, Jeff Teper:

"As a platform company, our approach to workplace productivity and collaboration is to ensure the software experiences we deliver can benefit users on all their favorite devices. In that spirit, today we are announcing several ways we are partnering with Meta to provide customers with more choice and security as they venture into the metaverse."

This partnership now raises an important question: What does the future hold for HoloLens? Is Microsoft still interested in building its own Mixed Reality hardware, or would it prefer to build software and services on top of other Mixed Reality platforms instead? We'll have to wait and see.

What you need to know

• Razer has acquired Interhaptics, which is also known as Go Touch VR SAS.
• Interhaptics develops haptic solutions for gaming on a variety of platforms, including virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality, mobile devices, and consoles.
• Razer is not new to the haptics game, having used haptics in its devices since the Razer Nari Ultimate headphones launched in 2018.

Razer today announced its acquisition of Interhaptics, a company that specializes in haptic technology. Interhaptics, which is also known as Go Touch VR SAS, develops haptic solutions for PCs, consoles, mobile devices, and mixed reality devices. Razer will acquire 100% of Interhaptics stock shares as part of the deal.

Interhaptics products are used in a variety of industries, including the Sense Glove, which provides feedback to simulate touching and interacting with virtual objects.

"Haptics has tremendous value for gamers," said CEO of Interhaptics Eric Vezzoli. "The opportunity to join Razer was a no brainer for us, as they are committed to delivering the most engaging gaming experience, and we are looking forward to doing it together as part of the Razer family."

Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice President of Razer’s hardware business unit, also weighed in on the purchase. "At Razer, we know how important it is to create best-in-class products for a unique and personalized gaming experience, because we are gamers ourselves."

"Interhaptics brings leading expertise in haptics and their development platform will be leveraged to expand the HyperSense ecosystem."

Haptics aren't just about vibrating controllers or feeling like a virtual item is in your hand. Razer first used haptics in its Nari Ultimate headphones, which launched in 2018. Speaking of the headphones, our senior editor Matt Brown said, "while the Razer Nari Ultimate sells an unusual proposition, its HyperSense haptics aren't only fun; they make immersive games even more impactful."

Razer even has a gaming chair with haptics, the Enki Pro HyperSense.

In its press release announcing the acquisition of Interhaptics, Razer said that the former would remain an independent entity but closely integrate with Razer's ecosystem. Presumably, Interhaptics tech will be used in a wide range of products.

Interhaptics Founder and CEO Eric Vezoli will join Razer as associate director of haptics.

We've already heard the rants and raves about how content-devoid the term "metaverse" is at its current stage. It's no secret that, since October 2021, virtually every tech company has thrown the word around without fully understanding what it means. But what if this lack of clarity and consumer understanding is actually a good thing, at least for the time being?

A lot of modern tech sectors are in a place where someone who's absolutely clueless about what's going on isn't going to have the easiest time hopping in. It's simple enough for savvy folk to make sense of generational upgrades like what's happening in PC hardware or with the Xbox Series X and oddities like the Surface Duo 2. But think of all your technologically challenged friends and how much of a hassle it is to explain these things to them from the ground up. What if the metaverse is the key to fixing this knowledge gap?

It all starts with corporations

When even the big corporate dogs don't know what they're saying, that's a good indicator that some universal definitions need formulation. And in time, there's a chance that companies such as Meta, Microsoft, and all the others will get it together and craft a definition that effectively frameworks an industry-wide set of technologies and principles. If this happens — and that's a big "if," but please, humor the idea — then there'll be a collective industry wave of corporations going, "We need to educate the consumer now that we know what we've been saying for years."

At this point, we'll see a concerted metaverse marketing push from all corners of tech attempting to get people up to speed on the metaverse. Remember when this happened with social media and is effectively why, to this day, Facebook is full of decently produced (if socially awkward or offensive) profiles from those relatives you try to avoid at Thanksgiving dinner? This is an example of what happens when corporations decide it's time to get Earth's population up to speed on new toys.

Trickle-down education economics

Lots of tech, be it game consoles, PC hardware, or high-end phones and their associated minutia are easy enough to learn about if you spend a few hours researching and have a decent amount of background knowledge. But take away that background knowledge and all of a sudden a few hours of research balloons into a mammoth research assignment, the kind that's so time-prohibitive and confusing that many "normies" will just hop ship altogether. That's why we have some console gamers hesitant to move to a PC gaming setup. That's why there are older folks still wholly reliant on flip phones. That's why many people get so bamboozled when something like Windows 11 comes along.

But with the collective power of Big Tech fueling a single, cohesive educational campaign, we could see tides change. If that consortium manages to boil down the premise of the metaverse to a one-sentence Ready Player One sales pitch, e.g., "Put on these glasses and you can live-action roleplay as the person you wish you were," and companies are able to produce tech like the Oculus Quest 2 where it's as simple as, "Wear this gadget and be done with it," then we'll be cooking with gasoline.

It'll be like a domino chain. The Big Tech folks will figure out what the metaverse is and boil it down to something digestible for the masses, the tech-savvy early adopters will hop in, education efforts will continue and the young masses (think the generation that drove smartphone adoption) will join, followed rapidly by said normie masses' older family members, and soon enough, everyone and their grandma will understand the concept of "glasses, metaverse, future."

An empty buzzword filled with potential

Right now, few people understand what the metaverse may entail. Really, it's the VR, AR, and mixed-reality enthusiasts who have an advantage, but they're a micro-percentage of the overall tech community. Everyone else is clueless, meaning this may be the great equalizer.

If the metaverse is truly set to become the next internet, this will be the fresh start so many people need to become knowledgeable and relevant again. The grandparents who don't understand email, the friends who don't "get" PC hardware, the more casual gamers who've never heard of Steam and don't know what gaming is all about these days — all of those groups can join the next "big thing" and once again become relevant in modern society. By creating a buzzword hurricane, Meta may have indirectly kickstarted an industry-wide metamorphosis that could, if all goes well, allow the forgotten to rejoin those who wear plastic bricks on their faces in the (artificial) sun.

There'll always be a place for those who reject modernity — in our social-media-afflicted, screen-obsessed world, tech deniers are often some of the happiest people on Earth. But for those who wish they could understand what the heck is going on, the many who just want to be a part of the greater tech landscape once more, the metaverse may very well be that gateway in the coming years and decades. After all: If everyone's uninformed, no one's uninformed.

Folding phones are exciting, but the real story of Mobile World Congress 2019 is HoloLens and mixed reality computing. Microsoft's foldable Surface Andromeda PC running Windows Core OS could have been the next step beyond smartphones, but holographic computing led by HoloLens is Microsoft's leap into mobile computing's future instead.

Admittedly, we are a long way from a consumer device, but as HoloLens creator Alex Kipman acknowledged during the HoloLens 2 introduction at MWC, the age of holographic computing is here. The hundreds of companies using HoloLens in various sectors to achieve their business goals suggest that claim is more than marketing hype. This was reiterated by Vice President Trimble Buildings, a Microsoft partner, Roz Buick, who said "for many of our customers mixed reality is no longer futuristic technology nor a gimmick … it's real working technology that's adding value in the field every day."

Additionally, through hardware, platform, partnership, and Azure cloud services advancements announced this year, Microsoft is moving an already successful model even further with its target market: the world's more than two billion front-line workers.

The potential market for its wearable PC is larger than Microsoft's current 1.5 billion PC installed base. And, like Windows PC proliferation of the past, which also began in the enterprise, Microsoft retains the following strengths: It's providing Windows, a familiar enterprise-accepted platform, a supporting infrastructure of services and security, and the ability for partners to conform this wearable PC (like traditional PCs of the past) to their specific needs. It adds to this the modern advantage of a host of Azure cloud and AI services for mixed reality computing. As Microsoft's goal decades ago was to put a PC on every desk, its current goal is to put a wearable PC, on every frontline worker's face. Microsoft seems better positioned to continue its methodic expansion of mixed reality within this two billion strong "niche" market than Samsung and Huawei are to be successfully peddling $2,000 (or more) folding phones for a niche market that is much less defined.

A PC on every (frontline) worker's face

Many continue to apply the term "niche," in a reductive manner to HoloLens because the technology is young and because of its current business-versus-consumers focus. Understanding Microsoft's mixed reality strategy begins with recognizing that HoloLens is fundamentally a PC. PCs are and have been used in the enterprise by office workers, researchers, and other thought workers for decades to accomplish business goals. Still, the PC's computing capabilities for diagnostic, problem solving, communication and other tasks has also always had value for frontline workers in various industries.

However, the desktop, tablet and laptop form factors, even with modifications like straps or rugged cases, are not ideal for workers who need free hands, are highly mobile and who must focus on tasks, not screens, to perform their jobs. HoloLens's wearable design solves the logistics problem of bringing a PC to a market of two billion workers for whom a PC always had value.

Microsoft's mixed reality strategy isn't a solution looking for a problem. It's a strategy that addresses, in a unique way, a problem that no other company has addressed as comprehensively:

• It's providing a PC form factor that addresses the needs of masses of front-line workers.
• As with Windows and desktop PCs decades ago, HoloLens brings the software tools to this wearable form factor that can conform to the needs of various industries.
• With services like Dynamic 365 Guides, HoloLens is ready out of the box for scenarios like training workers.
• The HoloLens Customization Program parallels how partners traditionally built custom PCs to meet specific needs, by enabling partners to tailor Hololens.
• Microsoft's suite of Azure mixed reality services includes cross-platform Spatial Anchors that support HoloLens, Apple's ARKit and Google's ARCore and enables the birth of the internet of holograms where holograms can be shared across every device.
• Microsoft provided an open app store, web browser and platform model for mixed reality which also has the support of Epic games with Unreal Engine.

Microsoft is developing a robust ecosystem to make HoloLens relevant.

Why HoloLens is cooler than folding phones

The current crop of folding phones from Samsung and Huawei are exciting for techies but don't have adequate hardware and software synergy, beyond adding more real estate to solve a problem. And at over $2,000, the price even for the most ardent early adopter is prohibitive. So if they're not for consumers (yet) what business advantages do these $2,000-plus non-windows-based phone-tablet hybrids bring to businesses, most of whom are built on Windows IT infrastructure? Is the target market enterprise professionals? Folding phones certainly aren't for first-line workers.

Surface Andromeda, running Windows Core OS, with a unified platform across form factors would arguably have potential software advantages over these devices. But even Microsoft had difficulty cementing a use case.

HoloLens 2 is a different story. Beginning with the world's two billion front-line workers, even at $3,500, Microsoft, as with Windows PCs decades ago, is making the wearable PC relevant to business users. After landing on every "desk," PCs eventually made it to "every" home. Do you think HoloLens will follow a similar pattern? Chime-in in the comments.

Alongside the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft has overhauled its Mixed Reality Viewer app with a brand new user interface and feature set, along with a rebrand that drops the Mixed Reality branding in favor of a much more candid name: 3D Viewer.

The new 3D Viewer should be rolling out for everyone via the Microsoft Store, which will replace the already preinstalled Mixed Reality Viewer app. The app itself has been redesigned from the ground up, featuring an interface that makes much more sense when in use with a mouse and keyboard.

Along the top is a new menu bar which features common drop down options such as File, View, Help, and more. The app is one of the first that I've seen which uses the UWP version of the menu bar, introduced in the SDK released earlier this year for app makers to take advantage. This is part of a more significant effort in pushing universal apps towards being a more viable platform for desktop/tablet apps.

A benefit of the new universal menu bar is that it's also designed from the ground up for touch input too. So regardless of if you're using the menu bar with a finger, mouse, or pen, usage will be familiar and comfortable no matter which input method you're using.

Along the right is a sidebar UI that features new options for viewing 3D objects. You can now adjust the virtual lighting being shined upon the 3D model itself and can change lighting angles, intensity, coloring, and more. You can also see and adjust stats and shading, including mesh, textures, and animation data.

The app still supports Mixed Reality, of course, with a toggle which will turn on the apps Mixed Reality functionality. This will turn on device cameras, and allow you to place the virtual objects in the real world, just like the old Mixed Reality Viewer app did. There's also direct access to the Paint 3D app via the menu bar which will automatically pull the 3D model into the Paint 3D app for editing.

Along the bottom of the 3D Viewer app is the animation slider, and different options for animation if the 3D model supports it. You can play and pause the animation, and scrub through specific frames. There are also several options for different animation types, including quick animations which are very basic movement-based animations and should apply to any model regardless of if it's animated or not.

