Is the original HoloLens viable for office/productivity work in 2023?
I’d like to use it for Teams, Outlook and Microsoft Word, as an alternative to using an Oculus Quest 2. I don’t like being separated from my environment in VR.
I am aware of the FOV limitations, and am prepared to try and work within them. However, it is unclear from browsing the web if the apps I mention will run on a HoloLens 1.
Posted Jan 2, 2023, 12:47 AM UTC
I bought a HoloLens 1 with the same idea and I was really let down when I discovered how poorly the web browser performed. It's barely powerful enough to play YouTube videos, let alone run any serious web apps. I spent almost an hour just trying to send an email once and I basically gave up after that. The Quest just works better.
No. Not at all. It’s best use case in my experience has been remote support and training. I have a HoloLens 2 that I am integrating into our company for remote support. I also have a Quest Pro, and the Pro is almost good enough for effective work but not quite yet. They need the MS integration they touted and Connect and they need multi monitor support on Windows PCs.
Multiple monitor support already works on the quest pro currently with Immeresed, Virtual Desktop & Vspatial. I use Multiple monitors daily within my quest pro
Thanks for that advice - alas, Quest Pro is expensive for something that I was just wanting to experiment with. I was looking at a HoloLens 1 on eBay that was much cheaper. I’ll keep an eye on the space and see what develops this year.
Not really, but you could run remote desktop on it with a keyboard and mouse.
Thanks for the responses, all!
You win’t want to wear it for longer than 5 min, forget the apps.
i have tried it and it worked fine but it is not ideal. realistically, it is not intended for the purpose. i have had better luck using it to enhance productivity with a traditional device.
i found that performance was less of an issue than needing a real keyboard and mouse. Once i busted those out, it was debatable what i was getting beyond the raw futurist awesomeness.
it is fun, not a great idea and, much like working on a phone, your mileage will vary.
Straight up, no. The hololense 2 can barely run productivity apps.
There's a reason VR is dominating that area these days and its not just the price. Your best option would be a quest Pro so you can see your surroundings.
I also don't think people more or support productivity apps for hololens 1 or 2 any more because people don't own them for that.
I have a quest 2 and a Hololens 2. And I barely touch the hololens