This macOS concept drags the Mac into the future with augmented reality

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Macos Ar Concept
Macos Ar Concept (Image credit: Dominik Hofacker)

What you need to know

  • This concept shows us what macOS could look like when it moves into the 3D world via augmented reality.

Those of a certain age will remember watching Tom Cruise working his futuristic computer in Minority Report and, if this concept is any indication, we could get something similar via the humble Mac.

Created by Dominik Hofacker and shared by Cult of Mac, this concept takes macOS and turns it into a virtual interface that floats above a desk. Users can reach out and touch interface elements to interact with them and because there are no physical displays, you can have more than one without the mess of cables! What's more, you can move elements away from the display altogether – like the Touch Bar, but useful.

While some users currently run two screen setups (and you can always draft in your iPhone or iPad to give you some extra displays while working), this concept depicts different tabs or windows on a display as, well, entirely different virtual windows sitting in augmented reality on a desktop. In doing so, it could blur the line between a desktop Mac and a portable MacBook.

Of course, all of this requires the arrival of Apple's AR glasses which may or may not happen at some point between tomorrow and 2030, depending on who you listen to. But after years of people arguing about whether the Mac can handle a touch interface and whether iPads can handle a mouse and keyboard, wouldn't it be cool if the real future was neither of those things?

Who needs physical devices when you've got an AR headset and some space in which to work?

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.