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Josh Miller/CNET
While many people are probably thinking about buying Google Glass , $1,500 is a lot of money to throw down for face gear without ever trying it on. It’s not like people can walk into a shop, test it out, and see how the computer-enabled eyeglasses fit and feel.
So, Google is making it easier for would-be customers to take Glass for a test run.
The company apparently sent emails to a number of potential customers saying they have been “selected to participate in a free home try-on pilot,” according to GoogleGlassFans and Reddit user clide. It appears these email recipients previously expressed interest in Google Glass.
For the free try-on, Google will mail users a kit that includes all frame styles and the four available colors of Glass. “Try out all the styles, show your friends and family, and decide which frame and color suits you best,” Google wrote in the email.
CNET confirmed that Google is indeed offering some customers the free try-on kit. However, the devices being sent out are non-functioning — meaning they look just like Glass but aren’t computer-enabled. The try-on is more for an aesthetic test run and for users to figure out if they can deal with seeing the little computer nub floating in their field of view.
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Once users are done modeling the Glass frames, they can send the kit back to Google via a prepaid label. Anyone who opts for the try-at-home program will get a $50 hold on their credit card until the kit is returned.
Google Glass is the company’s foray into a wearable computer. The device comes in the form of eyeglasses that can record videos, take photos, chat, get directions, look up facts on the Web, and more.
Up until this week, only a modest number of people were allowed to buy Google Glass — likely in the vicinity of 15,000. But, the company opened its doors to the general public in a 24-hour sale on Tuesday.
In just a few short hours, the white and by the end of the one-day sale all colors were snapped up. While the public can’t buy Glass currently, Google plans to make the device available to everyone within the year.
(Via 9to5Google and GoogleGlassFans).
