Google has been very careful with their Glass program, staggering the rollout as of late. From the original Pioneers to the now beta-testing Explorers group, Google has made it clear that they want to take a very cautious approach for hardware and an ecosystem they believe could change the mobile landscape.
Lately, Explorers have been allowed to invite up to three friends to the program, so long as they could afford the $1,500 a set of Glass will run users. If you weren’t fortunate enough to bribe/threaten one of your Glass-wearing pals into an invitation, don’t worry. Google has set up a wait-list of sorts.
The page is sparse, and promises nothing other than you having your name in the mix should Google elect more people to join the beta program. You’ll have to be a US citizen, and be able to readily drop the $1,500 if/when you get the nod. For those who want to be part of the action, it’s a start. For the rest of us, this is probably not the best option.
While interesting and a good sign Google will be bringing Glass to retail sometime fairly soon, it does make us wonder when, and why. We still don’t know when Glass is coming to retail, as the timeframe is vague and slippery. We also wonder why a consumer would sign up for this, when it’s widely believed — and quietly acknowledged — that the retail version will cost much less than $1,500.
For Developers, this makes quite a bit of sense. They get access to a program they are interested in, and is best taken advantage of with reference hardware. For the average consumer, waiting for the retail version is probably going to yield better results — cheaper hardware, more (and better) apps, and a full suite of functionality. We should really step aside and let the Developers throw their hat into this ring.
