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HTC sold 15,000 $800 Vive virtual reality headsets in 10 minutes
Virtual reality is still in its early days, but it’s amazing how capable it is of making your bank account look a lot less impressive. HTC revealed today that is has sold more than 15,000 HTC Vive VR kits in the first 10 minutes after it went on sale for preorder. That’s not bad for an unproven technology that costs $800 and requires a $1,000 PC. This comes as companies like Facebook, Google, and Samsung are all moving into this sector.
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That is testimony to power of early-adopter evangelist mentality. Viability of consumer market is completely divorced from people who want latest-greatest toys at all costs, overriding all rational risk assessment. They remain as always a niche who queue first in line mostly for the sake of bragging rights about being first to get something new.
Viability of consumer market is measured a few years after product launch. Not by level of excitability of those who have both the disposable income and the predisposition to part with their money in exchange for a risky promise opportunity to be first in their circle to own something new. A mentality which compels one to feel above everyone by virtue of ownership-before-widespread-adoption is hardly common place with general populous.
That said - it is not clear how well VR tech will fair as a consumer electronics commodity.