The Remix 3D website is alive and kicking and is still fully supported in the 3D Viewer app. It's easily accessible and is very simple to use. Just hit the 3D library button, select the 3D model you want to view, and it'll load into the 3D Viewer app.

Is it any good?

Overall, the 3D Viewer app is a simple yet good example of what a desktop-class UWP app can be. It looks like Microsoft is slowly trying to position this app as a viable, built-in solution to viewing 3D objects, as it supports several 3D object file formats including:

• Polygon File Format (.ply).
• GL Transmission Format (.gift).
• Paint 3D objects (.glb).
• 3d Manufacturing Format (.3mf).
• Stereolithography format (.stl).
• OBJ format (.obj).
• Filmbox format (.fbx).

The continued inclusion of the Mixed Reality feature implies that Microsoft also isn't done in this area either. I suspect we'll hear more about Microsoft's plans for Mixed Reality when it announces the HoloLens 2 next year. For now, the new 3D Viewer app is an excellent app, which is much easier to use and is something I can see creators, and even professionals finding useful.

It's not an extensive app by any means, especially compared to more professional programs such as AutoCAD. But, as a simple 3D object viewer, it does more than enough.

Microsoft's Mixed Reality Viewer app for Windows 10 is getting yet another name change. In an update to the app for Skip Ahead Insiders, first spotted by Italian blog Aggiornamenti Lumia (via OnMSFT), Microsoft has rebranded the app as simply "3D Viewer."

If this all sounds a little familiar, it's because the app saw a similar switch around this time in 2017, when its name was changed from View 3D to its current moniker. And like that previous update, the latest comes with some UI tweaks and new features in tow.

Aside from the new name, the most noticeable change is that there is a new top menu in place of the hamburger menu that was previously present in Mixed Reality Viewer. Additionally, you'll now be able to adjust the intensity, saturation, and color of the lighting around your 3D objects. Finally, support for controlling objects with the Surface Pen is now on board.

For now, Mixed Reality Viewer will continue on with its current name for non-Insiders. If you're enrolled in Skip Ahead, you should be able to check out the revamped 3D Viewer now as an update to Mixed Reality Viewer. Eventually, the new tweaks should make their way out to everyone, but it's always possible Microsoft may opt to renege on the name change.

See at Microsoft Store

It's been a long time since HoloLens last received a major Windows 10 update. The last was in 2016 with the Anniversary Update, and hasn't received any feature updates since. Today, that all changes however, as Microsoft has finally released a preview build of Windows 10 Redstone 4 for HoloLens!

Installing Redstone 4 for HoloLens is a little different from normal Insider Preview builds. Instead of getting it through Windows Update, you have to manually flash a recovery file with the build via the Windows Device Recovery Tool. This is likely because there is no direct upgrade path from the Anniversary Update to Redstone 4.

Microsoft has detailed how to install the preview via the Windows Device Recovery Tool, which you can check out here.{.nofollow}

Regarding the update, here's what's new!

• Auto-placement of 2D and 3D Content on launch
• Fluid app animation
• 2D app horizontal resize with reflow
• Expanded voice command support
• Updated Holograms and Photos apps
• Improved mixed reality capture
• Improved audio immersion
• File Explorer
• MTP support
• Captive portal network support during setup
• Spatial mapping improvements
• Automatic selection of focus point based on depth buffer
• Holographic reprojection modes
• App tailoring APIs
• Use multiple AD user accounts on a single device
• Change Wi-Fi network on sign-in
• Unified enrolment
• Mail Sync without MDM enrolment
• New OS name when Commercial Suite features are enabled: "Windows Holographic for Business"
• Configurable setup
• Windows Configuration Designer
• Bulk AAD token support
• Developer CSP
• Assigned Access for Kiosk Mode
• OOBE diagnostics
• Local account indefinite password expiry
• MSM sync status and details

The build available for HoloLens is 17123, which is a fair bit older than the builds currently in testing with Insiders on desktop. It is likely that Microsoft will release more RS4 builds for HoloLens over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that.

Last year Kipman described how our descendants would look at the first century of computing as a peculiar time in history where humans were forced to live in 2D space. He said this brief 100-year span would be a single period in the vastness of time where we humans were entertained, communicated and managed our lives from behind a screen.

Kipman is a futurist. He envisions a connected world where the power of augmented and virtual reality eradicates distance as a barrier to being in one another's presence. He conceives of a world where holographic representations of individuals can be "teleported" anywhere, anytime, to communicate, to explore, to feel holographic environments via granular haptic feedback, and not only see and hear them.

Kipman sees a reality where ones physical self can be in one place and their digital self another. Executive Vice President, Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Research Group Harry Shum, also a futurist, predicts a future where everyone will have an AI alter ego that represents them in the digital space. Microsoft is developing the technology to make this mixed reality and AI-driven world a reality. In fact, Kipman recently identified the following industry-defining trends for 2018:

• MR and AI
• AR and VR
• Immersive communications.

Mixed Reality and AI

Surgeons collaborate using HoloLens

It's important to note the expectation-setting trends Kipman identified are tangible steps Microsoft has invested in toward the future Kipman envisions. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sees MR and AI as the next evolution of computing and is fully invested in their development. Additionally, Windows Mixed Reality as part of Microsoft's device-agnostic Windows 10 OS, is foundational to the company's platform approach to democratizing MR.

Kipman stressed MRs ability to help people transcend space and to enable interaction with digital counterparts. Surgeons from various locations demoed this capability last year as they donned HoloLens' and collaborated during a surgery (above video).

That was admirable but Kipman's vision for intelligent MR required advancements in HoloLens' onboard AI. HoloLens must be capable of comprehensively perceiving and understanding our actions and intent, our environment, our interactions with it and how the digital world it manifests should respond to us. Toward that end last year Microsoft announced it was adding a dedicated AI coprocessor to HoloLens' custom Holographic Processing Unit (HPU).

This AI coprocessor enables native Dynamic Neural Networks (DNN) which approximate how human brains work. This is important to the advancement of computer vision and other recognition tasks required for HoloLens to "understand" its environment. Marc Pollefeys director for science at HoloLens adds:

Augmented and virtual reality

Microsoft's AR efforts have focused on collaborations with the enterprise, private and education sectors toward developing custom applications for HoloLens. Various industries like healthcare, entertainment, NASA and more have partnered with Microsoft to bring AR to its customers. Furthermore, HoloLens' AR tech, like VR is meant to be emulated and democratized by OEM partners.

Microsoft's VR efforts are more consumer-focused as it continues expanding its VR platform as partners bring VR headsets to market. VR is still a struggling category but Microsoft and Kipman hope the masses can be won to what it is expected to be an AR and VR computing future.

An immersive experience

Immersion is critical to Kipman's vision of screen-less AR and VR computing. He believes a "killer app" for MR will be a social communication app that tears down the walls of isolation. Current communication methods provide 2D "screened" experiences at best. Kipman envisions a MR platform that replaces 2D communication with immersive "virtual presence" sharable experiences.

Kipman shared how in work or life, communication and presence, are the fabric that ties us together. He shared how he wants his daughter, in the U.S., to be able to "physically" play a board game with her cousins in Brazil. That technology is in its early stages today.

Kipman was challenged regarding the HoloLens' limited field of view (FOV) to which responded, "ultimately that's the wrong question." He said,

Still, the "picture frame" FOV is a current technological limitation preventing the fully immersive AR experience Kipman describes. Of course, technology will evolve, and one day AR holograms may engulf us as entirely as VR does in many scenarios.

Collaboration, AR glasses and AltSpaceVR

Kipman's vision for collaboration requires a foundation that connects people in life and business. Microsoft Teams was demonstrated capable of connecting users across different devices and experiences, including AR via HoloLens as users worked on a car (above video). At the other end of the spectrum is Microsoft's investment in AltSpaceVR, a social platform for VR. Both of these tools are being evolved to provide the foundation for robust collaborative AR and VR experiences.

As we move forward, Kipmans vision of smartglasses that transition from opaque to clear to accommodate AR or VR scenarios may become the norm. Furthermore, as more devices become part of the cellular roadmap, and the power of Windows PCs makes it to increasingly non-traditional form factors, perhaps in time Kipmans and Windows Insider Chiefs, Dona Sarkar's, vision of smartglasses as smartphone replacements will become a reality.

Smartglasses as smartphones - your social and privacy concerns won't matter

If in the future smartglasses become the norm, humans will exist in that "screenless" world Kipman envisions where we are surrounded by and can interact with our data and where our digital selves are persistently active on a digital plane. It may sound like fantasy, but the trends Kipman suggest we watch in 2018 and that Microsoft is investing in, are moving in that direction.

If you want to jump on the MR bandwagon now's the time. We'll have to wait and see whether Microsoft can achieve its aims long term.

Save $100 on Samsung's HMD Odyssey

• See at Amazon
• See at Microsoft Store
• See at Samsung

Senior Vice President and General Manager for Mobile at Qualcomm Technologies, Alex Katouzian, shared that the 845 would enable a range of advanced computing capabilities.

Powerful Hollywood-quality 360 degree image and video capture, immersive augmented and virtual-reality (VR) experiences, integrated AI that learns users, vault-like security, gigabyte LTE, and longer battery life will be enabled by this latest chip from the company whose technologies power virtually every smartphone and smart device on the planet.

So what about HoloLens 2.0?

The 411 on the Snapdragon 845

The debut of this chip (as with all of its processors) is the result of Qualcomm's years of collaboration with partners. Qualcomm begins working with partners three years before a chip debuts so that it can design the processor to partners' needs. A 2017 introduction and 2018 launch of the 845 in partner products means Qualcomm began its collaboration for the 845 with Microsoft (and others) no later than 2015, the same year HoloLens was introduced.

Microsoft's now working on HoloLens 2.0, which is expected in 2019. A revision to the HoloLens roadmap resulted in Microsoft skipping a version, enabling it to move the planned third model a year earlier.

Will the advanced AI and augmented reality (AR) capabilities of the Snapdragon 845 replace Microsoft's custom Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) in its second-generation AR headset? Or will Microsoft continue using a custom HPU to enable HoloLen 2.0's AR capabilities? Given their partnership and the synergy of Qualcomm's and Microsoft's missions, which include edge computing and cellular PCs, that's a fair question. But unless things have changed, Microsoft is advancing its custom HPU for the next generation HoloLens.

Microsoft's custom HPU

Microsoft's first-gen HoloLens impressed many when its creator and futurist Alex Kipman demonstrated it onstage in 2015. A completely untethered, wearable holographic computer was something out of science fiction. But it was real. Among the specs that power this device, Microsoft boasted about the custom HPU it had to design to make the device a reality.

This HPU receives the inputs from a diverse array of sensors on the HoloLens. This includes four environmental sensors, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), four head-tracking cameras, an infrared camera and a custom depth sensor. It is responsible for aggregating this input along with the movements and gestures of the wearer as he interacts with the physical and digital environments.

The HPU is a 28nm custom-designed TSMC-fabricated coprocessor. It has 8MB of SRAM and, arranged in 12 clusters, are 24 Tensilica DSP cores. It also has 65 million logic gates and is capable of performing one trillion calculations per second. Before settling on the Tensilica cores, which were chosen due to their flexibility, Microsoft entertained other options. Those other chips did not meet Microsoft's targets for overall performance, however. Microsoft ultimately added 300 custom instructions to the Tensilica cores.

All of this tech talk simply means that the HPU was critical to making the HoloLens the only fully self-contained holographic wearable computer. It seems that Microsoft is committed to driving that innovation forward in HoloLens 2.0.

HoloLens 2.0 and HPU 2.0

In July of this year Marc Pollefeys, Director of Science for Microsoft's HoloLens division, said:

So as of July 2017, the HoloLens 2.0 is sporting the second version of Microsoft's custom HPU which will also contain, as has been previously reported, an AI coprocessor.

So why write this piece?

Qualcomm's 845 announcement included a range of capabilities this chip will enable. Immersive AR experiences was one of those experiences. Given that we're expecting to see the 845 in new devices in 2018, some may feel that's plenty of time for the chip to replace the custom HPU in a 2019 second-generation HoloLens. But Microsoft is committed to the custom HPU with incorporated AI chops.

Augment your reality

A vision of AR in everyday life.

Though the second-generation HoloLens won't get the 845 treatment some may have expected, perhaps we'll see HoloLens-inspired AR headsets from OEM partners using the chip in the not-too-distant future.

Microsoft's AR and IoT vision

It would be great to see the AR extreme of Microsoft's Mixed Realty mission embraced by OEMs and pushed by Microsoft as we've seen VR marketed and embraced this year.

