I miss my luggable Panasonic PC. Monochrome orange screen, two floppy drives, half-card slot for a 300 baud modem and integrated thermal printer. I upgraded to a 1200 baud modem my Freshman year.
but they are limited in power consumption while on battery. IIRC the max a laptop is allowed to pull through battery is 100w. or at least that's the most anyone has pushed the limit.
Given that you need to be in a room with the lighthouses, or whatever Oculus call their equivalent, I'm not sure if a wearable VR PC is even necessary, is it?
My understanding is that the goal of these units is not portable VR gaming. You could do that with a mini ITX rig which you can stuff into any old backpack to move around. Rather it is about removing the cables that tether you to the computer and invariably get tangled up at your feet.
That however, raises a big question. For the Rift you'd still need a usb cable running from the backpack to the sensor, which totally defeats the purpose. And for the Vive you'd need the tether cable to the link box (which needs power). I'm guessing the "power connector" mentioned in the article could be used for a Vive link box, which would do the trick, but there's nowhere obvious (that I can see) to physically secure a link box to the backpack.
So... for Rift this seems entirely pointless because you're still tethered via a USB cable (why not ditch the backpack and tether yourself to a computer instead?) And for the Vive you have to retro-rig some sort of link box mount. Or am I missing something here?
The Vive link box provide 12V power to the display. The power connector mentioned in the article supplies 12V power. Other than power, the link box mostly provides strain relief to keep you from killing connectors on your computer. Obvious implication of this to me, is that no link box would be required with this.
The cable with the Rift being required is probably why they show a Vive in the promo shots.
That makes sense, thanks Chipsa. I didn't realise you could entirely bypass the linkbox with the Vive. The weight and battery life are for sure a big issues still, but for the Vive at least, you would get tether free room scale VR.
First off, Oculus requires the use of multiple USB-connected cameras. That requirement means this "backpack" thing is a no-go right from the jump. The Vive requires the use of stationary lighthouse sensors and has a maximum space of 15mx15m. So you're getting absolutely nothing as far as mobility and movement within the game is concerned, and you've traded in a cable that you forget about 5 seconds after the game starts for a 10 pound PC on your back that you're sure as hell never going to forget is there.
So I'm going to buy an $800 VR headset and a $1500 backpack PC, so I can strap a computer to my back and explore a virtual world for 30 minutes at a time? How much will the hot swappable batteries cost? $100?
I think SNL needs to do a skit about VR gaming. Maybe they have?
It's a new market with few competitors which means, regardless of whether or not it'll go anywhere, companies that can develop a product at low cost to sell for a high margin are wise to take advantage of the situation. They can sling a variety of mud at the proverbial brick wall and if something sticks well enough to earn a few dollars, then they need to go for it.
Yes, VR in its current form, is unlikely to catch on as more than a few year long fad among a small number of people, but those people are screaming, "Shut up and take my money!" to hardware and software companies. Why not take the cash?
Unless you suspend the power outlet overhead, you'll be continously stumbling over the power cord.
I'd only seriously consider this when you can clip (with this or better graphics capability) on your belt and have it weigh 2 pounds or less, along with say a 2 pound or less fast change power supply elsewhere on your belt.
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yannigr2 - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
I think this article needs a picture of an early mobile PC in the size and shape of a suitcase or something, from the early 80s.sorten - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
Exactly. The first thing I thought about when I saw this was the Osborne.kwrzesien - Friday, November 4, 2016 - link
I miss my luggable Panasonic PC. Monochrome orange screen, two floppy drives, half-card slot for a 300 baud modem and integrated thermal printer. I upgraded to a 1200 baud modem my Freshman year.Manch - Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - link
Im still waiting for a triple monitor laptop with a printer built into it. and a full size detachable KB..p1esk - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Pretty cool! Why not 1080 card?xype - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Probably needs bigger battery and drains it faster anyway?MaidoMaido - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Several laptops use GTX 1080, even slim models like the razer bladeMorawka - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
but they are limited in power consumption while on battery. IIRC the max a laptop is allowed to pull through battery is 100w. or at least that's the most anyone has pushed the limit.MaidoMaido - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
I'm wondering who exactly is going to buy this thing? Are consumers really interested in a backpack sized desktop that runs on batteries?fanofanand - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
There are tens of people dying to buy this. Tens I tell you!Lord of the Bored - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
Possibly even DOZENS!
