Rob Anderson
Well-known member
I had very low expectations to begin with, but after spending two weeks with the 2nd generation Google Glass, it's now in a box and prepped to ship back to Google for a refund. Google Glass is totally over-hyped hardware not worth a fraction of the asking price ($1,700). Even priced down to a hypothetical $200 or $300 dollars, it would still feel under-developed, over-sold, and gimmicky.
The first problem is feature set. It's one actually usable 'killer app' is the first person perspective camera with HUD. Unfortunately the camera is 720p video, has poor auto-white balancing, a slow aperture, and generally underwhelms all around. Even in still camera/snapshot mode, Glass doesn't provide you with a heads up display of what you're looking at, while you line up your picture. That means photo after wasted photo just trying to compose a snap. Plus, the camera is slow to capture, slow to display, and very slow to delete.
The second problem is Google's ridiculous flat operating system. Everything is on a single 'timeline' that forces you to scrub back and forth through every photo you snapped, every video clip, every open app, and more.
The third problem are the voice commands. They're lame. I said they wouldn't bug me and I'd welcome being a 'Glasshole' in public, but after a few days walking around begging, "OK Glass..." I just got sick of it. Worse when you're surrounded by people and have to repeat yourself over and over. Made worse still that Glass responds to anyone's commands so any conversation about Google Glass would almost always trigger the unit to try and respond.
The fourth problem involves anyone with prescription glasses/contact lenses or any degree of stigmatism. The HUD is soft on the edges as-is, but add in the need to wear a prescription and it's just terrible. Blurry, impossible to sharpen, and Google doesn't offer any kind of adjustment tools. For approximately $500 you can hire an optics professional to sculpt a prescription Glass shield just for your Google Glass unit, but now you're tipping the package price way past $2k and it's already under performing.
Fifth is battery life. you get 4.5 hours of actual use with the thing. A normal day requires 3-4 recharges if you're actually trying to use Glass in the manner Google suggests (texts, lookups, AG, photos, video, music, etc).
The six and possibly biggest problem is performance and delivery overall. The real 'killer app' of Glass should be Augmented Reality. Unfortunately Glass is too underpowered and slow performing to actually do any measure of AG. Take the app Lens for example -- brilliant app that will translate signs, menus, and any other written text into a language of your choice. If you happen to be in Mexico driving around, the concept of Lens AG is that you can look and walk around the street while text magically translates into English on your HUD. Incredibly useful stuff. Unfortunately the reality of AG on Glass is something totally underwhelming and completely different than Google has been suggesting with its advertising. First, you load the app (a pain in the ass to begin with). Second, you take a snapshot photo of the text you want to translated. Third, you wait approximately 3-8 seconds for that text to get translated and then round trip back to your HUD. Not at all real-time and not even close to the promise of AG wearables.
This is tech that will become useful. But for the time being, Glass is Alpha hardware that's got a long ways to go. Not worth the time, money, or effort. Pass.
Here's a video I shot on Glass while out capturing Dragon footage:
The first problem is feature set. It's one actually usable 'killer app' is the first person perspective camera with HUD. Unfortunately the camera is 720p video, has poor auto-white balancing, a slow aperture, and generally underwhelms all around. Even in still camera/snapshot mode, Glass doesn't provide you with a heads up display of what you're looking at, while you line up your picture. That means photo after wasted photo just trying to compose a snap. Plus, the camera is slow to capture, slow to display, and very slow to delete.
The second problem is Google's ridiculous flat operating system. Everything is on a single 'timeline' that forces you to scrub back and forth through every photo you snapped, every video clip, every open app, and more.
The third problem are the voice commands. They're lame. I said they wouldn't bug me and I'd welcome being a 'Glasshole' in public, but after a few days walking around begging, "OK Glass..." I just got sick of it. Worse when you're surrounded by people and have to repeat yourself over and over. Made worse still that Glass responds to anyone's commands so any conversation about Google Glass would almost always trigger the unit to try and respond.
The fourth problem involves anyone with prescription glasses/contact lenses or any degree of stigmatism. The HUD is soft on the edges as-is, but add in the need to wear a prescription and it's just terrible. Blurry, impossible to sharpen, and Google doesn't offer any kind of adjustment tools. For approximately $500 you can hire an optics professional to sculpt a prescription Glass shield just for your Google Glass unit, but now you're tipping the package price way past $2k and it's already under performing.
Fifth is battery life. you get 4.5 hours of actual use with the thing. A normal day requires 3-4 recharges if you're actually trying to use Glass in the manner Google suggests (texts, lookups, AG, photos, video, music, etc).
The six and possibly biggest problem is performance and delivery overall. The real 'killer app' of Glass should be Augmented Reality. Unfortunately Glass is too underpowered and slow performing to actually do any measure of AG. Take the app Lens for example -- brilliant app that will translate signs, menus, and any other written text into a language of your choice. If you happen to be in Mexico driving around, the concept of Lens AG is that you can look and walk around the street while text magically translates into English on your HUD. Incredibly useful stuff. Unfortunately the reality of AG on Glass is something totally underwhelming and completely different than Google has been suggesting with its advertising. First, you load the app (a pain in the ass to begin with). Second, you take a snapshot photo of the text you want to translated. Third, you wait approximately 3-8 seconds for that text to get translated and then round trip back to your HUD. Not at all real-time and not even close to the promise of AG wearables.
This is tech that will become useful. But for the time being, Glass is Alpha hardware that's got a long ways to go. Not worth the time, money, or effort. Pass.
Here's a video I shot on Glass while out capturing Dragon footage:
