Peak Productivity

[Timo_Existencia]

5 days with the Vision Pro and I've reached peak productivty.

Just as I imagined, working in the Vision Pro has allowed me to more easily achieve the "Flow" state that I need for working on my philosophical project.

The past two days in particular, I've worked 7 hours each day. Here's my setup:

Vision Pro w/ Single Loop Band ( after experimenting a lot and getting used to how the two options work, I've settled on the Single Loop Band. For those of you experiencing discomfort, I'd suggest patience; experiment. Try the bands in new ways. I now wear it for long hours without any discomfort. And I'm not getting the marks on my face. It was just trial and error).

MacBook Pro: Single Large Screen. Use Keyboard and trackpad for typing and navigation.

Airpods Pro

Primary Apps on Vision Pro
1) Pages (for writing)
2) Numbers (Very large outline of the project with over 300 graphical icons)
3) FreeForm: Over 300 Post-It Notes outlining the project and book
4) Keynote: For creating movies of the project using icons
5) Things for To Do's and Project Organization, timelines
6) Notes: saved snippets of quotes and passages to insert into my book
7) Widget App (I can't remember the name) for a floating clock
8) Music App, with mini-player
9) Better Sleep: for building auditory environments

Environment
Mostly White Sands and Yosemite. I keep immersion at about 75% so that I can see the keyboard of my laptop.

Sitting: I use a large plush chair for work, laptop on my lap. I've worked this way for years, but I suspect that with a slight incline backwards, rather than hunched over a desk, the AVP balances better on my head.

Wish: I want an app or for Apple to include Window Memory. If the AVP shuts down, I lose all the placement of the windows and have to reset everything. Mostly it's just in stand-by and the windows stay in place. But a built in memory or window placement would be great.

I'd really suggest patience with the device. You'll get the hang of it, and you'll find a comfortable fit.

 

[CalMin]

Oooh... You're really tempting me with this use case. I promised myself to skip Gen 1, but posts like this get me very tempted to pull the trigger and just buy it.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I'll also say...I really love having apps in their own discreet windows. On my MacBook Pro, every thing seems so jumbled, apps overlaying apps, it just creates a mash of information, and visually, now that I'm using the AVP, I realize how distracting that's been. In the AVP, I have windows placed all around me, but each in its own place. It's a much more organized presentation of my work. It's cleaner, and that, too, helps me get to Flow state.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Here's what I set up for my writing session today. Absolutely loving the ability to go into a world that helps to bring me "Flow" which increases my productivity.

 

[uiop.]

I did not expect that using AVP with my Mac would be my favorite use case, but it is. Incredibly handy.

 

[laestrella]

I did not expect that using AVP with my Mac would be my favorite use case, but it is. Incredibly handy.

I think that I’m in the same boat as you. Using my Mac with the AVP is definitely the highlight of this entire experience

 

[AVP_NEWB]

I’m also putting a lot of hours in with the AVP on, while trying to maximize productivity. I too have loved using this as a virtual display, but I had been keeping my Mac connected most of the time mostly so that I could use the Mac keyboard to type with. Without a physical keyboard, productivity drops massively.

An hour or so ago I picked up a magic keyboard, and I’m finally able to type properly on the AVP, while untethered from the Mac.

I’m loving it. Like the OP, I’m enjoying having my windows separated in space, so I know exactly where to find email, browser, notes, etc, just by looking around my space. This beats tabbing through the app-switcher on the Mac to jump around, because I can just glance around intuitively.

 

[AVP_NEWB]

One other note: The OP wisely wished for a way to save window layouts, which I’d also love to have. A short time ago, I did figure out what I consider to be the next best thing, might help you as well:

I just figured out a quick way to make windows appear where I want them!

I found a great way to make new windows appear exactly where I want them, without having to drag them around. Maybe this isn’t newsworthy if it was obvious to others, but I just figured it out so I figured I would share it in case it helps anyone: Steps: 1. Turn/tilt my head to look at the...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[martens]

+1 to restore window positions between sessions. With Mac window it could prompt to reconnect, then use the previous window position.

 

[tomtad]

1) Pages (for writing)
2) Numbers (Very large outline of the project with over 300 graphical icons)
3) FreeForm: Over 300 Post-It Notes outlining the project and book
4) Keynote: For creating movies of the project using icons
5) Things for To Do's and Project Organization, timelines
6) Notes: saved snippets of quotes and passages to insert into my book
7) Widget App (I can't remember the name) for a floating clock
8) Music App, with mini-player

This guy Apples

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

View attachment 2347474

Here's what I set up for my writing session today. Absolutely loving the ability to go into a world that helps to bring me "Flow" which increases my productivity.

