Apple Vision Pro headset: the perfect reading device?

[skillachie]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Actually Apple Books is just like the iOS version and does have Dark Theme (it is listed in 'Compatible apps'). So no special features for VisionOS. Speak Screen works as well but has some issues with scrolling mode (doesn't sync up the viewport). I wish it would let you open 2 or more books, like the macOS version does.

But News app is tweaked for VisionOS (probably to make some things larger to make eye tracking easier), and no Dark Theme. And I don't think there are any Safari plugins (dark theme) yet, as it is also tweaked for VisionOS.

I completed reading a book (probably about 200 pages total) in there, using Safari and read.amazon.com.

FWIW, Kobo is available as a compatible app but I will probably just use Books for future reading. Kindle web reader is not bad but had some issues navigating back to previous location: for some reason I could not select the 'back to page xx' buttons it put up after it jumped to a footnote.

Also watched The Marvels in 3D with Disney+ (my second viewing, the first being normal streaming on our big screen). I don't know why it bombed in the box office, to me it is up there with the best of the MU movies. Very well executed, funny and entertaining.

The Disney+ app has 4 Environments to choose from: Disney+ Theater, Marvel theme, Star Wars theme and another I cannot bring to mind. The Theatre is like one of those fancy theaters with the reclining seats and little tables to put food on. There is some murmuring until the movie starts up. But it turns out that I'm the only person in there! Would be more fun if you could SharePlay with a friend somehow and share real time commentary.

But even so, it was a vastly superior experience to the local movie theater, which is in great need of a remodel, and to 3D experiences I've had there. And better than our big screen except that I cannot watch with my wife.

Have yet to try any games optimized for VisionOS.

I'll probably install beta so I can use Feedback app to offer suggestions more directly.

Would you be willing to try the BookFusion iOS app with your Vision Pro headset? We just enabled it for iOS and another user mentioned that it works well. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookfusion/id1141834096

Would love to get your feedback and video if possible.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=194

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by skillachie

Would you be willing to try the BookFusion iOS app with your Vision Pro headset? We just enabled it for iOS and another user mentioned that it works well. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookfusion/id1141834096

Would love to get your feedback and video if possible.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=194

I would be happy to. I have used it a little on my iPhone & iPad so I should just be able to download it.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Highroller

While the Apple Vision Pro headset does sound like it could offer a unique and immersive reading experience, I've actually found it to be one of the best Innovative Music Production Tools out there. The precise eye-tracking and the ability to immerse yourself in different virtual environments have opened up new ways for me to approach music production. It's not just about reading; this technology allows you to interact with music software in a way that feels more intuitive and engaging. For instance, being able to mix tracks or tweak synthesizer settings as if you're physically touching them in your chosen virtual space has made my music production process not only more efficient but also a lot more enjoyable. The investment might seem steep at first, but the benefits it brings to creativity and workflow in music production are truly worth it.

Thanks for the link, it's one reason I got one but have not gotten around to exploring yet.

As the video shows, AVP makes possible to view his DAW, running on a Mac, to show wherever he happens to be working in his music studio even larger than his physical display. Indeed this is AVP's superpower. I would not get one if you do not have a Mac.

It would be cool if Remote Desktop had visionOS version, so you could have more than one remote display in there. For extra credit, have multiple application windows. Splashtop iPad app apparently will run on visionOS, and would let you connect to different OS's but I don't know at what resolution that would give you and it would still be only one window (unless perhaps you can run more than one instance on iPad?). Microsoft Remote Desktop is an iPad app but is not available on visionOS. But what is needed is a native visionOS remote desktop app to take full advantage of the platform.

Not music production but forScore (sheet music app) now has a visionOS native version. I tried using Cue (also visionOS native) with my iPad but it wasn't working right.

[skillachie]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I would be happy to. I have used it a little on my iPhone & iPad so I should just be able to download it.

Thank you! Another reader also just posted a video:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BookFusion/...he_vision_pro/

[tomsem]

I couldn’t login for some reason. I haven’t had a chance to try again after changing my password.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I couldn’t login for some reason. I haven’t had a chance to try again after changing my password.

