Slashdot Mirror
Oculus Founder: Rift Will Come To Mac If Apple "Ever Releases a Good Computer" (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader writes: It's been almost a year now since Oculus announced that the consumer version of the Rift virtual-reality headset would only support Windows PCs at launch -- a turnaround from development kits that worked fine on Mac and Linux boxes. Now, according to Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey, it "is up to Apple" to change that state of affairs. Specifically, "if they ever release a good computer, we will do it," he told Shacknews recently. Basically, Luckey continued, even the highest-end Mac you can buy would not provide an enjoyable experience on the final Rift hardware, which is significantly more powerful than early development kits. "It just boils down to the fact that Apple doesn't prioritize high-end GPUs," he said. "You can buy a $6,000 Mac Pro with the top-of-the-line AMD FirePro D700, and it still doesn't match our recommended specs."
Both your comment and his are rough! I mean rough! True, but rough.
Then again, let's be clear... In my opinion:
They make fine hardware. I'm just not impressed with it. It's definitely good for what it is. I'm pretty sure that they could do better, especially at their prices and volume. By better, I mean higher specs with regards to speed and storage capacity. The OS is fairly capable, I've no complaints there and I've used it enough to know that I'm pretty sure that they're more than just appliances. The thing is, the vast majority of people use them like appliances and that's okay too. It's what they want, it's what they want to do, and it's probably good that they have the freedom to decide that sort of thing. Having OS X is good in that it gives people options.
Due to extenuating circumstances, I've purchased a whole lot of Apple hardware. I'm not even a fan of Apple! However, I've probably purchased more Apple devices than anyone here unless they're in charge of provisioning a large company and doing the purchase orders for them. But, where it comes to spending my own money on Apple devices, I'm pretty sure I've exceeded the number purchased by anyone in this entire thread - maybe even combined.
But...
Here's the thing? I go through a lot of hardware. I have my reasons! It's not an addiction! Err... Anyhow, I go through a lot of hardware and I'm really not able to recall the last time I was well and truly impressed. It hasn't been for a while. I think the last time I was impressed was when I jumped to a quad-core system that was 64 bit and had 8 GB of RAM. Other than that, the jump to an SSD was a meaningful moment.
Other than that? I can't really think of anything recent that has impressed me. I don't notice much of a difference between this year and last year's computers. I don't even notice much of a difference between this year's and the ones from four years ago. I don't even notice much of a difference after I get past 16 GB of RAM. I really don't? I'm not a gamer so that's not something I'd notice. I don't even bother buying bleeding edge anymore. At least not most of the time. Frankly, for what I do, I've got ample hardware that is good enough. I've not had anything impress me for quite a while now.
Maybe that's part of the problem? I bought a really, really nice mobile workstation from a company called Titan Computers. It's the X4K with everything maxed out except for the OS, I provided that on my own. I paid a small fortune for it - I'd not spent that much on a laptop in years. Given that my previous laptops lower specs than the new one, I'm a bit impressed with it but not overly so. I'm impressed that it is in a laptop but I'm not impressed in the nature of the beast - I can get (and have) that in desktops. I'm not sure that I'm expressing that well. It is impressive but only because it's in a laptop - and it's not that impressive because I could have bought the same damned thing (pretty much) a few years ago and just opted to not bother - because it's not that much more impressive.
So, we're not seeing anything impressive because we're acclimated to the scene. If we could see today's hardware back in, say, 2000 (or 1995) we'd be pretty damned impressed. They're good computers, they're excellent computers. We're desensitized, so to speak, so we're not thinking of them as good computers but, really, they're fantastic machines.
And yes, that goes for Apple. They do make good computers. They make fine computers. We're just not impressed because there haven't been any great leaps forward in what seems like a long time and many of us were there for the days when we'd refresh every single year and we were impressed with how much change had occurred during that cycle. I dunno? That's kind of what it seems like to me. I'd go on to try to explain it a bit better but I'm actually a bit time constrained.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
> ...it seems to be the PC guys that are fussy about looks over performance.
No, it seems like the "PC guys" are fussy about choice, but you know that. It's tough to admit, surely. They can choose an external or an internal solution. You don't get that *choice* at all. It's cute that you try to get in some sort of perceived slight or negative remark but, really, we're not that dumb. Well, I'm not - I can't speak for the rest. I'm not sure how you define "PC guys" but I'll see if I can help you out.
Just because it works for you and is your preferred method (which it probably isn't but you're compelled to say it is because you need affirmation and you've tied your self-worth and identity to a brand) does not actually mean that it works for everyone or that it is their preferred method. Trying to claim it's about looks is just plain silly and I doubt anyone's dumb enough to fall for it.
No, I suspect the PC users care about being able to make choices. That's something you gave up when you decide to use an Apple. You decided to limit your other choices. That's fine but tying your identity to it, seeking affirmation, and attempting to claim some sort of superiority for having done so is just plain silly and childish. You've tied yourself and your identity to something you've no control over, did not contribute to, and have ceased to be rational about that choice. It is rather telling, unfortunately.
It's sad that you've got a frail ego, low self-worth, and few meaningful accomplishments in life. If those things were a bit different, a bit improved, you might not have to bolster yourself-image with a bunch of code you didn't write, a device you didn't create, and a brand you have no control over. Your choice of OS is not significant, important, or meaningful. I know that's rough to hear but the sooner you realize this the better off you'll be.
Get a dog, climb a mountain, run a race, lose a few pounds, brush your teeth, take a shower, get a real friend, go on a date with someone you think is cute, whatever... But do something, something meaningful and an accomplishment that makes you feel good about yourself. Relying on getting an ego boost from your computer is really kind of sad. Seriously, that's not a slight nor is my intent to be derogatory.
It really is kind of sad to see a grown adult tie so much of their identity to something they've no control over. It's like blind patriotism or being proud of accomplishments that you didn't contribute to. Life would be so much more meaningful for you if you actually accomplish something you can be proud about. I'm baffled as to why you might feel superior for having chosen to have fewer choices.
There are lots of reasons to like Apple but to tie your identity to it enough to cause delusions and irrational thinking is indicative of poor mental health and a frail ego. That you'd twist logic so far, just to make a perceived slight, really does demonstrate your unhealthy mental process and that sort of process doesn't happen without reason. There's almost always a cause, it could be as simple as a chemical imbalance. I don't know how old you are but if this sort of thing keeps up and you find that you're unable to control it then you might want to seek professional help.
It's like arguing over who is using the better programming language instead of using quantifiable metrics to determine which of you wrote the better program. It's like thinking that rooting for a certain sports team makes you a better person. It's like thinking that believing in a certain deity makes you a better person - even if that belief doesn't mean you've changed your behavior. Seriously, I wish you luck but get help with that.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."