Do you think AR will be the future of computing Microsoft envisions? Are you looking forward to OEMs bringing AR headsets to market?

Microsoft's purchase of Nokia's smartphone business in 2014 added the industry's leading mobile camera technology to its portfolio of assets. Pre-Microsoft, the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone with a 41 MP camera showcased the integration of quality imaging technology with a mobile device.

Nokia's innovative aptitude was evident in both its development of hardware and software critical to mobile imaging tech. This was later complemented with imaging-focused Lumia (formerly Nokia) exclusive apps, after Nokia embraced Windows phones.

For example, augmented reality (AR) via Nokia City Lens was part of Microsoft's ecosystem in 2012, years before AR became "the next big thing." What impact might Microsoft's giving up on smartphones, and by default, its mobile imaging hardware and software investments, have on its AI and mixed reality strategy?

• What are AI, machine learning and digital assistants?
• When Microsoft's AI-driven camera and mixed reality missions meet...

'Cameras as a platform'

Microsoft's previous commitment to "cameras as a platform" (an evolving UI and platform for various apps) was evident in its Camera Lens concept. Users could interact with the world via different imaging apps that were invoked from the camera. The Lumia 1020, with its 41 MP camera and a UI with granular manual controls, also demonstrated Microsoft's commitment to mobile imaging technology. Microsoft introduced hardware Optical Imaging Stabilization (OIS), access to RAW images, and other leading imaging tech long before major competitors.

Nokia City Lens (above video) used the Windows phone camera to search the physical world and overlaid information about surrounding businesses and places of interest on-screen as Microsoft's early steps into AR. Nokia JobLens performed a similar function to reveal potential places of employment for job seekers. This was years before Pokémon Go introduced smartphone-based AR to the masses in 2016.

Nokia's substantial investments in mobile imaging technology seem to indicate an early realization that smartphone cameras were an evolving platform in themselves. Google and Apple, with a range of camera-focused investments including AI-supported object recognition, facial recognition and Animojis, AR, more sophisticated camera hardware and more, have come to this realization.

Sadly, Microsoft, which had the necessary assets and talent, didn't seem to recognize or value the evolving smartphone camera as a platform. When it cut smartphones it threw away the baby with the bath water.

AR and camera-based AI

To Microsoft's dismay, billions of smartphone users are engaging in an evolving camera-based smartphone experience that transcends merely taking pictures. With integrated AI, built-in features and first- and third-party apps, smartphone cameras are recognizing people, surroundings, creating AR experiences, and much more. Google developers recently created an app that uses AI and a phone's front-facing camera to alert a user that someone is reading over their shoulders.

AI on smartphone cameras is "experiencing" a diverse range of scenarios. This data will ultimately benefit environment, activity and behavior recognition and understanding for implementation in advanced AR experiences. Data is key to machine learning and AI development. As consumers engage AI on iPhone and Android phone camera platforms, Apple and Google are acquiring vital information to evolve their AI and camera platforms.

Microsoft kept Windows 10 Mobile alive to continue development of ARM and cellular technology for future implementation in project "Andromeda." Perhaps continued investments in camera-focused smartphones (for a niche market) over the years would have allowed ongoing development of Microsoft's camera as a platform.

Though it wouldn't have had Apple's and Google's market presence, the Windows phone user base would have been a valuable resource to contribute feedback to Microsoft's camera-as-a-platform efforts (even if operating at a temporary financial loss). This data would, in turn, be transferred to the company's leading mixed reality and AI efforts.

The cost of cutting smartphones

Microsoft, Apple, Google and other companies see AR as personal computing's future. AR hardware and software must, therefore, be able to accurately perceive and understand its environment. Quality optical hardware, software and AI are fundamental to AR's evolution. Thus, smartphone-focused cameras as a platform is an evolving component that adds value to a company's AR efforts.

Microsoft's cutting smartphone resulted in its cutting Nokia talent responsible for innovative camera tech. Absence from the smartphone space also erased what little mindshare Windows phones achieved as a result of its camera prowess. If AR is the future of computing, mobile camera technology is key.

Ironically, the recent publishing of a patent filed in 2016 by ex-Nokia employee and lead inventor Eero Tuulos reveals Microsoft's attempts to solve for the positioning of a camera on a folding mobile device. Indeed, if Microsoft had kept marketing camera-focused smartphones, the continued investments in mobile imaging technology may have beneficially impacted the implementation of this patents idea in the folding mobile device we believe Microsoft is working on.

A missed opportunity ...

Microsoft has demonstrated powerful AI-driven camera technology (using existing camera systems) that can recognize people, places, and activity and proactively act on what it sees. The merging of that level of AI with its mixed reality efforts is likely inevitable.

Still, the evolving of miniature mobile camera tech and software, the data gleaned from AI-human interactions on mobile camera platforms and the mindshare and goodwill even a niche camera-focused phone would have provided for application in wearable AR tech is likely a missed opportunity for Microsoft.

Related reading

Windows phone refugees may not find asylum on Android

Thanksgiving in the U.S. is a day where we as a nation can give thanks for the many good things that have been provided to us. The deluge of negative messages that inundate our news feeds from political scandal to senseless murder paint a distorted image that there's little good news to celebrate. There are in fact many things in our personal lives and in the world of tech that warrant our gratitude, however.

I know the distraction of Black Friday advertisements and an avarice spirit of consumerism may be at the forefront of our thoughts. Positioning yourself to root for your favorite football team, or dodging a relative whose annual visits seem overbearing may have also supplanted your thoughts of gratitude. Still, on this day of giving thanks, perhaps we can spare a few moments to see what the world of tech has brought us that has made our lives better.

HoloLens and health

Microsoft's augmented reality, wearable computer, HoloLens, debuted to critical acclaim. Microsoft introduced HoloLens technology and holographic computing, where holograms are projected into the wearer's field of view, as the future of computing. That "future" has greatly improved the present quality of life for Nate Lowe.

Lowe suffered from severe back pain for five years due to two herniated discs. Dr. Wendell Gibby, a neuroradiologist, used HoloLens to overlay holograms of Lowe's internal anatomy over his actual body to help guide a percutaneous lumbar discectomy (APLD) on July 9. The HoloLens-assisted surgery which reduced time, risks and cost was a success. HoloLens has also been used to support spinal cord surgery and collarbone repair surgery.

Gibby sees this technology as the future of medicine. Lowe, for the first time in years, can celebrate Thanksgiving without debilitating back pain.

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy uses our knowledge of the human genome to target the genetic causes of particular diseases. The process involves engineering a virus to deliver healthy versions of a gene into a patient with defective genes. Gene therapy is a complex process and it's still the early days, so the applications are presently limited. But even now it's making a difference — Philip and Kayla Looks are thankful that their son Levi is one of those success stories.

Both of Kala's and Philp's twin boys were thought to be healthy when they were brought home from the hospital. It wasn't until Levi was three months old that his parents learned that he had severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). The gene mutation at the root of the condition attacks the immune system which made Levi defenseless against infections.

In May 2015, Levi's blood was infused with the life-changing gene therapy that gave him a healthy life ever since. This Thanksgiving and the two since Levi's therapy, the Looks family can reflect on the blessing technology brought their family and what it may bring to others.

Artificial Intelligence tackles tuberculosis, brain bleeds and PTSD

Companies like Microsoft, IBM, Facebook, Google, Samsung and Apple are betting big on artificial intelligence. Via a combination of machine and deep learning, machine vision and more AI is being aimed at some of the world's most devastating health issues.

Tuberculosis (TB), a bacteria-based infectious disease that can be spread through the air and primarily affects the lungs, is among the top 10 causes of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Last year approximately 10.4 million people became ill with TB. Nearly two million of them died. AI is being used in remote areas to help detect TB. And because there are treatments for TB, its accurate identification via AI will ultimately reduce deaths from the disease.

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association report that stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and is among the top causes of preventable disability in the U.S. IBM Watson Health combined with the efforts of MedyMatch Technology to bring AI to emergency rooms. The combined AI technology with patient data and clinical insights enable AI to proactively highlight areas in a patient's brain that may indicate cerebral bleeds. This automatic identification of problem areas for the physician dramatically improves patient care and outcomes.

Veterans pay for our freedoms often with persistent physical, mental and emotional costs. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects millions of vets. VA studies indicate that one-fifth of the three million Iraq and Afghanistan war vets are living with PTSD. The incorporation of Watson AI with PTSD treatments helped boost psyco-therapy completion rates from 10 to 73 percent. The great news is that 80 percent of those who complete the treatment can recover. Many veterans and their families are likely grateful for the benefits of AI in PTSD treatments. We should be too.

Giving thanks

The big screen TVs, brand new Xbox and a plethora of enticing tech and other deals dominate the media this Thanksgiving week.

Hopefully, you've had an opportunity to pause and reflect before Thanksgiving faded to Black Friday in your home. Kala and Philp Look's son is healthy due to gene therapy that may one day benefit someone we love. Nate Lowe whose HoloLens-supported surgery relieved severe pain is grateful for technology that may one day help you or I. AI supported TB and brain bleed detection may save the life of someone you know.

Finally, veterans who've defended their country and our freedom to celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday, have benefited from AI-supported treatments that have improved their quality of life.

These are just a few things to add to your list of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

We're back with another exciting episode of the Window Central Podcast. This week, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk new Insider builds for PC with new changes and features, along with Xbox One X impressions, Surface Book 2 pre-orders and Samsung's Mixed Reality headset!

Help us make this show the best Microsoft podcast in the world. Tell your friends, share it on social media using the hashtag #wcpodcast, and give us a five-star rating wherever you download your podcasts! Thank you so much for listening!

No video podcast this week. We had technical difficulties getting the video up and running.

Show Notes

• 2:28 - New Insider build
• 16:25 Surface Book 2 Pre-orders
• 29:39 Samsung Mixed Reality Headset
• 44:48 Xbox One X

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AR and VR wearable technology are different and inspiring. The lenses of VR headsets are opaque, which occludes the surrounding environment, immersing wearers in a digital world. Gaming, exploration, content creation and more are some VR applications. Microsoft's partners have already begun bringing affordable VR headsets to consumers.

The lenses on AR headsets, like Microsoft's HoloLens, are clear. Thus, wearers can see their surroundings while they interact with digital artifacts or holograms overlaid on the real world. AR-enhanced surgeries and car manufacturing where adjustments are made to holograms rather than expensive physical prototypes, are examples of AR uses.

What if the distinct strengths of AR and VR were brought to one wearable device? Microsoft's HoloLens creator Alex Kipman, recently garnered attention by announcing that Microsoft is on that very path. But peering outside of Redmond reveals that companies like Samsung and Osterhout Design Group (ODG) may grab consumer mindshare for such a device before Microsoft.

Growing pains

Some AR wearables, like ODG's smartglasses and Microsoft's HoloLens, are self-contained mobile computers. Conversely, Google Glass is a streamlined, phone-dependent AR peripheral. Unlike AR wearables, most VR Mixed Reality headsets need to be tethered to PCs.

AR and VR wearable technology are expected to become more streamlined, more powerful and mainstream over time. Currently, ODG's R7 smartglasses, Google Glass, and HoloLens are establishing wearable AR technology in the enterprise (ODG's recent R8 and R9 smartglasses are consumer-focused). Conversely, VR's initial foothold is aimed at the consumer space.

The goal is a single user device where lenses would transition from opaque to clear for VR or AR experiences.

The Windows 10 Falls Creator update has expanded Microsoft's Mixed Reality platform (which powers Windows AR and VR) to provide the foundation for just that functionality. Samsung's "Monitorless" concept and ODG's R8 and R9 smartglasses, have already given us a glimpse of what the future may hold, however.

Samsung 'Monitorless' AR/VR smartglasses

Samsung's Monitorless smartglasses concept allows a user to remotely view his desktop. Via a WiFi connection to a Samsung smartphone, the glasses would use a high-speed connection to reach a personal computer. The glasses would function as the remote "monitor" to the connected PC, while a phone or even a gamepad could be used for interaction.

The glasses, using electrochromic glass, will allow the lenses to transition from opaque to clear to provide an AR or VR experience.

Monitorless is not a standalone computer like Microsoft's HoloLens. It's also less sophisticated in that there's no gesture, voice or gaze control or immersive audio experience. Monitorless provides a simple remote PC (or a projected smartphone screen) experience via wearable tech. The point here is that the concept, which may make it to market, introduces VR and AR on a single device.

ODG smartglasses vision

ODG CEO talks about converging VR and AR on single device.

