Yes, Hololens is a complete computer in a headset including CPU, memory, graphics chip, battery, screen, etc.

Also - Devkits are not retail hardware, they are frequently more expensive then the retail version of the equivalent system (like Hodgman pointed out for game consoles).

I fully expect Hololens to be cheaper than $3k at launch, but I imagine it's still going to cost as much as a good mid-range laptop.

If hololens contains a CPU, etc, $3k is pretty cheap. A devkit for any games console ever has always been about $10k. When you've got 20 coders and want to put a devkit on every desk, that's a $200000 bill...

The point is that they're not pitching it as a gaming device. They've even said so.

Ultimately, I think AR is a much bigger market than VR. We already have limited forms of AR (the google translate app is amazing, and yes, it actually works this well).

Spidi is right, VR is primarily game focused, but AR has a much wider range of applications.

AR is going to be the #1 INFOTAINMENT focused piece of tech.
Info-communication, work environment assistance, social networking, news, navigation, commercials etc...

O man, since they unveiled the hololens i've seen so many potential uses outside of gaming. just construction alone, imagine being able to see the layout of the frame of a house projected onto the slab, potentially a virtual tape measure, or even level. no extra tools, always able to see exactly how square and level something is. the potential is there imo for revolutionizing alot of industry's if the hololens can be as capable as microsoft is claiming it is(and of course developers are able to fully realize this.)

Shameless plug: Everyone should get an Oculus Rift so that you can play my game! I recorded this high res video this afternoon. (11:23)

AR is going to be the #1 INFOTAINMENT focused piece of tech.
Info-communication, work environment assistance, social networking, news, navigation, commercials etc...

O man, since they unveiled the hololens i've seen so many potential uses outside of gaming. just construction alone, imagine being able to see the layout of the frame of a house projected onto the slab, potentially a virtual tape measure, or even level. no extra tools, always able to see exactly how square and level something is. the potential is there imo for revolutionizing alot of industry's if the hololens can be as capable as microsoft is claiming it is(and of course developers are able to fully realize this.)

You don't even need hololens. One car manufacturer showed an AR car manual for phones at CES this year. You just point the phone at your car's engine or dashboard and it overlays icons and text on the various parts and lights which you can touch to get more information. They also showed things like having the app walk you through simple tasks like checking your oil as an overlay on the phone's screen.

(Of course the one problem with that is I wouldn't want to get oil on my phone )

The point is that they're not pitching it as a gaming device. They've even said so.

Ultimately, I think AR is a much bigger market than VR. We already have limited forms of AR (the google translate app is amazing, and yes, it actually works this well).
Spidi is right, VR is primarily game focused, but AR has a much wider range of applications.

100% this. After all, google cardboard already saved a baby's life http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/health/google-cardboard-baby-saved/

Who knows what a more robust solution can do.

You don't even need hololens. One car manufacturer showed an AR car manual for phones at CES this year. You just point the phone at your car's engine or dashboard and it overlays icons and text on the various parts and lights which you can touch to get more information. They also showed things like having the app walk you through simple tasks like checking your oil as an overlay on the phone's screen.

(Of course the one problem with that is I wouldn't want to get oil on my phone )

An industrial setup I was in about a year ago had little mounting brackets all over everything so that techs could easily move a swing arm holding their tablet-manual around. I could see something like that becoming a new selling point on cars.

100% this. After all, google cardboard already saved a baby's life http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/health/google-cardboard-baby-saved/

What a useless article, and especially title.

I highly doubt the google cardboard was in any way instrumental. There was no real need for the doctor to view the images using google cardboard, and he could probably do a better job using a high resolution monitor.

Must be a hundred other tools that was much more important in saving that babys life.

I smell planted PR article...

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure VR and especially AR will see great uses in medicine, but not like that...

As far as Google and Facebook (i.e. Oculus) are concerned, VR is a communication technology, and gamers just happen to be the cashed up and excitable early adopters to launch via.

On the GearVR store, they already segregate games from 'apps' and 'experiences'. They're making mass-maket devices, not gaming peripherals. Their 10 year plan probably involves maintaining market share with gamers, but also getting your grandma to send her racist rants via VR video call rather than email.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/01/htc-says-vive-preorders-to-start-on-february-29-with-shipping-in-april/

If X-Plane should not support that, I might wait for cheaper solutions which surely will come later.