Having been turned down by Google (GOOGL) to become an Explorer last year, tech writer Matt Lake was excited to get his hands on a pair of Google Glass when the technology went on sale for one day last month.
But Mr. Lake’s excitement was short-lived. He claims that after three weeks of usage, he decided to send his Glass back for a refund. He also provided Google with a lengthy list of reasons why he was sending the Glass back, to serve as customer feedback. The list is now published on Computerworld, and confirms, once again, why Glass still isn’t ready for public distribution — besides the awful headaches.
Here are some highlights from Mr. Lake’s letter to Google:
Glass prevented him from making proper eye contact with people.
“It’s called glassing out. Your eyes roll over to the right to look at the screen, and the rest of the world goes out of focus. People can’t make eye contact with you, and if they’re versed in popular psychology, they read things into your lack of eye contact.”
Glass couldn’t understand a dang thing he was saying.
“Glass’s voice recognition can be about as responsive as your average 6-year-old after soda and cupcakes.”
He couldn’t make Glass’s battery last.
“If you’re wearing a $1,500 piece of equipment laden with cool features, you want to get your money’s worth. You listen to music, record video, take photographs, and after a short time, you feel a burning sensation in your right temple… And in as little as an hour, your battery needs a recharge.”
People inevitably thought he was spying on them.
“People fear surveillance… And that’s how many people see Google Glass. People avoid talking to you when you wear them.”
He couldn’t even take good photos.
“No matter how level everything looked to me, many photos and videos I took with Glass were at a tilt… One of my ears is higher than the other, so Glass rests at a tilt at all times. Lots of folks are the same way. Opticians can adjust regular glasses to compensate, but Google Glass isn’t made that way.”
In the end, Mr. Lake concluded that while Glass might someday be ready for public use, it’s still “a far cry from having the universal appeal of most Google products and services.” You can read the rest of Mr. Lake’s letter to Google here.