ODG's R8 and R9 AR smartglasses, though not as complex as Microsoft's HoloLens, are impressive. They are standalone wearable computers based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and ODG wearables generally have a strong presence in the military and enterprise.

The company's 2016 partnership with 20th Century Fox via its media assets like the WSJ, Fox News and more, are expected help ODG CEO Ralph Osterhout bring its devices to consumers. Osterhout said:

ODG's smartglasses also received THX certification which guarantees that movies viewed via the R8 and R9 smartglasses are being seen as the directors intended. The visual standards ODG has set for its immersive media viewing VR experience combined with the data-driven vision of the AR experience creates a platform for a single device that provides a strong AR and VR experiences.

Osterhout introduced that very capability via an attachment that converts the wearable from an AR to VR experience. Though, not as cool as lenses that transition between transparent and opaque states, it does provide a real experience, on an actual device that can be purchased this year.

Microsoft's platform play

Microsoft is aiming to provide the platform to enable AR and VR on an individual, and looking forward, a single device. This is a very different and broader strategy than its rivals device-centric approach. Via Windows Mixed Reality and the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has provided developers with tools to help make the company's vision a reality. Microsoft has provided API's that enable an app to function as both an AR or VR app.

Microsoft's approach can potentially power an industry of partner devices. VR Mixed Reality headsets may be followed with HoloLens-like AR headsets and which may be succeeded with AR/VR smartglasses. Microsoft and Osterhout envision cellular connectivity will ultimately be part of smartglasses. Osterhout, even noted that adding telephony would be just an additional six dollar production cost to the AR/VR product he's already bringing to market.

Microsoft's platform play may make the breadth and depth of its AR/VR strategy difficult for rivals to combat in the long-term. On the other hand, Microsoft is also slow with bringing products to consumers. Samsung already introduced a concept and ODG has already introduced an actual product.

Will Microsoft's vision of a single AR/VR wearable be overshadowed by the competition?

Those concerned about Halo Recruit being a guided tour of the Halo universe with little in the way of gameplay can rest assured, what you're getting with this game is brief, but it's cool as hell.

You play a recruit (shocker, I know) who is being given a crash course on the Covenant. Big 3D holograms of the primary Covenant races appear before you with brief explanations of their capabilities, including a larger than life Elite with a plasma sword that will make your stomach drop if you're standing a little too close. Once you've been shown the enemy, it's time for a little target practice so the instructor Guilty Spark can rank your current skills.

The actual gameplay is a ten-wave shooting gallery, switching between highly mobile shields for you to hit and 2D holograms of the Covenant forces for you to pick off. You can choose to play with a pair of MG6 pistols if you're interested in seeing how accurate you can be, or you can have some real fun and reach for the M7 SMGs. Whether you prefer spray-and-pray or accuracy, at the end of the final wave you'll be scored. I'm not sure what happens if you don't score the top rank, but when you reach the Spartan rank Master Chief walks in and asks you to get ready for a fight.

From a VR gaming perspective, first-person shooters are a dime a dozen and this particular shooter is about as basic as it gets. It's a fun five-minute distraction, and it is ridiculously cool to be able to look around at the world and see everything through a Spartan helmet. But it's going to leave you wanting more. This will be a great thing to pull out and show friends at parties, but don't expect to spend an afternoon crushing Covenant or Flood or even Prometheans in Mixed Reality just yet.

Halo Recruit is expected to become available on October 17.

Hands down the biggest problem all forms of VR have right now is showing someone who isn't in the headset what is going on. Putting a 2D image on a screen that shows me what you see out of one eye doesn't do much for me. It doesn't give me the emotional feel, no sense that you as the player are actually in the world you are viewing. It's a real problem, and a lot of very smart people have found clever ways to solve this in some cases with depth-sensing cameras and green screens. The results are a little mixed, and difficult to reproduce in every game, but still very cool.

Microsoft has its own solution. Originally, this solution was a way to show everyone what was happening inside of Hololens. It has been adapted for occlusive Mixed Reality headsets, and the results are ridiculously cool. Unfortunately, it's not something any of us are ever going to be able to do on our own.

This big, complicated box of wires here has three different very important parts. At the top, you have Hololens to act as a sort of virtual camera. Wherever the Hololens is in the real world, that's where the camera will be recording from in the virtual world. Under that you have a big DSLR camera, which is capturing a high quality video of the person in the real world. In this situation, Alex Kipman.

Under that camera you have a Kinect sensor. That sensor is grabbing a depth map around Alex and editing out everything but him. This means there's no need for a green screen, because the Kinect is doing all of the heavy lifting here. All of this video and real-time editing comes together to create what appears to be real-world Alex standing inside the virtual world.

The end result is just plain cool looking. Alex is represented as a silhouette in the virtual world so you can see as much of his "house" and the things he is doing in Mixed Reality. This capture method creates presence, it helps you feel closer to how Alex is feeling in the headset. You can see him physically reach out and interact with the virtual world. If he were playing a scary game, you'd know exactly why he jumped instead of just seeing a shaky camera on his face. It's a much more complete picture.

It's also incredibly challenging from a technical perspective. Not only is this rig prohibitively expensive and incredibly complicated, it requires a great deal of precision to hold the rig steady and perfect lighting to Kinect can do its job effectively. It is unlikely we'll see a way to recreate this effect in the home anytime soon, but it is one of several tools available to developers and Holographic Academy attendees at Microsoft's Reactor space in San Francisco.

Microsoft saved the best Windows Mixed Reality partner announcement for last, and as of today there's a complete look at what hardware is going to be available when the Fall Creators Update goes live later this month. The last headset is being billed as a "premium" Windows Mixed Reality headset, and Samsung calls it the HMD Odyssey.

So what makes this headset "premium" compared to the others? We spent a little time with the new headset this afternoon to find out.

At first glance, Samsung's HMD Odyssey looks like any other Windows Mixed Reality headset. The "halo" head strap holding the visor with the display is in the same place as any other Mixed Reality gear, complete with the single cable coming from the headset to connect to the PC. The biggest difference, the thing you notice right away, is the built-in AKG headphones. These are special headphones built for spatial audio, so audio sounds like it is coming from different directions to increase the immersion. It's a nice addition to the headset, especially with the headphones being positional to fit all different head sizes, but worth pointing out there's no alternatives available. If these headphones break, there's no 3.5mm jack like the other headsets. If you have a set of headphones you prefer to wear, you're kind of out of luck here.

Putting this headset on is a little unusual, especially when compared to the other Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Samsung did not include a top hinge in this headset, making it the only Mixed Reality headset where you can't just lift the whole display up to see the real world. The reason for this? Lots of extra padding and a special adjustment wheel for the lenses. Samsung has made it so you have fine control over the lens focus, which is important because the field of view is so much wider in these lenses. It's a little bit of an awkward trade-off, but the end result is a much more comfortable headset with lenses that will deliver crystal clear visuals for every user. Hard to argue with that.

As nice as having built-in headphones and a better focusing system will be for a lot of people, Samsung and Microsoft have worked closely together to make a lot of little things feel nicer as well. The adjustment wheel on the back of the headset to tighten the "halo" to your head feels more substantial than most other headsets, and the AMOLED panels used in the display help make sure the deep blacks and bright colors really pop in every aspect of the Mixed Reality space. This headset just plain feels like a quality experience when you're using it.

Another area where Samsung made some little tweaks is the Mixed Reality Controllers. This is arguably the most important part of the Mixed Reality experience, and Samsung has worked hard to make sure the Microsoft-provided design is more ergonomic and feels more comfortable in your hand when compared to several other Mixed Reality controllers. The controllers work exactly the same, and look almost identical to the others, but the plastic is less angular and your hands cradle the edges with ease.

While it's true this is a quality Mixed Reality headset, don't let the "Premium" tag fool you into believing this is the best for everyone. The whole point of offering a variety of options from different manufacturers is to provide something for everyone. This is one option, and its clearly focused towards people who want a great display and built-in headphones above all else. If that's no you, there are plenty of other options. If this is the headset for you, hit that pre-order link so you can get your hands on this thing on launch day!

See at Microsoft

Microsoft's Hololens is a standalone wearable Windows 10 computer that places 3D holograms in the wearer's field of view and does everything else Windows 10 PCs can. Additionally, Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality, AR and virtual reality (VR) platform allows developers to build holographic apps for HoloLens and Windows 10 PCs.

Microsoft's HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality comprise a comprehensive platform for the development and deployment of holographic content. With a 500 million Windows 10 install base, Microsoft has a massive mixed reality platform. As impressive as that sounds Microsoft has made little impact in mainstreaming AR.

Microsoft's Mixed Reality mission

With Paint 3D, which allows Windows 10 users to create and share 3D content to Remix 3D, and Windows Mixed Reality, Microsoft has empowered developers and consumers of varying skill levels to create content for 3D environments. Microsoft even boasted that 3D is for everyone and demonstrated a yet-to-be released smartphone app called Windows Capture 3D Experience. The app allows users to scan real objects to produce 3D models.

If 3D is for everyone, why isn't Microsoft marketing Paint 3D to anyone?

In conjunction with supporting 3D content creation, Microsoft partnered with OEMs to bring affordable VR headsets to consumers this year. Led by Elizabeth Hamren, former CMO of Oculus VR at Facebook, Microsoft will heavily market these VR headsets.

That covers VR, but what about AR?

With all of its innovation and earlier entry with HoloLens, Microsoft's lack of a successful smartphone platform is putting it behind the competition as rivals are introducing AR to the masses via smartphone-based solutions.

Apple takes a bite out of AR

During Apple's 2017 World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC), the company announced that iOS 11 would include ARkit which will allow developers to bring AR to hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users later this year. This will make iOS the world's largest AR platform.

Compared to the $3,000 HoloLens, which is still limited to select sectors like the U.S. Army, NASA, health care and education, ARkit is a "free" consumer-focused upgrade. Developers are already embracing it.

ARKit is limited to projecting 3D objects within the small window of an iPad or iPhone. Conversely, HoloLens provides a hands-free, and more visually and audibly immersive experience. Still, ARkit opens the door for developers to populate the App Store with millions of AR-specific apps for millions of iPhone users. Apple's smartphone-based AR platform is poised to garner tremendous mindshare that Microsoft's far more advanced but far less supported (with only 150 HoloLens-specific apps and relatively little exposure) can achieve.

Apple's next logical and rumored step will be smartglasses that will reap the benefits of the imminent deluge of AR-specific apps and consumer mindshare. Without a smartphone, Microsoft will struggle to combat this level of support and accessibility to AR. The only AR device Microsoft has is HoloLens, and an affordable consumer version is years away. Even if an OEM partner brings a Windows 10 AR headset to market, it will do little to combat the massive developer support, and mindshare Apple's ARkit will achieve. The smartphone which is the nexus for a number of emerging technologies is proving to be the bridge to mainstreaming AR.

Google grapples with VR and AR

Last October, Google introduced the Daydream View headset which allows users to use VR-ready smartphones like the Galaxy S8 and the Moto Z to experience VR. Google's Daydream VR goals include support for standalone headsets, like those from Vive and Lenovo, that won't require a smartphone or PC. Google's wearable VR efforts will compete with Microsoft's Mixed Reality VR headset strategy. Apple has no compelling contender in this arena.

Like Microsoft's efforts with Paint 3D, Google is providing users with tools to create 3D content for virtual worlds. Unlike the 2D PC-based environment Microsoft employs, however, Google uses the virtual world, via a VR headset, as the canvas using its Blocks and Tilt Brush applications. Blocks allow users to create, move, paint and modify their 3D creations with natural gestures, as seen in the video below.

Paint 3D has the advantage of being available to millions of Windows 10 PC users while VR headsets are still niche. Microsoft's baffling problem, however, is that it's not marketing Paint 3D, its purpose nor its potential. Like many things, it seems Microsoft will allow the competition to outmaneuver it due to its failure to execute.

Google 'tangos' with AR

Google's Tango, which supports the company's AR and VR investments, allows devices to track distances and their position. The technology has been used for AR to superimpose virtual objects over the real world. Tango is also an essential part of Google's Visual Positioning Service (VPS) which allows devices to perceive and understand their positions indoors.

Like its successful efforts with its VR-focused Google Cardboard, Google is bringing AR-based lessons to the classroom via its Pioneer Program this school year.

As seen in the above video, the smartphone-based AR platform allows students to view 3D objects in their physical environment. Google's investments in smartphone-based AR and VR in the education sector are grabbing mindshare among the next generation.

Not to be outdone, Microsoft's HoloLens is being used in the education sector as well and provides a much more interactive experience than the phone-on-a-stick experience Google's solution provides. Still, the costs for each solution most certainly leans in Google's favor.

