I think of the AVP like Steve Jobs once described: headphones for video [0]
I use it a few hours a day, a few times a week exclusively as a virtual display for my macbook.
Being able to put a huge virtual monitor anywhere is the killer feature and I don't tend to use it for anything else. It's indispensable on flights where laptop lids can't even fully open.
Apple got the interactions just about perfect for AR window management, etc.
Of course the main drawbacks are the weight, size, and overall embarrassment from having a giant face computer strapped to your head.
I don't find it very comfortable for more than a couple hours at time, at least with the solo knit band + the belkin head strap. I'd like to get a dual knit band at some point.
But when this sort of hardware gets miniaturized I think many people will prefer it to hunching over a laptop screen. Just like headphones, wearing glasses while typing at a black screen could signal "Do not disturb, I'm working here"
[0] Steve Jobs on Virtual Reality (D3, 2005) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQECSInWVPY
> overall embarrassment
You're right, and it's also why this device is such a non sequitur for Apple. Almost all of their successful products are trendsetting and cool (iPhone, mac, airpods), this is one causes embarrassment and I just don't think it's fixable.
For privacy, at least it looks better than the alternative, the laptop sock:
https://www.instructables.com/Laptop-Compubody-Sock/
As I remember, and supported by the article quoted below, AirPods were ridiculed quite a bit when first launched.
>Of all the widely ridiculed tech products, Apple’s AirPods have experienced an extraordinary turnaround. Back in 2016, they were roundly mocked by the tech industry. Tiny wireless earbuds? It seemed like a recipe for disaster – streets would be littered with these lost headphones, which would clutter up city pavements like discarded gloves and babies’ socks." – https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2019/feb/10...
Relevant Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/51yazy/this_is_what_...