Is Sightful’s Spacetop G1 laptop the future of portable computing? The minds behind the company, whose founders were involved with the Magic Leap, certainly want you to think so. But the new computer, which has yet to launch but can be reserved right now, may have some proving to do.
That’s because the G1 dispenses with the notebook’s screen entirely, having in its place a set of augmented reality glasses. It’s certainly a bold move. Apple has launched its Vision Pro at a relatively massive price and Google’s last attempt, Project Iris, has imploded but maybe a fairly unknown outfit will provide the spark needed to change how folks use computers. Or maybe not.
This is the Spacetop G1
On paper, it’s a great idea though it’s also slightly impractical. A 100in virtual screen that only you can see? Sure, that means you can be enormously productive during the board meeting but there’s also no way of making sure you’re not streaming Netflix in 2K. Well, except for SpaceOS, which seems to be a custom, cloud-based interface that will keep Spacetop G1 users on the straight and narrow during office hours. There’s no denying that an actual screen would be useful, though.
Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, making this AR oddity closer to a Chromebook than a full-fat Windows machine. The augmented reality glasses the Spacetop G1 uses instead of a display are permanently connected to the machine but are at least lightweight. All the computing hardware, including “48 TOPS [trillion operations per second] of AI compute”, lives in the body so you’re just handling the built-in screens. There’s a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and 90Hz refresh rate per eye so using the ‘screen’ should at least be comfortable. As long as you’re fine with spreadsheets and emails, of course.
If you’ve got $100 (R1,900 in today’s currency) and a further $1,800 (for a total of R35,500 or $1,900), then you can reserve one of the first Spacetop G1 units at Sightful’s website today. There are bound to be takers but we’re also expecting to see a few very confused computer technicians when they’re tasked with fixing the CEO’s printer settings and are confronted with… well, this. We only hope we’re in the room when that day comes.