Google gets to the ARCore of the matter

Google's ARCore is a smartphone-based AR solution that builds on the technologies pioneered by Tango. Like Apple's ARKit, ARCore will be deployed on existing Android hardware running 7.0 Nougat or above. Samsung's Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel are among the first of these devices. Google's goal is to bring AR to 100 million devices by the end of the preview and is working with a number of manufacturers like ASUS, LG and others to accomplish this goal.

Google demos ARCore.

Google's goal is to extend beyond the tabletop-type AR experiences it shares with Apple's ARKit solution. It's VPS will allow the company to produce world-scale AR experiences. Google's AR ambitions also extend to the web, where it is providing web developers with browsers to begin creating web-based AR experiences. AR-enhanced websites, via these browsers, will run on both Android's ARCore and iOS's ARKit.

The mere news of Google's and Apple's AR efforts is beginning to overshadow Microsoft's methodically executed and comprehensive accomplishments. Once consumers begin experiencing AR on their iPhones and Android smartphones, seeing an obscure HoloLens video or reading about a future HoloLens may impress, but that abstract exposure will be quickly overshadowed by the real AR experience in the palm of users' hands.

Microsoft has pushed out an update to the View 3D app for Insiders on the Skip Ahead portion of the Windows 10 Fast ring. As spotted by Italian blog Aggiornamenti Lumia, the update renames the app from View 3D to Mixed Reality Viewer. This wasn't entirely unexpected, as Microsoft recently referred to the app by its new name when it announced a release date for the first Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

The update also packs in several UI tweaks, including a new loading animation and moving all controls to the top of the window. Here's a look at the full changelog (translated from Italian):

• Loading the app and its contents will be shown with a small 3D cube
• New logo represented by a 3D Cube (the same as used for uploads)
• All controls have now been placed high (information, controls, virtual camera, and full screen display)
• When shooting mixed-reality photographs, you will notice that the "All-In-Camera" and "Timer" icons have been positioned at the bottom left
• The timer now works properly
• If you reduce the size of the window, controls will automatically be grouped under "Other with 3D" Corrections and general improvements

Lastly, it's worth noting that Aggiornamenti Lumia reports that the app is no longer being compiled for ARM, which would spell its end of its compatibility on Windows 10 Mobile.

Insiders enrolled in Skip Ahead are already testing the first Redstone 4 build, and it's not clear if the name and UI changes for Mixed Reality Viewer are in the pipeline for the Fall Creators Update. If you're on the Skip Ahead ring, you should be able to grab the update, which bumps the app to version 2.1708.30142.0, now. Keep in mind that enrollment in Skip Ahead is no longer open, so this is fairly limited for the moment.

Thanks, Simon, for the tip!

See at Microsoft

IFA — Internationale Funkausstellung — is one of the oldest electronics exhibitions on the planet, and continues to be one of the best and biggest. 2017 was no exception, with PC makers bringing their A-game with a selection of impressive new tablets, laptops, and even desktop towers.

There's a lot to explore, so let's dive right in!

Best of IFA 2017, Best Design: Acer Predator Orion 9000

It's not often a pre-built desktop PC can impress us enough to warrant a Best of Show award, let alone also snagging Best Design, but the Acer Predator Orion 9000 is no ordinary PC. With an Intel Core i9 processor with 18 cores, 128GB of RAM, 44TB of storage, and four graphics cad slots, the Orion 9000 is an utter beast. And even though it's a powerhouse meant for the most serious of gamers, Acer didn't deck it out in neon red lights and super aggressive styling. It's still fairly aggressive, but the light blue illumination and softer lines make for an attractive — and technically impressive — desktop.

Best of IFA 2017: ASUS ZenBook Flip 14

We're always chasing thinner and lighter and more powerful, and the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 checks all of those marks, coming in as the world's thinnest convertible laptop with a discrete GPU. What you get is a 14-inch display powered by the latest 8th-gen Core i5 o i7 processors and an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 in a 13.9mm-thick chassis. It's one compact and powerful convertible, and it's relatively light at 1.4kg and will still run for up to 12 hours on a charge.

Best of IFA 2017: Lenovo Yoga 920

Lenovo's Yoga 900-series has stood as one of the best convertible laptops around, and the new Lenovo Yoga 920 is a strong contender. With an 8th-gen Core i5 or i7 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage all driving a 14-inch 4K IPS touch display — and weighing barely a hair over three pounds — the Yoga 920 is one highly impressive convertible, and looks likely to be one of our favorites for the coming year. That beautiful watchband hinge certainly doesn't hurt.

Best of IFA 2017: Lenovo Explorer Mixed Reality Headset

Windows Mixed Reality is just getting started, and Lenovo's jumping right into the fray with their take on the MR headset: the Lenovo Explorer. With a conservative and comfortable design, the Explorer is designed for bringing Windows 10 Mixed Reality to life with ease. It doesn't hurt that it'll be available for a starting price of just $349.99.

Best of IFA 2017, Most Innovative: Acer Switch 7 Black Edition

Microsoft's Surface spawned a whole market of 2-in-1 tablets, and some companies are really running with the concept. Take the new Acer Switch 7 Black Edition, for example. It sports the latest internals (including the speedy and efficient 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor cooled by a unique dual-loop liquid heat pipe system), a fingerprint reader embedded under the glass, and a kickstand that's designed to make sitting down and getting to work quicker and easier than ever: just press the base of the tablet onto the table and out pops the kickstand.

Best of IFA 2017: ASUS ROG Chimera

For gamers, few specs are more important in a display than the refresh rate, and the best typically comes from a big, expensive monitor. Which makes the ASUS ROG Chimera with its 144hz display all that more impressive — this beast of a gaming laptop sports a 17.3-inch screen with a refresh rate that bests many dedicated gaming monitors. It's all powered by a 7th-gen Core i7 processor paired with a pixel-shredding GTX 1080 GPU. Cross one more thing off the list of things that gaming laptops can't do.

Best of IFA 2017: Lenovo Yoga 720

The Lenovo Yoga 720 might not be as impressive as its bigger and flashier brother, the Yoga 920, but it's still an impressive convertible laptop in its own right. With a 12.5-inch HD display, 15.75mm-thick body, and a light 1.15kg weight, it's already a decent convertible. Throw in a $649 price tag and you've got a bargain of a laptop.

Best of IFA 2017: ASUS Mixed Reality Headset

ASUS's entry into the Mixed Reality headset race is a real head-turner (cue rim shot). While it sports all of the standard mixed reality features, including a pair of cameras facing outwards for tracking motion and position and a pair of Microsoft-designed light-up controllers, it's the faceted matte black face that gives this things a futuristic look befitting its futuristic purpose.

Best of IFA 2017: Acer Swift 5

The Swift 7 set the bar for thin-and-light at IFA 2016, and the new Acer Swift 5 is setting a new mark at barely-there 950 grams (that's 2.1 pounds for those that prefer imperial measurements). Even as a featherweight it still isn't a slouch, with a 14-inch HD IPS display, the latest 8th-generation Intel Core processors, and even Dolby Audio tuning for the speakers. It's a solid all-around ultra-portable, with availability in December 2017 and a starting price of $999.

Best of IFA 2017: ASUS ZenBook Flip 15

You want a convertible laptop. You want it to be thin and light. You want it to be powerful. Not long ago, you couldn't get all of those in one laptop. But the new ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 challenges that preconception, packing an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GTX 1050 GPU, and a 15.6-inch 4K touch display into a 21.3mm, 2kg package. Sure, that's not paper-thin and feather-light, but with internals this powerful you need a lot of space for cooling and battery to power it all. When it comes to being an on-the-go powerhouse convertible, the ZenBook Flip 15 checks almost all the boxes.

It's been a while since we first saw Lenovo's first take on a mixed reality headset designed to work with Windows 10. But now, here at IFA 2017, it's finally a formal announcement: this is the Lenovo Explorer.

Like all of the other Windows Mixed Reality headsets, the Explorer offers inside-out tracking via motion sensors and a pair of outward-facing cameras on the front corners of the headset. These cameras give the Lenovo Explorer both spatial awareness and room tracking, as well as keeping tabs on the Microsoft-designed motion controllers.

Lenovo is touting the broad capabilities of the Explorer, thanks to Windows Mixed Reality, including watching shows "in a virtual home office environment" (personally, I watch shows in my living room, but I'm weird like that), VR games, 360° video, and even the ability to "get things done with Microsoft Office suite."

All of this works over a single cable, running to your compatible PC and splitting into simply USB and HDMI plugs. Lenovo also designed the Explorer with comfort in mind, having had conversations with customers about the potential for lengthy VR sessions. The headset and its band were designed with keeping an even balance front-to-back in mind, and the visor (like many other Windows MR headsets) was designed to flip up to provide the reader with easy access to the rest of the world.

The Lenovo Explorer will be available globally starting in October, priced at $349. If you want a bundle with a pair of Microsoft Motion Controllers, that'll run $349.

Many tech companies are investing heavily in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Microsoft has Windows Mixed Reality and HoloLens. Google has Google Glass, Daydream and Cardboard. Apple has ARKit and rumored smartglasses.

Magic Leap's still on the radar, ODG's R-8 and R-9 smartglasses are due this year, and Facebook's 10-year plan for AR and VR is ambitious. Personal computing is transitioning to a more immersive, interactive and natural experience via some form of AR smartglasses.

Facebook's, Microsoft's and ODG's leaders believe smartglasses will eventually replace smartphones.

This belief isn't expressed in ignorance of the social barriers smartglasses face.

Four-eyes, nerdy no more

There was once a social stigma associated with wearing glasses. The cultural norms of previous generations didn't always see prescription eyewear as stylish. The goggle-sized spectacles that dominate my teenage face in old pictures scream, "nerd." Yes, glasses and nerds were negatively intertwined.

Society has become more accepting of glasses and their wearers over time. The change in how we perceive "nerds" has contributed to that shift. The accomplishments and pop culture status of high profile "geeks" like former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs and others have shifted the status of nerds from uncool to cool.

Furthermore, the proliferation of tech and mainstreaming of computer technology has made the role of the "glasses-wearing geek" an important part of helping to keep our tech-dependent world flowing.

Nerds are both needed and cool, and glasses aren't a bad thing anymore. Sometimes even people who don't need glasses, want glasses.

Smart or not I ain't wearing 'em

Despite this progress, the existence of corrective eye-surgery and contact lenses is a testament that some individuals still don't like wearing glasses. And making glasses "smart" won't change that.

This, of course, is observing the issue from today's perspective. Societal norms change. What may be a barrier today may not be as profound a barrier by the time this technology's ready for the mass market. What is considered fashionable changes with each generation. Skinny jeans on a man would have been unappealing in the 80s for instance. Today society accepts them as stylish.

Like sunglasses, stylish non-prescription glasses may be considered chic in the future. Streamlined smartglasses would fit right into that context.

But I already wear glasses

Glasses wearers like myself have a legitimate gripe with smartglasses. Most current examples of smartglasses at this early stage won't accommodate both a person's prescription lenses and this progressive tech.

Google Glass can be clipped to existing glasses, but it's smartphone-dependent. Since it's not an all-in-one mobile computing platform like HoloLens or ODG's smartglasses, Google Glass isn't en route to replace smartphones. Still, HoloLens and other wearables aren't en route to replace prescription glasses either, although the former can be worn over existing specs in some situations. Still, that's no reason to write them off.

Declaring smartglasses a failure at this very early stage because of current barriers is neither forward-looking nor an acknowledgment of the past. People said the automobile would never replace the horse and buggy. Cars were a novelty for the rich.

But with the establishment of necessary infrastructure such as the assembly line and the construction of paved roads that evolved with the automobile's adoption, cars became the dominant mode of transportation.

I believe smartglasses adoption have a long road ahead but will begin in the enterprise, followed by early adopters in the consumer space. Over time the tech will become more affordable and streamlined, and more of the population will likely embrace them. Various OEMs will likely support the industry with smartglasses spanning different price ranges and capabilities.

Over time, and as the technology continues to evolve, partnerships with eyeglass distributors may emerge as the supporting infrastructure that will address the "I-already-wear-glasses" group. Apple's partnerships with major U.S. hospitals with HealthKit have set a precedence for the overlapping of consumer technology and healthcare after all.

As this industry trend continues, smartglasses could become part of the product lines of prescription lens providers like LensCrafters or Opticare.

Big brother and everyone else is watching

The failure of the consumer-focused Google Glass in 2012 was due in part to this camera-equipped wearable's threat to privacy.