ImSpartacus - Friday, November 4, 2016 - link
The article states that the cpu and gpu collectively put off 150W and the cooling is built to handle it.So I think the battery can provide more than 100W of power.
JoeyJoJo123 - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Pretty sweet! I'm sure it'd cost an arm and a leg, but VR peripherals are already in that territory anyways.Cygni - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
The future is just terrible.BrokenCrayons - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
What makes you say that?Cygni - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
This.Rocket321 - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
As a form factor this looks like a really nice living room gaming PC / steam machine.PsychoPif - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
I agree, if you remove the strapping, it can easily compete with a console on looks.MattMe - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Given that you need to be in a room with the lighthouses, or whatever Oculus call their equivalent, I'm not sure if a wearable VR PC is even necessary, is it?rhysiam - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
My understanding is that the goal of these units is not portable VR gaming. You could do that with a mini ITX rig which you can stuff into any old backpack to move around. Rather it is about removing the cables that tether you to the computer and invariably get tangled up at your feet.That however, raises a big question. For the Rift you'd still need a usb cable running from the backpack to the sensor, which totally defeats the purpose. And for the Vive you'd need the tether cable to the link box (which needs power). I'm guessing the "power connector" mentioned in the article could be used for a Vive link box, which would do the trick, but there's nowhere obvious (that I can see) to physically secure a link box to the backpack.
So... for Rift this seems entirely pointless because you're still tethered via a USB cable (why not ditch the backpack and tether yourself to a computer instead?) And for the Vive you have to retro-rig some sort of link box mount. Or am I missing something here?
Chipsa - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
The Vive link box provide 12V power to the display. The power connector mentioned in the article supplies 12V power. Other than power, the link box mostly provides strain relief to keep you from killing connectors on your computer. Obvious implication of this to me, is that no link box would be required with this.The cable with the Rift being required is probably why they show a Vive in the promo shots.
fanofanand - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
Nothing says virtual reality like a 15 pound lump hanging off your back in addition to the giant mask adorning your face. This crap will NOT catch on.rhysiam - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
That makes sense, thanks Chipsa. I didn't realise you could entirely bypass the linkbox with the Vive. The weight and battery life are for sure a big issues still, but for the Vive at least, you would get tether free room scale VR.ZipSpeed - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Put a neutron wand on the thing and I can cosplay as a Ghostbuster next halloween!powerarmour - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
And how much of an idiot would you look like wearing this?, ridiculous.JKflipflop98 - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
What a dumb idea, really.First off, Oculus requires the use of multiple USB-connected cameras. That requirement means this "backpack" thing is a no-go right from the jump. The Vive requires the use of stationary lighthouse sensors and has a maximum space of 15mx15m. So you're getting absolutely nothing as far as mobility and movement within the game is concerned, and you've traded in a cable that you forget about 5 seconds after the game starts for a 10 pound PC on your back that you're sure as hell never going to forget is there.
sorten - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
So I'm going to buy an $800 VR headset and a $1500 backpack PC, so I can strap a computer to my back and explore a virtual world for 30 minutes at a time? How much will the hot swappable batteries cost? $100?I think SNL needs to do a skit about VR gaming. Maybe they have?
BrokenCrayons - Thursday, November 3, 2016 - link
It's a new market with few competitors which means, regardless of whether or not it'll go anywhere, companies that can develop a product at low cost to sell for a high margin are wise to take advantage of the situation. They can sling a variety of mud at the proverbial brick wall and if something sticks well enough to earn a few dollars, then they need to go for it.Yes, VR in its current form, is unlikely to catch on as more than a few year long fad among a small number of people, but those people are screaming, "Shut up and take my money!" to hardware and software companies. Why not take the cash?
Endlesspath - Monday, November 7, 2016 - link
Unless you suspend the power outlet overhead, you'll be continously stumbling over the power cord.I'd only seriously consider this when you can clip (with this or better graphics capability) on your belt and have it weigh 2 pounds or less, along with say a 2 pound or less fast change power supply elsewhere on your belt.
Endlesspath - Monday, November 7, 2016 - link
Scratch the power outlet portion of my comment, I obviously missed the hot-swappable battery statement in the article.