Back when she was in college, software developer Monica Wilkinson says she used to dream of "being able to carry a computer in my head," instead of carrying her books and laptop all over campus. As she tried out her new Google Glass recently, Wilkinson said it felt like that idea had become real.

Dan McLaughlin, an engineer and photography buff, has been using his new Glass to take pictures. Tech business consultant Lisa Oshima said she likes hearing turn-by-turn directions from Google Glass as she walks to client meetings in downtown Palo Alto, California.

The three tech workers were among the first non-Google employees to get their own model of Glass, after paying US$1,500 (approximately NT$45,000) for the visor-like, wearable computer that's already got critics worrying about potential violations of privacy and etiquette — even as enthusiasts claim it could change the way people interact with technology.

"The human body has a lot of limitations. I see this as a way to enhance our bodies," said Wilkinson, 36, who is the head of engineering at a San Francisco startup called Crushpath. "The future can sometimes be a little bit scary," she added. "But I see Glass as a way to stay connected, capture more moments and get answers more quickly."

Google Glass resembles a pair of high-tech eyeglasses: Its lightweight frame rests on the ears and nose, suspending a small prism in the upper right corner of a wearer's field of vision. The prism allows users to see pictures, video or text, including emails, directions from Google's map service and answers to Internet searches.

Along with a digital camera, Glass has a tiny touchpad built into one earpiece and a microphone to pick up voice commands. The earpiece uses "bone conduction" to deliver sound by vibrating against the wearer's skull.

So far, early adopters say they've received curious stares and polite questions, but no hostile reactions while wearing the glasses. Most people on the street have told Oshima they think Glass is cool.

And despite critics' fears that Glass wearers might secretly record other people's private moments — or use Glass to rudely surf the Web while someone is talking to them — Wilkinson and the others predict those concerns will subside as Glass owners develop their own etiquette.

Google doesn't expect to sell Glass to the public before next year. And the product is unlikely to be a big money-maker right away; analysts say Google must lower the price to appeal to more consumers. But CEO Larry Page has said he views Glass as the first in a wave of new computer devices.

The introduction of Glass "is a watershed moment that will lead to the Internet being available more often" through a variety of wearable gadgets, Macquarie Equities analyst Ben Schachter wrote in a recent report.

And some experts have hinted that wearable technology such as Google Glass could be the first step toward implantable technology, such as computer chips and sensors lodged under the skin. Regardless of the concerns that some people have about wearable or implantable technology, many top tech companies view these kinds of products as the future.

"You can probably assume that all the major phone companies are thinking about wearable technology," said Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray. "They have to, or they're going to be irrelevant in the next decade."