In 2017 the same concerns are being raised regarding camera-equipped smartglasses. But, what about five, ten or fifteen years from now when today's children are the world's decision-making adults? Will they care?

As smartglasses make their slow journey through the enterprise and then early adopters on their way to the broad consumer space life will go on and societal norms and concerns about privacy may change. As a forty-something-year-old man, I've witnessed cultural shifts where privacy standards have changed profoundly with the advent of reality shows and social media.

Today's youth are growing up in a world where over two billion people self-report personal demographic information, interests, family connections, hobbies, break-ups, make-ups, fights and more on Facebook. Location-tagged pictures are nonchalantly shared on Instagram and Twitter. Millions of Snapchatters live shackled to their smartphones desperate not to break a "Snapstreak".

Kids and Snapchat streaking.

Self-esteem and self-perception have become intricately intertwined with the likes, reactions, and retweets we get to our latest posts from an audience of "friends" and strangers. We put ourselves on display (via social media and video platforms) at a magnitude never before seen in human history.

Changing of the guard

Children and teenagers don't know of a world that isn't the connected virtual fishbowl it has become. They're oblivious to a reality where cameras don't stare at intimate moments and personal interactions of celebrities and regular people on reality shows.

They're even encouraged to "perform" on this digital stage for a world that is dutifully watching social media and video platforms. This is the new normal.

My generation, in memory of a bygone era, will vocally decry the threat smartglasses pose to privacy. But as this younger generation who has spent their entire lives in "glass houses" comes of age, perhaps privacy won't be as much of a concern. Consider this: as recent as 2009 cell phone cameras were under fire for their threat to privacy. Now they're the most celebrated smartphone feature.

Dystopian abuse of Microsoft's AI-driven camera tech is inevitable

The adoption of smartglasses isn't just a matter of evolving technology, but also a changing society. To measure their potential for adoption based upon the current limited infrastructure and what society will accept today is short-sighted.

Considering current social trends and the proliferation of emerging tech into existing industries, smartglasses may find a place of acceptance on the faces of today's children when they're tomorrow's adults 10 or 20 years from now.

The technological progress and inspired technologies we've seen since the first iPhone in 2007, and the social impact smartphones have had, prove that a lot can change socially and technologically in just 10 years. Current concerns about smartglasses simply may not matter tomorrow.

In 2015, Microsoft introduced its untethered, wearable Windows 10 holographic computer, HoloLens. As part of Windows 10, Windows Mixed Reality (previously called Windows Holographic) was also introduced as the platform that would power AR and virtual reality (VR) experiences. Microsoft is positioning for a future of holographic computing.

To bring holographic computing to market, Microsoft began executing a methodic strategy of building partnerships and creating tailored AR experiences. This strategy resulted in HoloLens adoption in specific industries like health care, education, the U.S. military, entertainment, NASA and more. Consumers aren't part of that picture yet, but Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella said in 2015 that a consumer version of HoloLens was five years away. That would be 2020.

Apple's AR threat isn't virtual

That 2020 prediction may have been shortened to 2019 as Microsoft has skipped HoloLens version two to expedite version three. Recent reports reveal an upgrade to HoloLens with onboard AI and other enhancements. Still, there are currently just 150 HoloLens-specific apps in the Windows Store. That's an uninspiring number considering Apple's developer community.

In the wake of what Microsoft has accomplished with a holographic platform, a unique wearable computer, strategic partnerships, mindshare and developer support, Apple has boldly thrown its hat into the AR ring. With an update coming to iOS 11, hundreds of millions of iPad and iPhone users, and 16 million developers, will have access to Apple's less advanced take on AR via ARKit.

With Windows 10's install base, Microsoft's AR platform is technically over 500 million devices strong. Apple boasts its platform will surpass that. Supported by passionate developers that are already showing excitement for ARKit, Apple's deluge of AR-specific apps will likely dwarf Microsoft's 150 HoloLens-specific apps before the end of the year.

After two years of legitimate progress but "consumer silence," Microsoft's AR efforts are poised to be overshadowed by Apple's less advanced, but consumer-focused strategy. Microsoft needs an AR strategy that brings its more advanced HoloLens technology to market in a form that resonates with consumers.

HoloLens is not ready for public use

One of the advantages to Apple's AR strategy is that it utilizes the socially accepted iPhones and iPads, which people carry daily. The downside is that iPhones and iPads must be awkwardly handheld and pointed at various surfaces to "reveal" AR objects.

By contrast, HoloLens, which is comfortably worn on the head, displays holographic objects in a wearer's field of view and provides spatial sound. A user's hands are unencumbered, and via gestures, voice, and gaze he can interact with the HoloLens-generated holographic world.

Hands-free use of SketchAR for HoloLens.

Microsoft's challenge is that unlike iPhones no one carries a HoloLens around, and priced at $3,000 it's exceedingly expensive. Even if it were affordable and more people owned one the aesthetically unappealing headset is not something many self-respecting consumers (or even socially awkward geeks) would don for a trip into town. Appearing in public wearing a technologically cool wearable computer is, from a social perspective, technically uncool.

So what can Microsoft do to combat the price, social stigma and practical application challenges it faces in bringing HoloLens tech to consumers? Sure HoloLens is a wearable Windows 10 computer that can do what any other Windows PC can do. There are therefore a plethora of things for which a consumer can use it. Introducing this unique tech with too broad a scope could be confusing and intimidating, however.

Focusing on a specific category from which Microsoft can later expand is a better strategy.

For entertainment purposes only

The living room fireplace used to be the central gathering place in homes. That "fireplace experience" has been largely replaced by the TV.

Nielsen reports that for the 2016-2017 TV season there are 118 million TVs in U.S. households. Worldwide TV penetration for 2016 was 1.59 billion, and by 2021 that number is expected to be 1.68 billion. The average American spends four hours a day watching television. This amounts to 28 hours a week, two months a year and by age 65, nine whopping years of one's life.

Of the 118 million U.S. homes with televisions, Nielsen reports 23 percent use a streaming device such as a Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV or Google Chromecast. Smart TVs are also in 29 percent of U.S. homes.

In addition to these devices, 42 percent of homes own connected, streaming-capable, game consoles like Xbox, Nintendo Wii or PlayStation Nielsen claims.

In January of this year, streaming devices like Roku were used by 18 percent of American homes, for 15 days out of the month and three hours a day, reports Nielsen. Other less popular brands were used 11 days out of the month for two hours a day. Game consoles like Xbox were used the most, by 37 million households for gaming and streaming 15 days out of the month for up to 4 hours a day.

With the growing availability of broadband, connected devices are becoming increasingly popular. There are currently an estimated 673 million connected TVs worldwide, according to market researcher Statista's prediction. This internet-connected media environment where streaming and gaming abound is the prime place for Microsoft to "meet consumers where they are" with a new "type of screen."

HoloLens media for home

There's a market that Microsoft (or a competitor) can take advantage of where the stationary physical TV screen can be replaced by a virtual screen that follows the user throughout the home.

Microsoft, with the Movies and TV app, Xbox, Groove, Windows 10 and HoloLens, has the technical foundations for building a media platform with AR as the virtual screen. I envision a pared down HoloLens that has basic capabilities of projecting AR objects and has stereo sound that is less sophisticated than the spatial sound of the current HoloLens. These tradeoffs are to make this consumer version of HoloLens more affordable.

This device would be targeted at consumers as a home appliance of sorts. It would be a "modern screen" that you'd eventually pick up and put on almost thoughtlessly as you walk into your home and turn on the TV. This HoloLens would still be somewhat bulky and unappealing to wear in public. But as something meant for the home, where we comfortably walk around in raggedy robes, holey socks, hair rollers and other "not-for-public-view-attire," this fashion-challenged device fits right in.

HoloLens down the line

Microsoft could market "HoloLens Media for Home" as a tool for TV, streaming video, and gaming. I imagine that just as with the first TVs, most homes that can afford one will be able to afford just one. But in time, as costs drop, like most members of a family currently have their own TV, each member in a family will have a HoloLens.

Game streaming to HoloLens.

I imagine different people in different rooms, homes, cities, and countries watching the same program while talking to one another (with real-time translate if necessary) over the built in microphone much like a multiplayer game experience. A holographic telepresence (holoportation) is also a possibility.

The media aspects I proposed would be Microsoft's way to get HoloLens to consumers but that would not be the endgame. In time, as IoT and ambient computing becomes commonplace, the Home HoloLens may become the means by which users "see" and interact with digital interfaces of IoT appliances in the home. As the tech becomes more refined, users will venture out of their homes with the AR wearables where they will interact with digital interfaces that may begin populating the public sphere.

However, before Microsoft gets a refined HoloLens out into the public and potentially one day replaces our smartphones with it, it must meet consumers where they are now. That place is likely the central meeting place in the home: right in front of the TV.

At Build 2016, Microsoft launched what was at the time called the HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner Program to help give partners a leg up with technical training for the HoloLens. Now, just over a year later, the company has announced it is launching the "Mixed Reality Partner Program", which expands the HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner Program to include new partners.

Over the past year, the HoloLens Readiness Partner Program has already expanded to include 30 partners around the globe, helping the likes of Lowe's, Stryker and the PGA Tour create interesting mixed reality experiences. Under the Mixed Reality Partner Program moniker, the program will expand systems integrators (SIs) and digital agencies, Microsoft says.

Companies and organizations that were already a part of the HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner Program will be grandfathered into the Mixed Reality Partner Program, Microsoft says. As for new partners, Microsoft says that those eligible can take part in a "multi-week readiness program that consists of both in-depth technical training on mixed reality solutions and sales and marketing readiness." From there, partners will have access to Microsoft engineering support, marketing and sales assistance, and joint business planning with the Mixed Reality extended team.

Achieving and maintaining a leading position in the ever-shifting world of personal computing is no trivial task. Sometimes a company enters a space, becomes an industry leader, and competitive shifts or internal errors causes that company to plummet to survival mode, as Microsoft did with smartphones. Other times a company struggles from ground level and attains a respectable position in a particular industry as Microsoft did with Xbox.

Some people may attribute a company's failures to external forces while others would credit leaders for success. Success or failure is a mix of a company's leadership and industry conditions, however. Sometimes, companies succeed due to favorable industry conditions, (the failure of a competitor) despite questionable leadership. Other times, good leadership isn't enough to overcome industry forces that work in favor of rivals.

With this context in mind, let's take a look at a few leaders who are setting the strategic direction of some of the most prominent businesses at Microsoft.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Satya Nadella

Satya Nadella succeeded Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's CEO in 2014.

"Mobile first, cloud first," where he explained "mobile" as the mobility of experiences, is Nadella's mantra. He announced at Build 2017 that, like Google, Microsoft has moved toward an AI- and cloud-focused vision, or an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge.

Nadella's cloud-focused strategy isn't only attributable to the obvious industry move toward a device-less intelligent cloud computing platform. His experience as former vice president of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise group, a position currently held by Scott Guthrie, certainly plays a role in his affinity for the cloud.

The company's latest reorg around a cloud-focused sales and marketing core is further testimony to Nadella's vision of cloud computing, where Microsoft is second only to Amazon. Some fear this reorg expands the gap between Microsoft and the admittedly less lucrative consumer demographic. Time will tell.

Ideally, Nadella's concern for emerging markets, like his home Hyderabad, India, will continue to impact his leadership. In the past, he referenced the importance of Continuum's ability to turn a phone into a desktop for consumers for whom a smartphone is their only computer.

Nadella's reference to an ultimate mobile device and a recent statement of Microsoft's commitment to phones gives hope to Windows phone loyalists that Microsoft's cloud-focused actions are not indicative of an abandonment of mobile.

Nadella has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Mangalore University, a master's in computer science from the University of Wisconsin and a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago.

He has three children, a son Zain and two daughters Tara and Divya, and lives in Bellevue, Washington with his wife, Anupama. Nadella's easy-going demeanor is likely influenced by the strength of character and compassion many parents with children with special needs exhibit. His son Zain has quadriplegia, and one of his daughters also has special needs.

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chris Capossela

Chris Capossela is Microsoft's CMO, and he has over 25 years with the company. Capossela is passionate about fulfilling the company's mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more.

He has worked toward that goal in various capacities at Microsoft. He was a leader in the Microsoft Office division, marketing the company's productivity tools. He was also responsible for marketing and sales with OEMs, retail and operator partners with the consumer channels group.

Capossela explained Microsoft's marketing strategy of engineering one product into another. Skype as part of Office is an example. This strategy has been successful for Microsoft rivals Apple and Google, which Capossela acknowledged have better integration of products promoting other products than Microsoft.

