The Microsoft Hololens is now available for pre-order, although there are a couple of hoops to jump through for those wanting to get their hands on the device. The Hololens Development Edition itself is rather barebones, featuring only the Hololens, a charger, a BlueTooth clicker, replacement nose pieces, and a micro-fibre cloth.
Microsoft has also made the developer documentation for the Hololens available. Fortunately for us, this also provides a closer look at the hardware specifications for the augmented reality headset; and it is not exactly what we thought it would be. Powering the Hololens is an unspecified 32-bit Intel processor combined with a custom built Microsoft Holographic Processing Unit. Accompanying the processors are 2GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.
It’s odd seeing a 32-bit processor on the Hololens since most chipsets are moving on to 64-bit processing. It could be a cost savings measure on the development models, but it is difficult to tell now.
The most impressive part of the Hololens is the array of sensors that help it navigate its space and decide where to pin holograms. The headset is packed with an IMU, four environment sensing cameras, a depth camera, something Microsoft is calling a mixed reality capture sensor, and four microphones. It also has a regular 2MP camera for normal photo and video capture.
Microsoft is currently sending out invites to pre-order the Hololens Development Edition to developers who have applied to be part of the development programme. The kit itself won’t be cheap; currently standing at $3,000 (about RM12,500). It also currently only ships to the US and Canada, although it is expected to be open to the rest of the world eventually.
[Source: Windows Blog]