This way of working is pretty much exactly what I had in mind as soon as they introduced the thing. It’s essentially getting rid of the need for multiple screens and creating a more immersive and therefore likely less distracting work environment. Plus, if you don’t like people looking over your shoulder while working, it solves that too.

I’d love to do this but I can’t justify the cost.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

An hour or so ago I picked up a magic keyboard, and I’m finally able to type properly on the AVP, while untethered from the Mac.

Yeah, I bought the Magic Keyboard and the Trackpad.

For now the primary reason I'm using my Mac is that Pages on the AVP doesn't seem to support adding fonts at this time. So I'm using Pages on the Mac.

Things on the AVP is great. And Freeform is a dream at large scale.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Many people seem to think that AVP needs a bunch of 3D enabled apps or its pointless. But, it's really not necessary unless there's a specific reason to add that feature to an app. For me, it's being inside the enviroment with several huge windows surrounding me that matters. So, for example, with Things on Vision Pro, they just kept it clean. That's all I need.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

This way of working is pretty much exactly what I had in mind as soon as they introduced the thing. It’s essentially getting rid of the need for multiple screens and creating a more immersive and therefore likely less distracting work environment. Plus, if you don’t like people looking over your shoulder while working, it solves that too.

All of this.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Speaking of Flow, I forgot to mention one app I use a lot.

Better Sleep: They market it differently than I use it. I can create sound scapes, mixing together many different sounds and music to build an auditory environment that's conducive to what I'm working on at the moment.

 

[mattopotamus]

I figured it out. You are the only person in the world that uses pages, numbers, and keynote

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I figured it out. You are the only person in the world that uses pages, numbers, and keynote

Maybe. You should add Freeform to the list now too. I can't stand Word, Excel and PowerPoint; they always feel like bloatware and overly cluttered and complicated. My brain just doesn't work like Microsoft products. Maybe if I were an accountant.

 

[mattopotamus]

Maybe. You should add Freeform to the list now too. I can't stand Word, Excel and PowerPoint; they always feel like bloatware and overly cluttered and complicated. My brain just doesn't work like Microsoft products. Maybe if I were an accountant.

I agree they are much cleaner and better apps. It's just an industry dominated by Microsoft.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

At this point, I am probably one of the world’s experts in Keynote. I’ve created hundreds (thousands?) of slides in it, with all manner of motion and animation. Again, I’m not using it for business presentations. I use to to make small movies of philosophical concepts that I’m working on.

 

[G5isAlive]

I'll also say...I really love having apps in their own discreet windows. On my MacBook Pro, every thing seems so jumbled, apps overlaying apps, it just creates a mash of information, and visually, now that I'm using the AVP, I realize how distracting that's been. In the AVP, I have windows placed all around me, but each in its own place. It's a much more organized presentation of my work. It's cleaner, and that, too, helps me get to Flow state.

same.. its why I have three monitors on my work computers. I put my mail to the right, what I am working on in front of me, and supporting docs to the right. I hate when they are all cluttered up on one screen, so using my laptop on the road is a chore. I actually use my iPad Pro 12.9 as a second monitor then.

But with the AVP, it's one device on my head. a keyboard under my fingers. and I am off to the races as it were. And I love that I can easily move my windows around to keep front and center the one I am working on the most.

 

[shallow_good]

I'll also say...I really love having apps in their own discreet windows. On my MacBook Pro, every thing seems so jumbled, apps overlaying apps, it just creates a mash of information, and visually, now that I'm using the AVP, I realize how distracting that's been. In the AVP, I have windows placed all around me, but each in its own place. It's a much more organized presentation of my work. It's cleaner, and that, too, helps me get to Flow state.

You should try using a tiling window manager like Amethyst!

https://ianyh.com/amethyst/

 

[Night Spring]

I figured it out. You are the only person in the world that uses pages, numbers, and keynote

I use them. They come free with my Mac, and has all the functions I need.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

You should try using a tiling window manager like Amethyst!

https://ianyh.com/amethyst/

I'd use it in a heartbeat if it were available on Vision Pro!

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Uh oh…I find myself ONLY wanting to work in the Vision Pro. This morning I woke up, grabbed my iPhone to organize some To-Dos in Things, and set it back down thinking “I’d rather do this on the AVP!” 😃

 

[marstan]

I'll also say...I really love having apps in their own discreet windows. On my MacBook Pro, every thing seems so jumbled, apps overlaying apps, it just creates a mash of information, and visually, now that I'm using the AVP, I realize how distracting that's been. In the AVP, I have windows placed all around me, but each in its own place. It's a much more organized presentation of my work. It's cleaner, and that, too, helps me get to Flow state.

I think virtual desktops in Mac OS mitigate that.