Relative to Apple and Samsung, Microsoft strategically doesn't spend a lot on aggressive television ads. Whether that's good or bad in a consumer-driven market is up for debate.

Capossela earned a bachelor's in computer science and economics from Harvard. He's originally from Boston where as a boy he wrote a reservation program for his family's Italian restaurant. He currently lives with his wife and two daughters in Seattle.

In a previous position, Capossela helped "partners deliver new consumer experiences through Windows, Windows Phone, Office and Xbox." Microsoft's current position in mobile and the threat Apple's ARKit poses to Microsoft's AR and HoloLens investments from developer-support, mindshare, and consumer perspectives has prompted loyalists to desire more aggressive consumer-focused marketing.

Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group (WDG), Terry Myerson

Windows is core to Microsoft's personal computing strategy. Terry Myerson oversees the Windows ecosystem which includes the platform, games, apps, the Store, and Minecraft, as well as the Windows 10 family of devices, including Surface, Xbox, and HoloLens.

Myerson has the difficult challenge of ensuring the synergy of the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) with a complete portfolio of Windows 10 devices that is currently missing the phone. Myerson has reiterated Microsoft's commitment to mobile but divulged little else. One can only hope that he and Microsoft are exercising "HoloLens-like" silence in relation to Nadella's ultimate mobile device, where the device remains a secret until it's time to be revealed.

Myerson earned a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Duke University. His wife, three children, and golden retriever live with him in Washington state.

Executive Vice President of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Research Group, Harry Shum

As Executive Vice President of Microsoft's AI and Research Group, Harry Shum directs the company's AI strategy and oversees all AI-focused groups. This includes providing the company's vision for research and development, infrastructure, agents, apps and services, and providing leadership for the information, Bing and Cortana groups.

Microsoft's AI and cloud focus makes Shum's role vital in a highly competitive space where Google, Facebook, IBM, Apple and Samsung have made huge investments in AI.

Shum, who is a recognized leader in his field, joined Microsoft Research in 1996 and just this year received the honor of being elected to the National Academy of Engineering of the United States.

HoloLens creator and Technical Fellow of the OS Group, Alex Kipman

Alex Kipman is the creator of Microsoft's groundbreaking untethered, wearable holographic computer, HoloLens.

Kipman believes that the AR technology demonstrated by HoloLens will eventually replace smartphones. In fact, he has already declared the smartphone as "dead."

The Brazil-born Kipman joined Microsoft in 2001 after graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology. He has worked on Visual Studio, Windows and Xbox. Kipman is also the man behind the once very popular Kinect motion controller.

Kipman told Time magazine, "Software is the only art form in existence that is not bound by the confines of physics. You are only ever bound and constrained by lack of imagination."

Kipman's technical skills and creativity have helped the company pioneer groundbreaking AR and VR solutions via Windows Mixed Reality. Unfortunately, those lightly publicized AR efforts face a serious threat from Apple's consumer-focused AR strategy, which will be broadly known in the consumer and enterprise spaces.

Devices Chief, Panos Panay

Panos Panay is responsible for delivering the company's vision for its premium Surface hardware brand. Panay pushed a failing Surface through two iterations to the forefront as a premium industry-respected brand.

Panay is passionate when he presents the products he has labored over designing. He shared during Build 2017 that as a boy his dad taught him to be meticulous while they worked together repairing televisions. Because of what he has achieved with Surface many fans eagerly anticipate what a possible Surface phone might be.

Xbox Head, Phil Spencer

Phil Spencer joined Microsoft in 1988 after earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. Spencer became head of the Xbox, Xbox Live, Xbox Music and Xbox Video teams in 2014.

He refocused Xbox on its gaming, rather than general media device roots. Xbox as Microsoft's most successful consumer product has the elusive cool factor its other products need.

Spencer recently made headlines when he stated affordable consumer AR headsets are five to 10 years away.

Wrapping up

Microsoft has had many failures and successes over the years. Some are attributable to leadership while others were the result of outside forces. Leadership is key, however, in planning the future and navigating sudden shifts to either course correct or minimize damage.

The above leaders represent a portion of the teams that have helped bring Microsoft where it is today. If you could say something to these leaders or ask them any question what would it be?

Spencer said:

The good news is Microsoft seems committed to realizing its "holographic computing for everyone" vision. The bad news is that five to 10 years without a consumer-facing AR device in the market could be disastrous for Microsoft's mindshare among consumers.

Apple's ARKit for iOS 11 will bring augmented reality to hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users beginning this fall. Though crude, cumbersome and elementary by HoloLens standards, it is "AR" nonetheless.

I'm convinced Apple's strategy is meant to build developer support, an ecosystem of AR apps and consumer demand for an eventual AR headset or glasses. While Apple is dominating mainstream and tech news cycles with its evolving AR solution, Microsoft's more advanced HoloLens and industry-specific Windows Mixed Reality AR accomplishments may be relegated, as they are now, to the shadows.

Even without a consumer version of HoloLens, if Microsoft seizes the opportunity obscurity doesn't have to be its fate.

Making marketing a priority

According to an internal company memo from Corporate Vice President of Windows and Devices Yusuf Mehdi, Window Mixed Reality which powers both virtual reality (VR) and AR, will get a big marketing push later this year:

Mehdi's creation of a dedicated marketing team for Windows Mixed Reality reflects the importance of AR and VR to Microsoft and its intent to be a major player in these markets. Also, since Windows Mixed Reality includes both VR and AR, a reasonable expectation is that the new marketing team will aggressively market both platforms, though Microsoft's AR investments are not yet consumer-focused.

Marketing AR is a must

We know that the fully immersive VR experiences that Microsoft's partners will bring to market via mixed reality VR headsets will get a push this holiday season.

Without a consumer-focused AR product, however, how will Microsoft market AR experiences, where holograms are overlayed on the real world, as we see with HoloLens? This question is particularly relevant since Spencer stressed the consumer investments Microsoft is making in VR while downplaying HoloLens and emphasizing its "not-designed-for-consumers" status:

Where does this leave Hamren's focus as the corporate vice president responsible for marketing VR and AR? Can Microsoft market its AR platform without consumer-facing AR hardware? I think so.

Augmenting the AR conversation

News that HoloLens version two will be skipped to "accelerate version three" saw a mixed reception. Some believe any new product, while development continues, is better than no product at all. Others see the arrival of version three a year earlier, in 2019 rather than 2020, as being worth the sacrifice of version two.

The question is what will HoloLens version three be? In 2015, Nadella stated that a consumer version of the category-defining wearable computer was five years away. That would have been 2020. Will that consumer HoloLens be the version three we are now expecting in 2019?

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in 2015 that HoloLens is a five-year journey.

Though Spencer's statements of an affordable, capable and scalable consumer AR headset being five to 10 years out were not an official statement of Microsoft's timeline, it raises two questions: Has development been slower than Nadella initially expected, pushing the delivery of a consumer version of HoloLens out by up to ten years? Or is Spencer's vision more advanced than what Nadella sees as a sufficiently capable and still valid consumer headset that could be available in 2019?

More streamlined in time

Spencer also said the following:

Spencer sees consumer AR wearables as not giving users the feeling they're wearing a helmet. Perhaps what Nadella envisions for an initial consumer HoloLens will be just as "geeky" as the VR headsets that Microsoft and its partners are pushing to consumers this year.

A less streamlined, "helmet-like" consumer HoloLens could simply be an iterative step on a roadmap toward what Spencer describes. It's inevitable, after all, that this technology will become more streamlined, batteries will become more efficient and processors and "displays" more powerful. With that in mind, if Microsoft can release suitable consumer versions of HoloLens which naturally improve over time, perhaps it should.

Microsoft must market its AR story

Whatever the 2019 version of HoloLens turns out to be and any versions that follow will be important. Equally as important is the messaging or the story Microsoft tells to give its AR efforts context.

Most consumers are being educated to believe that AR is limited to the two-dimensional overlay of digital artifacts on the real world, as viewed through the limited window of a mobile device. The popularity of Pokemon Go and the coming deluge of "AR" apps via iOS 11's ARkit are and will be responsible for this very limited understanding of AR's current and potential capabilities.

Hamren has the unique opportunity and responsibility to forge a message, a story, about Microsoft's AR endeavors that entices both consumers and the enterprise. She can lead the Mixed Reality Marketing Team to promote, through an engaging campaign, the encompassing environment of 3D holograms as viewed through the head-mounted HoloLens.

She can also emphasize the multisensory approach of Microsoft's AR investment that includes spatial sound. Combined with 3D objects, HoloLens also creates an ambient audio experience. Gesture, voice and gaze interaction are parts of the story, as well.

Even without a consumer version of HoloLens, Microsoft should run an aggressive television campaign that shows consumers and businesses what entities like NASA, the US Military, auto dealerships, the education sector, health care, entertainment, private developers and more are doing with it and Windows Mixed Reality.

Microsoft's AR story is ready to be told

HoloLens and AR are more than concepts. They're a reality with real-world, even life-saving, uses today as seen in the video below. Microsoft needs to tell its AR story. Now.

HoloLens is used to train doctors in life-saving procedures.

As consumers hear the story, it'll build excitement, awareness, mindshare and potential demand for how Microsoft is using the technology. It would also set a high bar for what consumers and enterprise will "understand" AR to be. If Microsoft begins such a campaign now, when Apple launches iOS 11 "AR" apps this fall, consumers will naturally compare Microsoft's far more advanced solution to Apple's offering.

In conjunction with this ongoing campaign, perhaps Microsoft should launch a consumer AR wearable as early as 2019. What do you think?

Microsoft is reinventing Windows as a platform for creators via a host of innovations such as Paint 3D. And though Redmond boasted it's bringing 3D to everyone at the October 2016 reveal, consumers don't know that because Microsoft isn't telling them.

Conversely, tech enthusiasts know all about Microsoft's vision for creators which includes Paint 3D, the Fall Creators Update, the innovative Surface devices, HoloLens and mixed reality and the recent Creators Update. Microsoft's Creators Updates are bringing new features to Windows while HoloLens leads the industry's charge into mixed (virtual and augmented) reality.

With these tools, Microsoft's creating a robust platform for creators of varying skill levels. Sadly most "regular" consumers don't know any of this. Even those with the Creators Update may be unaware of Microsoft's reimagining of a Windows classic, Microsoft Paint, with Paint 3D:

Paint 3D makes "creating" on a Windows PC using touch and a pen an entirely new and robust, yet simple experience.

Furthermore, as part of Microsoft's strategy to implement 3D throughout Windows and to bring 3D to everyone it is core to Microsoft's vision for the Creators Updates. It's therefore ironic (even confusing) that Microsoft isn't doing more to promote Paint 3D to consumers.

Microsoft, you get out what you put in

Microsoft's repositioning of Windows as a creators and mixed reality platform, implementing system-wide inking, and refocusing on gaming with game mode and Mixer are a reflection of it's attempt at a renewed commitment to consumers.

Sadly, most consumers have no clue Microsoft has made that commitment. Nor do they realize Windows is being reimagined as a platform to appeal to the creator in all of us.

If Microsoft's relying on users discovering new Windows features, and subsequently understanding and then embracing its creators vision, the company may be unpleasantly surprised when that doesn't happen.

Microsoft, you gotta show 'em

Microsoft's challenge as a historically enterprise-focused company is communicating with consumers. According to Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela, the company has focused on a marketing strategy which relies on the integration of products as a means to promote other products. Think Skype integration in Office.

This marketing strategy relies on users discovering one product by using another. It's not the aggressive "in your face" marketing method that's needed to introduce consumers to and educate them on Microsoft's expanded vision of Windows-as-a-creators-platform.

Microsoft hasn't abandoned its forte; it's simply positioned new creation tools alongside the familiar productivity-focused tools like Office. Just as Microsoft historically equipped consumers for traditional productivity, it now also sees us as creators and is equipping us accordingly.

Paint 3D is just part of the picture

Ben Reed of Microsoft's Windows Next Generation Experiences Team demonstrates how Microsoft is "enabling the creator in all of us" with Paint 3D in the video below:

Paint 3D's a familiar yet powerful tool that Microsoft can market to introduce its "creators" vision to the masses. This isn't just about Paint 3D, however. It's about Microsoft taking the initiative to tell consumers about Paint 3D, mixed reality, gaming and more which are part of its expanding vision for Windows.

Rather than hoping consumers will discover these new features Microsoft must be proactive in establishing mindshare for each.

