Hands On With Microsoft's Impressive HoloLens

SAN FRANCISCO—I have seen the future, and it is Microsoft HoloLens.

When PCMag's Editor-in-Chief, Dan Costa,got a first look at HoloLens in January, the device was a cumbersome, wired contraption. But at Microsoft Build this week, I was lucky enough to experience a sleek, untethered model.

The whole experience was incredibly controlled, and it was a major production, with about 100 Microsoft employees on hand. A group of nine tech journalists were shepherded down Howard Street to the plush Intercontinental Hotel, half of which seemed to have been taken over by Microsoft for the event. No photos and recording devices were permitted in the demos, so we had to stow our smartphones and cameras in lockers before the experience. We were, however, able to photograph a HoloLens in a case.

Before trying out the headset for ourselves, we were treated to a staged demo in a living room setting. Presenters Bill and Dan were having a Skype conversation that was projected on "video cards" that appeared in the air, which they walked around, grabbed, and placed in different positions. But that wasn't all: They also shared a 3D printing model and a custom Minecraft scene.

Wearing the HoloLens
Before you can wear a HoloLens, your IPD needs to be measured—that's the distance between your two pupils. Microsoft staff used the same device to do this that any optometrist would. It makes you realize that, as with Google Glass, you won't be able to just grab a HoloLens off the shelf; you'll need a fitting. Once my measurement was taken, the headset could be adjusted to my IPD. It has a headband that fits snugly, and a separate collar to adjust the angle of the HoloLens optics. I was frankly surprised at how light and comfortable the device was to wear.

Eyeglass-wearers need not fret: The device was able to accommodate my rather large specs without trouble, though it seemed like getting your eyes closer to the front of the headset would allow for fuller vision-field coverage.

Gestures and Control
You interact with the HoloLens in three ways:

• Gaze—You move your head to move the display around.
• Gesture—The key gesture is the "air tap," in which you point your index finger straight up and then move it down horizontally. It's not as carefree as it might seem, since you have to keep the finger straight. I didn't really have a problem getting it to work, though.
• Voice—Just as with Xbox One, you can tell the HoloLens what you want it to perform. I didn't get to try this out, but the Skype demo showed its possibilities.

The Experience
To start using the HoloLens after it's snugly attached to your head, you need to adjust it so that a rectangle with the Windows logo in the center is completely within your vision field. I and some of the other journalists were struck by the fact that your vision field isn't completely covered by the HoloLens, as Microsoft's stage demos implied. I occasionally had to move my head around to see a whole 3D projection. But part of the HoloLens's design is to let you see the real world as well as virtual 3D objects, so that may not be a bad thing. I did also notice some color shift similar to chromatic aberration along the edges of the box, but when viewing 3D objects that wasn't a factor.

To start my demo, my experience guide, James, showed me an architectural modeling application on a PC with a regular 2D display. The app was built by Trimble, a large architectural and engineering software firm. Next to the PC screen was a physical architectural model that James said would cost about $12,000 to construct. HoloLens enabled me to visualize how adding new building elements would look within the model. I was able to place and resize 3D objects in the physical model and get a perfect view of the redesign. It's hard not to see the value proposition there.

Next I was taken into a brick-walled room where an architectural firm wanted to add a door. The software had a model for the building's internal structure, including electric and plumbing, so I could see that there was an important pipe behind the wall, right where we were considering placing the door. At this point, James showed me the notification feature; a message popped up in mid-air from a coworker to discuss the problem. An air-tap let me answer, recording my own message. Then an avatar of the coworker appeared. It was a pretty crude wire-form humanoid, but you could easily see where other software or game developers, for example, would create more life-like human representations than an architectural app with basic collaboration would.

HoloLens is as immersive as that of VR headsets like Oculus Rift, but that's actually a real plus for applications like those I experienced. Yet it's definitely a richer, more immersive experience than that offered by Google Glass.

I will say that I did encounter a bit of vertigo while using the headset, and it wasn't something I'd want to be wearing all day, or even for the duration of a movie. But for applications like those I experienced, I can honestly say there's nothing like it, and its uses will only multiply.

Microsoft is keeping any availability information about the HoloLens very close to its vest. It had nothing to share about release date other than to say it will be available "within the Windows 10 timeframe." No pricing guidance is being announced, either, nor even where you'll be able to get one. But the progress that the company has made on the device since January is undeniably impressive. HoloLens seems destined to change the technology landscape for a long time to come.