Google Glass sells to the public tomorrow. Here's how to decide whether or not ...
Tomorrow, April 15, Google Glass will finally go on sale to the public.
Granted, you'll have just one day to buy it, and supplies will be limited. That's the kind of sales tactic any company would use to pressure you into buying a shiny, new toy you don't really need.
So start thinking about it ahead of time: How are you going to use your Google Glass?
Reasons to buy it:
If you're building Glass apps - especially B2B apps - you'll want to snag a pair. This is the most obvious reason you'd actually need Glass.
If you're a decision-making technology purchaser for a business, especially a business with field workers, you should definitely consider buying a pair. Get your tech team's thoughts first; they'll have to develop a custom application for your workers' needs.
In fact, Google itself is making a hard sell for Glass in the workplace.' Glass for Work ' is the company's initiative to bring Glass to all kinds of employees, from doctors to teachers to mechanics and beyond.
If you're in the medical professions (and again, if you have decision-making power and access to a developer or three), there are lots of reasons to explore using Glass in your practice. You certainly wouldn't be alone!
Finally, if you're building or buying technology for military, intelligence, or police entities, Glass may be something worth looking at. The NYPD is testing Glass for use by officers in the field, and the U.S. Air Force if testing Glass and building its own apps for battlefield use.
Reasons to not buy it:
Caveat consumer. If you're an average Jane who doesn't like stepping in dog crap or getting punched in the face at local bars, you definitely don't want Glass. We've road-tested the thing, and while it's creepy-cool for the first couple hours, it quickly becomes a hazard while walking (into people) and a bore (you thought that Windows Phone didn't have enough apps...). I personally bought and gave away my Glass within a couple months. At that point, it was already gathering dust.
If you think this is a device that will make you look cool and forward-thinking, you've been misled by Sergey Brin. It will make you look like a robot, a dork, and, well, a Glasshole. Instead of looking at you with envy and awe, your peers will regard you with suspicion (is she taking a video of me?) and annoyance (running the gamut from 'watch where you're going!' to 'you people are what's wrong with this town!').
Alternatives:
If you really want smart specs, you have a ton of options, so don't feel pressured to jump on the earliest possible prototype of an experimental Google moon-shot.
Our own Dean Takahashi rounded up 16 amazing alternatives to Google Glass, all of them way cheaper and some of them much cooler-looking. And without the cheesy one-day-only pressure tactics.
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