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Add to SafariWhen comparing Microsoft HoloLens vs CastAR, the Slant community recommends Microsoft HoloLens for most people. In the question“What are the best smart glasses?” Microsoft HoloLens is ranked 3rd while CastAR is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose Microsoft HoloLens is:
The HoloLens is a completely stand-alone device. You can use it without a PC or phone, and there are no external wires meaning you have completely unrestricted movement.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Stand-alone device
The HoloLens is a completely stand-alone device. You can use it without a PC or phone, and there are no external wires meaning you have completely unrestricted movement.
Pro Active development
This is a current product, and is in active development. Developer devices are shipping now (as of June 2016 they are shipping wave 4). This isn't a past project - it's here and now.
Pro Recognizes speech, gestures and eye movement
Pro Comfortable to wear
Instead of putting all the weight around one ear, the HoloLens balances the weight out around your entire head with its full band. The tightness can be adjusted to make sure the best fit is attained, and the front visor tilts up and down so it can be used in even more ways.
Pro Projection reality
In addition to augmented reality (overlaying digital elements over the real world) and virtual reality (fully digital experience), CastAR is introducing projection reality in a new way. Projection reality projects light onto reflective surfaces and back to a sensor. The projection actually appears to be in the real-world as that is where the light is coming from. It appears like a hologram, except its only visible to you.
Pro Reduced nausea in VR mode
The quick response time (8.3ms) and 120Hz refresh rate combined with accurate tracking (to 0.07mm) make for a much less nauseating experience than some other VR solutions. Nausea is at least in part caused by a delay between physical movement and interpreted movement (your body has calibrated itself to a very specific delay from when you move your head to when your view is different. VR has some delay, which extends this delay and confuses the brain).
Cons
Con Limited use-case scenarios
While not specifically marketed for industry, it looks like HoloLens will be most useful to businesses as opposed to consumers. This is a full fledged headset, not a small screen in the corner of your vision.
Con Weighs more than many other headsets
Although comfortable on the head, the HoloLens weighs 1.5 lbs as compared to Google Glass, Vuzix, Epson Moverio, etc. which weigh in between 1.5 and 3 oz. Even if the HoloLens battery lasted longer than 2-3 hours, it would be difficult to imagine wearing the HoloLens for an entire day of work.
Con Developers only right now
To order the HoloLens, you need to be a developer in USA or Canada, and also a Windows Insider. Regular people can't order this yet - even if they had the $3000 required.
Con Not available yet
This is currently expected to launch sometime in 2017.
