There are more than a few people who think that Microsoft isn't an innovate company. It didn't invent the iPhone, for example. Or the iPad. Or search, or the Web browser. Microsoft, claim the naysayers, is a "me, too" company. In other words, someone else creates something cool and popular, and Microsoft follows, a year or two after, with its own version of that cool product. When, they say, is Microsoft going to lead, to come out with a new product that shocks the world?

Well, Microsoft has done just that. It's called HoloLens.

HoloLens is a device that goes on your head, like a pair of seriously oversized sunglasses. This headset can "paint" holographic images onto real surfaces in your office, kitchen -- wherever.

For instance, you could use HoloLens to create a TV on a wall in your bedroom. When you're looking through the headset, you'll see the TV and whatever might be playing on it (created by the software developer).

The Minecraft Demo

In a now-famous demo, several Microsoft employees try out the videogame Minecraft through the HoloLens device. The man reaches out and "touches" parts of the world he's created (parts that aren't really there; they're holograms, but through HoloLens, it appears as if they're real). It's an amazing illustration of what HoloLens can potentially do. "It's incredibly cool to have Minecraft on your table," says one of the speakers, and she's right. The mine created by the man appears to be sitting on top of the large table, available to be manipulated.

HoloLens uses its cameras to make a map of the room you're in, to which holograms can be added. An image on Microsoft's HoloLens site shows a man in a kitchen with the device on, and numerous holograms dotting the room: A soccer game playing on a hologram of a TV; a "Vacation To-Do List" stuck to a side wall; a "Recipes" folder on the pantry; a weather report from Maui, showing the conditions that day, then for the next few days. In addition, there's a small holographic house on the table (presumably the house he's in, or maybe his vacation home or a house he's renting), with little clouds floating gently above it. The effect is remarkable.

The 'Iron Man' Effect

Microsoft is touting many different uses for HoloLens, including as a 3-D teaching tool, a work tool for engineers who are creating products like motorcycles, cars and roads, and the most immersive video games ever. What it put me in mind of immediately were the scenes in the movie "Iron Man" when Tony Stark is creating his suit; he's able to see his schematics in three dimensions and manipulate them by "grabbing" images from the hologram.

'More Computing Power Than the Average Laptop'

HoloLens has a tremendous amount of sophisticated hardware, including lots of cameras, built-in speakers, and an entire computer. Microsoft states that it has "more computing power than the average laptop," and it's easy to believe that -- the number crunching necessary to do stuff like this is staggering.

Powered By Windows 10

Interestingly, the software underlying HoloLens is Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 10, which will be out July 29. HoloLens will have special "APIs" for developers. An API is an "application programming interface," which is what developers use to hook into the operating system and write programs for it. Microsoft says that "Windows 10 is the first platform to support holographic computing with APIs that enable gaze, gesture, voice, and environmental understanding on an untethered device." In other words, it's meant to be as natural an experience as possible.

Downsides

It's important to understand that HoloLens is a new product that's still in development, and has bugs to work out. Many bugs, I'm sure, given the breathtaking amount of development needed for it. Also, there's been a lot of complaints in the media about a very limited field of vision for the holograms, which don't extend to your periphery.

For example, TechRadar said in a review that, "Essentially, the HoloLens feels more like viewing the world through a portable monitor, and not an immersive holographic experience. The edges of the HoloLens frame were visible and somewhat distracting as well."

The Future Is Now

Despite these negatives, I'm excited about what HoloLens means for the future. It may be rough around the edges now, but that's typical for tech that expands beyond current boundaries. This stuff is hard, after all. And Microsoft is leading the way, contrary to those who portray it as a follower only.

As I mentioned before, HoloLens is still in development. Microsoft has yet to release any information about availability or pricing.