...And I feel sick about it.
I don't want anybody to get the wrong idea. I still think these guys have an amazing product in the works, one which definitely has the potential to be a game changer. But a number of factors have pushed me to hold off on putting down money on this. Rather than rehashing exactly what those factors are, let me just post my conversation with Meta on the matter:
I don't want anybody to get the wrong idea. I still think these guys have an amazing product in the works, one which definitely has the potential to be a game changer. But a number of factors have pushed me to hold off on putting down money on this. Rather than rehashing exactly what those factors are, let me just post my conversation with Meta on the matter:
META: Thanks for stopping by! Can I help you with anything?
MATT: hi!
yes, first, I love the new site
very nice
and second
I'm one of those preorders, but I understood when I ordered it in september that they would be delivered in december
is that no longer the case?
META: You mean meta1?
MATT: yep
META: Meta1 will be shipped at March 2014
MATT: so nothing will be shipped before that?
META: NO.
MATT: and those people who pre-order now, they're not preordering meta1?
also, what is this high power pocket computer? Is this something that comes with the meta 1?
META: Not coming with meta1
only comes with meta pro.
ultra thin see through optics 40 degrees field of view, for both displays, aligned for stereoscopic 3D 720p HD, for each display fully customizable prescription High
fidelity 3D surround earphones The most versatile sensor array: Infra-red time of flight real time 3D scanner Dual RGB(video/photo) Sensors 9-axis tracking
(accelerometer, gyroscope, compass) Dual Microphones The most powerful wearable computer: i5 CPU 4GB RAM 128GB Storage WiFi 802.11n Bluetooth 4.0 32WHr battery .
MATT: i see... Also, is the meta 1 23 degrees fov total, or each eye?
META: no, for both eyes.
MATT: so google glass is 15 degrees fov, and meta 1 is 23
i'd like to cancel my preorder, if that's alright
to whom should i send my information? or could i just tell you and you do it
META: Can I ask the reason you want to cancel your pre-order?
MATT: sure. first, i should say i really think you guys have an amazing product in the works
and i hope down the line, i'll be picking one up
but i think there's a definite lack of communication going on
obviously you guys are extremely busy
but it's leading to a lot of speculation
and one thing i don't want is to pay nearly 700$ for something i thought was different
META: lack of communication means...?
MATT: no updates, or very irregular ones
no sdk
no response to emails for weeks
no forum
META: I am sorry about that.
MATT: i mean, there's no real way to get good informatioin
it's not your fault
META: we are busy on SDK
MATT: i think everybody understands that
META: we will release SDK on March 2014
MATT: and i'll use it then
but not with the glasses
i mean, here's the other thing
before the dev kit is even created you guys have the next version
and i definitely don't want to buy a crappy version when what is being invested in is version 2
take the oculus rift
they pushed out that nice dev kit
very good
and once they were nearly done with that, they started working on the consumer version/dev kit 2
dev kit 2 will be out soon, and with nearly all the features of the consumer version
META: we use the same sdk on meta1 and meta pro
MATT: but aside from the drastically different fov and the hd quality, and the look and feel, is there anything else missing from meta 1?
i wouldn't want to have a dev kit that is missing a bunch of sensors
and camera features
and the other thing. is $3,000 the price you guys are aiming for for the consumer version?
if that's the case, it's not what I was signing up for
i wanted to develop for something that undercuts glass, not overshoots it
META: meta1 is for developer without wearable pc
metaPro is an ultra high end early adopter device with shipping finished applications. The developer edition is an early release of meta1 for developers to start
building apps with the most advanced augmented reality hardware as soon as possible. Key differences are a much large FOV, much lighter weight product, much broader
array of sensors providing enhanced synchronization between digital content and the real world and a distilled sensor capability allowing us to deliver an even more
ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing design.
MATT: i agree, it looks great
but is that the price you'll be selling it to the masses for?
if so, I'd like to cancel my preorder
META: no
MATT: :) no?
META: final product will have different version let people to choose.
one of them is sell glasses without wareable pc
MATT: how much would that cost?
you see, the cost is VERY MUCH a factor here
i don't want to invest in programming for a device which might not reach the number of people i am hoping for
so the question is, how much less is the non-wearable pc version?
and when would that be available?
META: I can't tell you the actual price, but our goal is to sell final product at least the same price as meta1 or lower
MATT: what is the target date for the final product?
META: still working on it , meta pro will release at Jun 2014, after that, is final product.
MATT: i'm afraid i still think i'd like to cancel. Again, no fault of yours. You've answered everything i asked, and i think the potential is there for a great final
product. But i want to see how things proceed over the next... say, 9 months before putting money in on this
i think there will be serious changes to the product that i will be developing for, and i don't really see a need to start my testing on the earliest version
META: To cancel your request, You can send an email to contact@meta-view.com.
MATT: k, will do. I really hope that you guys succeed with this. it looks amazing
META: Thanks. I hope we will be able to remove your doubts and make a product that surpasses your expectations.
MATT: that would be great. good luck
