See What It's Like To Get The VIP Treatment When You Pick Up Google Glass
Kyle Russell/Business Insider
After nearly a year of waiting, this week I finally got my chance to get Google Glass - the search giant's work-in-progress headset that costs a whopping $1,600 if you include taxes.About three weeks before, Android Central reported that Google was beginning to send out invitations to buy into its Glass Explorer program to its paid All-Access Music subscribers. I had just finished my free trial and decided to stick with the service, so the news was a welcome surprise.
Weeks went by with nothing from Google in my inbox. I figured that my recent upgrade to the paid tier was holding up the invitation. Finally, it came - and I was given a choice: have it immediately shipped to me, or visit the company's office in San Francisco to have a fitting and assisted setup session.
Since I had heard that the service given at the live session is comparable to that in Apple's retail stores, I thought it would be worth it to wait a few extra days for the experience, as appointment slots were filled for most of the week.
As it turns out, it was. I've gone through a lot of phones and tablets in my time, and the in-person assistance Google gave me made for one of the best first experiences I've ever had with a gadget - it was even better than my experience getting the iPad Air from an Apple retail store when that launched.