Why Microsoft's HoloLens Is The Next Big Thing

The Windows 10 event on Wednesday left a surprised and delighted crowd. Honestly, I don’t think many of us thought they could pull it off after the failure of Windows 8.

But Microsoft has picked themselves up off the ground in the most remarkable of ways, and with the best timing.

It was only last week that Google finally (formally) ditched their Google Glass project. Which is why the Microsoft HoloLens, a wireless, standalone augmented-reality headset and platform, came at the perfect time.

In fact, during the event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella seemed to be prepared for the comparison between the two, and even seemed to hint at hoping to draw former Glass developers to Microsoft. However, the two ideas are quite different. Google Glass was to be worn all the time, and was more of a “smart companion” that would display directions, texts messages, alerts, and photos. HoloLens, on the other hand, has been designed for short-term wear. In fact, the virtual reality headgear is made to use for very specific activities. In the concept video shown below, the HoloLens gives augmented instructions on how to fix a pipe, and is clearly a way to visually expand a computer workstation, much in the vein on futuristic movies like Minority Report, as Mashable reports.

On stage during the Windows 10 event, a demo previewed using the HoloLens and Widnows Holographic to create a 3D model of a drone, which could be sent to a 3D printer for production.

The HoloLens and Holographic work with voice, and gestures, so the flexibility of the project seems endless.