If you’re someone who consumes online media, and it’s probably fair to say that you are since you’re reading this, you’ve probably read a thing or a few about the Apple Vision Pro headset. [Ed Note: Apple prefers the device simply be called “Apple Vision Pro,” no “the,” but we don’t care.] Apple is marketing this thing as bringing humanity a touch closer to science fiction. We’re not quite at the level of Ready Player One yet, but some are hailing the $3,499 device as the best consumer-grade headset on the market. Now, thanks to the Apple Vision Pro, you can turn mundane tasks like doing the laundry into something filled with apps and such floating in your vision. Still, that’s a lot of money. Would you spend $3,500 on the Vision Pro or on a car or motorcycle? How would you spend that cash, if that’s your choice?
I’m equal parts fascinated and a bit hesitant. Imagine being able to fix your motorcycle while having the instructions or the service manual right there in your “vision,” like so. That’s great! Then, I think about all of the recent viral videos and articles about people driving cars and flying planes while wearing these things. At first, that sounds exciting. I mean, what if a pilot had ForeFlight right there without having to mess around with an iPhone or iPad screen? That’s neat! Then I remember that these are still VR goggles and the world you’re seeing through them is just a video feed.
If something glitches out while you’re fixing your car, that’s not a super big deal. But, if the device conks out while you’re driving or worse, trying to land a plane? Oh that can go south pretty fast. So, I don’t recommend operating a vehicle while wearing these unless it’s low stakes like a Honda Motocompacto or something.
At the same time, $3,499 is a lot of money. Where I live, that can buy you a fantastic Buell motorcycle, a daily driver condition Audi TT, or an entire running and riding Suzuki RE-5. Or sure, a very nice Dodge Omni, if that’s your thing.
I couldn’t tell you the exact car I’d buy with this money, because there’s only one of them for sale right now for about this price. But I will suggest other cars. You could buy and then import a rough, but running kei truck from Japan for about $3,500. You can buy an old crapbox Volkswagen Golf GTI, a first-generation Honda Insight, or a massive Honda VTX1800 cruiser.
Speaking of bikes, just open up Facebook or Craigslist in your local area, set vehicle type to “motorcycle,” and start cruising. There are lots of interesting bikes to be had in that range from Royal Enfields and Honda Groms to the occasional Harley. Here’s a 2006 Harley-Davidson V-Rod (above), one of the coolest motorcycles Harley has ever built, for $4,000. It’s been for sale for 13 weeks. I bet the seller would take $3,500 or something pretty close to it.
If you look hard enough, there are some $3,500 deals out there. So, lay it down for me. If you had $3,500 to spend right now, would you buy an Apple Vision Pro, spend it on a car or bike, or something else?
I just so happen to know where a nice looking, long time sitting 86 honda VF1000R is at for $2500… I really need a new beater car but cool motorcycles are more important
My husband needs a new beater.
Sorry Apple – I just don’t have time for VR when The RR is right here.
$3500 is that perfect number for bucket list bikes. CB1000c, Honda Grom, Honda Pacific Coast, Kawasaki Concours 1000, BMW K100. All can be picked up for $3500 easily.
Right around $3500 opens up a ton of really interesting bikes!
My jon boat has a 4.5hp outboard from 83, replacement electric versions run $3k, for the engine, AND $3k for a matching battery. If someone gifted me $3500 i might be persuaded to part with the rest.
I just gave a cherry 2001 2dr civic stick to a buddy because i thought the trade in value of $1500 was insulting, so you could really stock up on trainers.
Well, I’m a nerd, but I’m informed enough of a nerd to know how Apple started making things round about the era when they stopped using beige and almost-beige casework… and the shameless fanaticism they seem to have both for blatant profiteering and against third-party repairability — or, really, ANY repairability, since it’s not like they even bother, themselves, when you send back an iWhatever — means that I’d not be touching an Apple Vision Pro with a 32-1/2ft pole.
I also don’t drive. I mentioned in a previous recent comment that I’m formally disabled and on SSDI — which is essentially the US equivalent, for those in Europe, of a Disability Pension in your country, except that your country almost certainly pays out better! (Apologies, I’m not sure what they would do for that in the Middle East or in Asia.) Regardless, that selfsame bundle of joy — or, really, not-so-joyous titles and descriptions — also means I am a Forever Pedestrian. Whoo.
So unless I could just have the cash, lump-sum, I’d actually have the exceedingly boring answer of, walk away. If I /could/ take the cash and run? (or hobble, really, in my case) — well, I’m also a furry, and I’ve been building my own fursuit, because buying those outright is really, really expensive.
$3500 would get you something fairly bottom-end with a few frills, in that market — they are all handmade and bespoke. Something like a two-colors-with-a-white-chest generic feline or generic canine (incl wolf and fox) with a movable jaw, would be about $3500 or so, I’d say.
However, one of my closest friends, a furry artist — well, their BFF-bordering-on-partner is a fursuit maker, and the artist is also accomplished in the same field, as the fursuit maker’s assistant. I’d hire them both to help me finish mine, if I could; I’d hire the artjst/assistant if I could only hire one.
