I tried on Google Glass a few times. I wasn’t impressed. Does that mean it’s an awful product? No. Does that mean it is not useful? No. So what happened?
This week the Wall St. Journal reported that Google is not giving up on Google Glass. Google acknowledges that it was a first generation product with some rough edges, but they still see a future for wearable computing.
[Eric Schmitt, Google Executive Chairman] said Glass, like Google’s self-driving car, is a long-term project. “That’s like saying the self-driving car is a disappointment because it’s not driving me around now,” he said. “These things take time.”
I kept my initial impressions in check. I was certainly impressed with the execution of such a radical new product, but I knew the first version was not meant to be the Nintendo 3DS or Sony Walkman – some wildly popular consumer electronics device that everyone will own. It was a proof of concept that would allow Google to learn what worked and what didn’t work in the wearable computing space.
So what were my own observations? If you did not get a chance to try Google Glass, here were a few things I didn’t expect:
- The image does not overlay the main part of your vision. It took a very conscious effort to look up and to the right, and refocus. It was like someone was holding a piece of page very close to you, but up and to your right, out of the main area of your vision. You had to look over at it, and refocus significantly closer. It took about 1 second for me to make that adjustment each time.
- It takes photos, it takes videos, and it will show you Google Now cards (like alerts and messages). That’s about it. Don’t think you are going to surf the web and compose long emails.
- The bone conduction audio was very nice and clear. You can still hear everyone around you since nothing is inside your ear.
- It was very comfortable to wear and didn’t feel like it was going to fall off.
But, two years ago, when I would attend Google events, everyone was wearing Glass. This year, no one was wearing them. It obviously didn’t have long legs. It needs a Version 2. But, as the article suggests, all hope is not lost. Google sees a future in wearable computing, in some form or another.
I have had several clients express genuine interest in Google Glass-style wearable computing. Retail stores have considered it to help with on-the-floor interactions with customers (“I’m looking for X, which aisle is it on?”). Manufacturers have expressed interested in the presentation of schematics and instructions to technicians. It’s much easier to glance your eyes virtually at a blueprint than to climb down and consult paper on the table.
Could there be other good uses for Google Glass? Yes. Do you think Google learned some of them during the Google Glass Version 1 experiment? Definitely.