And a little child shall lead them

Windows Chief Terry Myerson expressed that the next generation of children inspired the creators vision for Windows.

Myerson observed children's affinity for and fluency with complex 3D content creation and sharing. He also shared that children are an indicator for what's coming next in personal computing. Microsoft is, therefore, building features into Windows that are forward-looking and currently relevant as seen here:

The skills displayed by Microsoft's partners in the above video may intimidate those who don't fancy themselves as an artist, musician or some other professional creator. However, whether we're using Windows to create a symphony, painting, sketch, PowerPoint or even a document Microsoft says we're all creators.

How will Microsoft convince the masses of this vision? Windows and Office trickled from the enterprise to homes organically. It was also virtually unchallenged; thus, aggressive marketing wasn't required. That strategy won't work here.

Paint 3D, the bridge to Microsoft's creators vision

In a personal computing past dominated by traditional enterprise and desktop productivity, Microsoft Paint was fun and useful but also intentionally overshadowed by Office. Today, content creation and sharing are parallel to traditional productivity, thus Microsoft's vision ideally gives Paint 3D a front row seat in Windows.

Paint 3D embodies Microsoft's mission to make Windows a creative platform for everyone. It's available to the masses, easy to use, allows 3D creations to be integrated into other products and with Remix 3D, provides a community for users to share creations.

It's an easy onramp to Microsoft's modern vision for Windows. Moreover, as a tool for creating 3D objects, it opens the door to Windows Mixed Reality.

Mainstreaming 3D with smartphones

Microsoft even created a mobile app called Windows Capture 3D Experience. The cross-platform app (with the consumer-unfriendly name) will allow users to scan an object with their phone's camera to create a 3D representation of that object that can be edited, integrated into other programs and shared. Microsoft's General Manager, Megan Saunders, demos this app on an HP Elite x3 in the video below:

The app isn't yet available, but it demonstrates Microsoft's innovative vision. The ability to use smartphones to memorialize 3D representations of experiences and ultimately edit and share them as easily as we routinely do 2D images is a big step forward.

Unfortunately, Microsoft is slow to bring products to consumers and may be beaten to market by rivals.

Appeal to kids, parents will follow

Microsoft needs to become aggressive in making consumers aware of its creators vision and Paint 3D's role in it. Children, the inspiration for the updates, may be the key.

Most parents have experienced their child's incessant begging for some toy or food they saw advertised or a friend has. Advertisers who target children know that by creating demand with kids, adults with purchasing power subsequently become aware of a product and may potentially purchase it.

Microsoft already knows that children have an affinity for creating, manipulating and sharing 3D content. The company needs to appeal to that quality with an aggressive campaign that promotes Paint 3D and Microsoft's creators vision for Windows.

Microsoft's campaign should showcase use cases that appeal to both children and adults as seen in the YouTube video above. Children's demand for the product will increase adult's awareness of the same.

Paint 3D, the path to Windows Mixed Reality

Though informative, Microsoft cannot rely on YouTube videos to convey its vision. The viewers of those videos are primarily techies who search for or happen upon them in tech articles. To reach ordinary consumers, Microsoft must "force" TV commercials in front them.

Additionally, as the herald for Microsoft's 3D-for-everyone strategy, Microsoft's marketing of Paint 3D would be a push for its Windows-as-a-creators-platform and mixed reality vision.

Saunders said of capturing 3D objects from the real world:

Paint 3D is key to Microsoft's strategy to make consumers creators not just viewers of mixed reality content. Given Microsoft's emphasis of mixed reality it is mind-boggling the company is putting so little effort behind marketing Paint 3D.

By then Microsoft's high-profile, untethered, AR wearable computer, HoloLens, will be three years old. Microsoft's earlier arrival to the market, however, is no guarantee that Redmond's answer to AR will win over Cupertino's much later arrival.

Microsoft was first to tablets and smartphones after all, and we know how that turned out. Still, Redmond seems to have learned a lesson or two from its former lax approach to hardware that resulted in the company being beaten at its own game on more than one occasion.

With HoloLens Microsoft has taken a strategically calculated approach to the market by introducing it to specific industries and for specific use cases. This tailored approach has garnered passionate developer support for Windows Holographic. Moreover, Microsoft's nurturing of partner relationships to bring HoloLens-like hardware to market will further help Microsoft's ecosystem become the industry's platform for mix-reality (the continuum from augmented to virtual reality).

With such a strategically comprehensive approach and an undeniable lead, does Microsoft have anything to fear from a potential AR headset from Apple? Candidly speaking: yes.

Apple is as Apple does

Apple's CEO Tim Cook had the following to say of AR this Summer:

Apple employs a strategic approach to the market that helps the company minimize financial and perception risks that more daring company's like Google and Microsoft may incur.

Cupertino often makes minor (relatively speaking) investments in a field while it watches and learns from the successes and failures of companies that make heavier and earlier investments in an unproven area.

Others test the viability of new technology in the market, allowing Apple to then glean what works while avoiding what doesn't. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg recently stated this strategy this way:

Apple is a consumer company. Before it invests deeply in a technology, it must see a path to bringing that tech directly to the mass consumer market in a consumer-friendly form. With sixty-percent of its revenue coming from the iPhone, in a saturated market, Apple is under pressure to diversify, but must do so with minimal risk.

If a company builds an AR headset and that company isn't Apple, did it happen?

Cupertino lacks the breadth of products, services and infrastructure that Microsoft has as a consumer and enterprise platform company. Redmond has been able to take advantage of its deep-reaching relationships as the default computing platform in the enterprise to take the long road to the consumer space by refining and proving HoloLens and Windows Holographic in the private sector.

If reports are true Apple's AR glasses will work in concert with the ever-popular iPhone, much like the Apple Watch does today. When we consider history and the fact that the iPhone is still seen by many in the industry and the media as the industry's standard, Microsoft's mindshare with AR could be in jeopardy. Particularly in the ever-important consumer space.

Historically, an accessory, like the Watch, that treats the iPhone as a hub for a user's digital experiences receives profound media coverage and a tremendous marketing push from Apple. Apple Watch news saturated both tech and mainstream media mainstreaming the idea of a smartwatch for non-techies. If history's any indication of what may occur with Apple branded AR glasses, the resulting phenomenon may propel Apple's AR efforts to the forefront of not only tech but also mainstream news.

Conversely, as profound an accomplishment as the self-contained, wearable holographic computer HoloLens is, few non-techies know it exists. Furthermore, with a first-party consumer-facing version not expected until about 2020 per Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, Apple's simpler, iPhone-dependent AR glasses may reach consumers two years before HoloLens does. Granted, Microsoft partners may bring a consumer-facing AR headset to market before or around the same time as Apple's rumored time frame. It is unlikely, however, they will get the type of mindshare-grabbing marketing or media coverage Apple's efforts will engender.

Four Eyes

There was a time when glasses were considered unfashionable. Now people with 20/20 vision wear non-prescription lenses to look chic.

HoloLens is a full Windows 10 computer that can be worn comfortably on one's head. That's a tremendous engineering feat, but no one will be walking around publically sporting those sci-fi-looking goggle computers.

We've no idea how Apple's AR glasses will look. We do know that it will likely be iPhone-dependent, Apple is obsessive about the aesthetic beauty of its hardware and Cupertino's goal is to bring AR to the consumer market in a user-friendly form. Simply put, they'll be something Joe Consumer would wear.

Apple's massive developer ecosystem will also likely ensure practical everyday uses early on. Furthermore, because a person's personal phone often becomes their business phone via BYOD, the iPhone has a dominant presence in the enterprise. Thus, the iPhone may become Apple's portal for AR into the enterprise and with that a corresponding proliferation of industry-specific iOS AR apps.

The popularity of the iPhone, BYOD and likely aesthetically pleasing AR glasses may be positioning Apple's AR strategy to threaten HoloLen's budding enterprise presence.

Still ahead of the game

Microsoft's mixed-reality strategy is not only more comprehensive than Apple's, but it's already here. Now. HoloLens and Windows Holographic are in the hands of developers and is in use in various industries. Moreover, Microsoft's cognitive services such as facial recognition and vision APIs are more advanced than Apple's current facial recognition implementations in its camera app.

These technologies, in addition to the 3D scanning tech demoed at Microsoft's Oct 26th event, will likely find a way into a number of augmented reality scenarios.

Still, the iPhone's dual camera system and Apple's purchase of Metaio and PrimeSense may point to a future evolution of AR within iOS. No matter how far ahead Redmond may be, like the hare who lost the race to the tortoise, I think Microsoft has learned not to sleep on its lead.

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Of course, at the time no one could get one. The hardware was unfinished, and the tools in Windows Holographic, a new component of Windows 10, which would allow developers to build holographic apps had yet to be to be released.

But even then I knew that HoloLens and Windows Holographic would have a profound impact on Microsoft and the future of personal computing. Developer's adoption of the platform and manufacturer partnerships for HoloLens-like wearable computers are core to Microsoft's vision. Microsoft fellow Alex Kipman explains:

As partners have emulated the Surface with affordable 2-in-1s, Microsoft's goal is to foster an explosion of untethered wearable holographic computers for everyone!

A new perspective

Bringing Holographic computing to the masses isn't as easy as a "show the world today and change the world tomorrow" strategy. The hardware, the platform and the way we think about personal computing requires a systematic, deliberate and strategic shift. This takes time.

When Microsoft introduced HoloLens it seemed like a science fiction fantasy to onlookers. "Could this untethered wearable computer projecting holograms into the user's world be real?" Moreover, could it really be "uncool" Microsoft, that is presenting this artifact from the future? The answer to both questions was: Yes.

HoloLens and Windows Holographic not only took the industry by surprise, but the ambition it represents as a bold new personal computing platform have many proclaiming Redmond as innovative in a way that Apple and Google are not. Apple's Tim Cook recently acknowledged the importance of augmented reality (Apple is rumored to be working on their own AR headset) and Google has made investments in the mysterious Magic Leap — are they playing catch-up?

The industry is still wrapping its heads around the implications and potential of Microsoft's holographic platform. Furthermore, developers are challenging their imaginations with its boundary-crossing nature. Potential hardware partners are, no doubt, entertaining strategies that will help bring wearable holographic computers to the masses.

A long road to the masses

Microsoft wants to get holographic computing right. They want Windows Holographic to be the industry's platform for this new way of computing. That's one of the reasons "holographic APIs are enabled inside every Windows 10 build." Moreover, Microsoft wants hardware partners to manufacture holographic computers patterned after the $3000 aspirational HoloLens.

Thus, to build an infrastructure of support, Microsoft has engaged in a tempered approach to the market. Redmond has demonstrated the efficacy of the technology first in specific industries and with specific use cases before launching haphazardly to the masses.

The progress in education, science and other sectors reflect Redmond's dedication to the platform. Though a first-party consumer version is still at least three to four years away according to Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, Windows Holographic is inching into the mainstream via Virtual Reality.

HP, ASUS, Lenovo, Acer and Dell have recently committed to bringing affordable VR headsets, which use elements of Windows Holographic, to market. Starting at $299 these headsets and partnerships represent both the adoption of Microsoft's holographic platform by manufacturers and a possible progression of these partnerships toward HoloLens-like AR headsets.

At $3000 the price is not right

A $3000 HoloLens, like the $3000 Surface Studio, is not accessible to most people. In fact, Redmond's aspirational first-party devices are not meant to be.

They're intended to inspire manufacturing partners to emulate the synergy of software and hardware exemplified on first-party hardware.

The success of 2-in-1s and the introduction of the Surface Studio-Like PC from Dell so soon after the Studio's debut are good signs manufacturers recognize Redmond's Windows 10 device family vision.

Windows Chief Terry Myerson is excited to see this vision realized at WinHEC in relation to helping manufacturers bring HoloLens-like PCs to the masses:

Microsoft's holographic computing vision is on a path to becoming reality.

From virtual dream to reality

Kipman had this to say of Windows Holographic:

The combination of developer's passion for the software and the coming democratization of the hardware may bring Microsoft's holographic personal computing vision to fruition.

It'll be interesting to see if partners will bring wearable holographic PCs to consumers ahead of Microsoft's self-imposed first-party timetable of about 2020.

Alcatel introduced the consumer-focused Windows Mobile Idol 4S though Microsoft's Windows Mobile vision is enterprise-focused after all. Microsoft's partners have their own strategies for the Windows platforms. A consumer-focused HoloLens-like PC just might be at the fore-front of a manufacturers personal computing strategy.

Would you buy an affordable third-party holographic PC if one debuted in the near future?

Related reading:

What Hololens means for Microsoft and the future of personal computing