The Spacetop AR laptop features augmented reality glasses that project a 100-inch virtual display, transforming portable computing. Learn all about this innovative new device.
Augmented reality (AR) is transforming the concept of portable computing. Imagine having a laptop with no built-in display that instead projects a curved 100-inch virtual monitor visible only to you through AR glasses. That futuristic idea is now a reality with the newly launched Spacetop computer from startup Sightful.
What is the Spacetop AR Laptop?
The Spacetop consists of two main components – a keyboard base with computing hardware and tethered AR glasses. Instead of having a screen in the keyboard, the Spacetop projects a giant virtual display viewable only through the AR headset. This allows users to have a highly portable laptop with a screen as large as many desktop monitors.
Some key features of the Spacetop include:
- 100-inch diagonal curved virtual display visible through AR glasses
- 1280 x 1280 resolution per eye
- 90hz refresh rate for smooth visuals
- 5 hours of battery life
- Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor
- 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM
The 100-inch virtual screen is roughly the size of a 96-inch television, far larger than any laptop display on the market. The 1280 x 1280 resolution ensures sharp and clear visuals, while the high 90hz refresh rate results in smooth motion without blurring or judder. This creates an incredibly immersive visual experience equivalent to a private IMAX theater.
Innovative AR Glasses with Precise Tracking
The tethered AR glasses are the gateway to viewing the Spacetop’s giant virtual display. These are not “smart glasses” – there is no computing hardware in the actual glasses. Instead, they serve as highly advanced display mirrors that reflect the projected image from the laptop base’s graphics hardware into your eyes.
The glasses track the user’s eyes and head motionsprecisely through mounted cameras and sensors. This allows the virtual display to move and adjust perspectivefluidly as you move your head, enhancing the realism. The AR imagery stays crisp and stable – no jittering or warping even with rapid head turns.
Eye tracking also enables foveated rendering, which sharply renders what you are directly looking at but uses less processing power for peripheral regions. This conserves computing resources to maintain high framerates when interacting with the giant high resolution display.
Designed for Portability and Practical Use
The Spacetop strikes an elegant balance between portability and display size. Here is a breakdown:
- Laptop base: 1.5 pound tablet form factor for easy carrying
- AR glasses: 5.3 oz weight – comfortable for prolonged wear
- Battery life: 5 hours for both laptop and glasses
- Cables: Single USB-C cable connects glasses to laptop
While not as compact as a smartphone, the Spacetop is highly portable compared to a giant external monitor. You can easily fit the components into a backpack or carry-on bag. Five hours of battery life ensures enough juice for most flights or daily workplace use.
The AR glasses resemble bulky ski goggles but remain surprisingly comfortable according to early reviews. Clever industrial design distributes weight across the headband instead of the front. Breathable inserts and adjustable straps accommodate long wearing sessions. In-lens diffusers integrate seamlessly when viewed internally but obscure the outside world’s view of your massive private display.
Of course, wearing a thick pair of AR goggles in public attracts some attention. But users focus so intently on the virtual screen that they soon ignore curious glances focused on the unfamiliar tech. For those wanting maximum privacy, the Spacetop transforms any public space into a personal environment only you can perceive.
Cutting Edge Specs and Android OS
The Spacetop marks one of the first integrations of Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon XR2 system-on-a-chip for AR devices. This 5nm hardware delivers cutting edge performance for rendering complex graphics quickly enough to avoid lag and match head movements. Key specs include:
- Snapdragon XR2 processor
- 8 CPU cores @ 3GHz
- 128GB UFS storage
- 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
- Wifi 6 / Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity
The Spacetop runs a customized version of Android OS specially configured by Sightful for mixed reality computing. This provides user familiarity for anyone accustomed to Android smartphones and tablets.
Since Android powers the majority of mobile devices globally, developers can optimize future immersive apps for the Spacetop more easily than proprietary operating systems. This lays the foundations for an entire ecosystem of AR software options tailored to the laptop form factor.
Who is the Spacetop For?
The Spacetop targets professionals, hardcore gamers, or tech early adopters seeking the best-in-class immersive display experience while preserving lightweight mobility. Some examples include:
Traveling Business Users
Road warriors can work productively with a 100-inch monitor anywhere without packing cumbersome external displays. The AR screen guarantees visual privacy for handling sensitive documents despite public environments.
Gamers & Entertainment Enthusiasts
Gaming and video streaming becomes far more engrossing on a wall-sized display only you see. The high resolution and fluid responsiveness heightens sensory immersion.
AR/VR Developers & 3D Artists
The ability to visualize designs, models, and applications at realistic scale fosters creativity. The Snapdragon XR2 hardware also provides a target platform for optimizing future AR experiences.
In a world shifting rapidly to remote work and virtual collaboration, the Spacetop provides digital creators, builders and productivity seekers the best possible screen real estate while untethered.
How Does the Spacetop Work?
The Spacetop runs a customized version of Android. Users interact with the virtual screen using the keyboard, trackpad, and mouse – just like a regular laptop. The AR glasses simply take the place of an integrated display. So there is no new or complex method of control.
This makes the Spacetop accessible for anyone familiar with laptops. At the same time, it provides a radically different portable computing centered around a private theater-sized virtual display viewable no matter where you are. The user experience flows like this:
- Don AR goggles attached by a thin USB-C cable to laptop base
- Power on integrated stand-alone battery in goggles
- Open Spacetop laptop to boot into AR-optimized Android OS
- View Windows-style desktop sprawling massively in virtual space
- Run any 2D Android apps or optimized 3D AR programs
Due to the simulated depth and size relative to your vantage point, interfaces scale realistically as you shift nearer or farther. You can also arrange multiple application windows suspended in mid-air around your virtual office.
It all behaves naturally thanks to the precision tracking and rendering powered by the XR2 chip. Yet there’s no learning curve – just tap into laptop ergonomics you already understand. This makes adoption frictionless while ushering business, education and entertainment into an extra dimension.
What Do Users Think So Far?
Sightful previously conducted an early adopter preview program for the Spacetop, selling 1,000 units. They applied user feedback to refine the software and hardware before the recent public launch.
According to Sightful’s CEO Tamir Berliner:
“The feedback we received has directly informed the refinement of our software, helping us get it to the point where we are ready to open up Spacetop to the broader public.”
So real-world testing by early users has helped polish the Spacetop into what it is today – an innovative new category of portable computer leveraging the immersive power of AR.
Overall sentiment among early reviewers is highly positive. They validate the pseudo-holographic experience as both envelope pushing yet comfortable thanks to ergonomic industrial design. Most agree that enterprise is the killer application – greatly boosting productivity through virtually unconstrained display real estate.
The common complaints focus on battery runtime falling short of all-day power. Rapid adoption may have to wait for more efficient hardware. But critically, there are no discomfort or nausea issues that tend to plague first-generation VR gear. This speaks to Sightful’s iterative improvements delivered through months of user feedback.
Final Words
It remains to be seen whether augmented reality will become mainstream or remain a niche technology. However, devices like Sightful’s Spacetop and the upcoming Apple Vision mixed reality headset suggest AR and virtual displays could redefine personal computing.
The ability to easily transport a 100-inch screen that only you can see could be a game changer for fields like business, design, and entertainment. For $2,150, early adopters can now try this vision of the future for themselves with the launch of the pioneering Spacetop AR laptop.
While still early days, the Spacetop provides a functional gateway into spatial computing. This 100-inch digital canvas overlaying the real world presages more advanced applications leveraging AI, edge computing
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