Finally got logged in and set things up. It's working well so far, at least for basic reading tasks. Have not tried doing highlights, notes, dictionary lookup etc but just starting out.

My AVP skills need some work too, to avoid accidental text selection and stuff like that.

One small thing: I prefer pure black background with white text for reading, and the closest BookFusion has to this is a dark grey background. Apple Books has a pure black background. So does Kindle should it ever make it to visionOS.

The initial app window size was too large for me (2 column landscape), but it is easy enough to adjust.

I do not like 2 page spreads in general, unless it is fixed layout content that is designed for it, so I switched to portrait and reduced app window size so it was more comfortable. The initial margin settings were too narrow as well, almost zero. So far I'm using mostly scrolling mode.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Merrick

fter changing your password, give it another try. Hopefully, that resolves the problem!

As I said in my later post, I changed password and was able to log in.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I do not like 2 page spreads in general, unless it is fixed layout content that is designed for it, so I switched to portrait and reduced app window size so it was more comfortable. The initial margin settings were too narrow as well, almost zero. So far I'm using mostly scrolling mode.

I generally don’t enjoy two-page spreads on my iPad either, but it occurs to me that the Apple Vision Pro would be the perfect test case for such a format. After all, it could reproduce a 3D book in front of you with page curvature that would simulate the real thing better than anything an iPad could do.

If the CPU could handle it, you could even flip through pages and scan the content quickly the way we do with real books that ebooks have never quite matched.

It’s been a month or so since you set things up. How’s it going?

[shanghaichica]

Originally Posted by HLS

I hear its $3,000. Who is going to spend that kind of money lol

Not me. I have a meta quest and don’t even use that all that much. However for the price I paid it’s worth it. I wouldn’t pay 3K for a headset that I’m just not going to use.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Cootey

I generally don’t enjoy two-page spreads on my iPad either, but it occurs to me that the Apple Vision Pro would be the perfect test case for such a format. After all, it could reproduce a 3D book in front of you with page curvature that would simulate the real thing better than anything an iPad could do.

If the CPU could handle it, you could even flip through pages and scan the content quickly the way we do with real books that ebooks have never quite matched.

It’s been a month or so since you set things up. How’s it going?

I have been busy with other things, and have not been spending a lot of time with the AVP, or even reading as much as I normally would.

At least until someone develops a reading app with a 3D book mode, and I have a chance to try it, it strikes me as unappealing, even as a novelty.

I really do not miss being able to 'flip through pages' as with physical books. Many reading apps do have ways of doing this, even on eReaders. Kindle for example lets you drag scroller and shows page previews as you pause. It's pretty fast on Kindle devices, and instantaneous with the Kindle apps.

I do plan to do more reading with AVP in the future. Out of the box, it provides a more distraction free reading and customizable reading environment that you can enjoy anywhere. There is a little friction to get it into reading mode, but I've been leaving it in standby mode (plugged into power) and there's a 3rd party utility that lets you re-launch a given set of apps when AVP starts up (surely that will be built in at some point, like it is on macOS?).

But I would like to see a reading app that let you dictate notes as you are reading (visually select a word and begin speaking), have that transcribed in background and have the transcription attached at that location, and ideally have both voice recording and transcription sync to the reading app running on other platforms.

It's too hard to type with the virtual keyboard, and while you can have a Magic Keyboard paired, it should not be required. Voice is a more natural way to enter text, and even if you could type, typing shifts your attention way from reading much more than speaking does. I'm looking for a more seamless reading experience that can also capture running commentary in a natural way.

Of course you could also do this for computer and tablet reading apps, but the motivation to do so is stronger in a virtual environment where voice input is a better fit.

Another thing: I want a reading app that lets you have more than one book open and in its own window (I suppose tabbed windows could be an option in addition to that). This should be a baseline feature whenever the platform supports multiple document apps.

For some reason nobody has done one even for iPadOS, which has long supported multiple document apps. Apple Books does, but only on macOS. You have to use two apps, or read in a browser that supports MDI, like Safari.

Of course, I think it unlikely anyone will develop visionOS specific features for reading apps any time soon. But one can dream.