The ONE cool thing about the Vision Pro is that it displays the wearer’s simulated eyes on the front, so they’re not totally offputting. I hope folks start customizing theirs with cartoon or animal eyes.
Oh, and thank you for being one of the people who puts the work into something that makes the world more fun and interesting for all of us.
Have you seen that feature in action? I’m not so sure hidden eyes wouldn’t be the less offputting option.
Well, Apple Vision Pro could help you earn more money through the social media, digital content, and such while the cars don’t (unless they are exotic cars and you bidding lot of time for their values to go up).
Is this a question? Car all the way. I’d probably look for another r53 to play with once mine is back on the road, or maybe a racing kart to get my daughter into(my sons are a bit too big to be competetive at their ages, how many 5’5″ 11 year olds have you known?).
$3,500? I’d be looking at a used WAW, Alleweder, or Strada velomobile, which I’ve repeatedly seen sold around that price point. I have plenty of spare EV components to shove into them with which to turn them into electric microcars.
I’m in the “not hypothetical” club. Just spent just about that on a project/car for my daughter to learn to drive on (once I’ve done some things to it). But if I had the money in my hand again, there’s NWIH it would pass to Apple for this. It is literally amongst the last things I’d spend it on. I’d buy 3500 worth of rusty axles first.
Can I put that $3500 into a car I already own?
Oh, hell. Even if I have to buy a different car, I’d take it over the goggles. Heck, a new Honda Super Cub can be had for around $3500.
KTM RC390. Used of course, and yes I know I’m up against the limit, but they are out there.
AVP is a productivity tool, with questionable productivity because it doesn’t have the most useful apps.
You could instead spend $500 on a quest 3, which can do almost everything the AVP can do, AND it has a lot of games (AVP has none of the popular ones), AND it has gravity sketch, which is really interesting.
Here is a post about someone using AR on Quest3 to start mocking up a Porsche 914, and it’s wild. Think of where this tech will be in a few years.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3Byo_4xQrR/
So the answer is get a Q3, and a classic car. Bikes are death traps.
What’s the cost for 6 months of insurance on the Vision Pro? 😉
Why deal with the thieves I know at Apple when I can roll the dice on craigslist?
https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/d/vancouver-black-on-black-2008-subaru/7714580234.html
I’d flush that $3500 down the shitter before I’d give a single fucking penny to Apple.
This guy has a droid.
Hear. Me. Out.
https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/d/claremore-first-gen-sho-1991/7714558946.html
Fuck that apple shit.
The Datsun Prairie I’ve been enamored with for a while now has an asking price of €4000 negotiable. I can see the guy taking €3,245.37, the ad has been up for quite a while.
Or I’ll just take the cash. I may be a longtime Apple Macintosh and iPhone user but I’m not that dumb. Also, I may like their products but Apple can get fucked.
I already have 5 motorcycles, 3 cars and a pickup. What I need a 4 post lift to service all of that – $3500 is more than halfway to a Wildfire or Bendpack….
Or a used lift, or two sets of 7000 lb. capacity QuickJacks. Also have 5 motos, but only two cars and my ancient F150. Regardless, reality isn’t bad enough or lacking enough that I’d spend $3500 to escape it. Instead, I’d like more stuff to make reality easier.
I have several motorcycles (in various states) and really like the hydraulic lifting tables from Harbor Freight. They’re smaller than a standard lift and can be moved around as needed.
You do need to have access to the lower frame rails so they can sit on the table, which may require pulling the exhaust, but otherwise they’re very handy – especially when you need to pull one or both wheels.
Apple can market it however they want, it’s still a bulky, awkward, not particularly useful set of VR goggles. Gimme the 3500, there are a lot of old motorcycles I could choose from for that!
I’d put that money toward my next car and/or the 200amp electrical upgrade I plan to do to my house so I can get more amps to my garage to run equipment and also have a NEMA 14-50 plug for car charging and other stuff.
Honda Trail 125 without hesitation. I know the MSRP is a bit more, but I would shop around.
Im for sure getting a dual sport for that money.
M-o-t
O-r-c
C-y-c-l-e
Even though 125’s are physically too small for me except to scoot around private property, you best believe I’d pop one in the back of the truck for race days.
Motorccycle?
Goddamnit
I was so fixated on spelling it out like the Mickey Mouse song I forgot to you know, check my spelling. What a doofus.
Either that or you’re getting a free extra cc right in the name!
…nope, just a doofus
That V-Rod is actually a really fun bike. You need to be big enough to hold it down, and have a reasonably long grip though. Not the best for small/short people.
You can get a NEW Honda XR150-L for $3K though. Or a NEW SuperCub 125, for $3.5K. The best deal I saw online though, is a 2011 Honda CBR 250R with only about 14K miles on the clock. Such a fun bike to carve corners and learn skills with.
I have a v-rod muscle, I love it