iPad SDK Support for Front Facing Camera, Camera Flash, Zoom and Video Conferencing

[douglasgb]

Would you honestly be surprised if, with the announcement of the shipping date there are also new features?

I'm with you. It is so obvious that this device should have a front facing camera for video iChatting. Apple knew that and so planned on including it as evidenced by the space in the case. Cost issue? I think the component cost it a few dollars. Assembly cost is probably unmeasurable small given the automated assembly lines. That leaves either integration (software/firmware/battery/?) or marketing. The have two months to work out tech issues, and if they can't, they launch as demo'ed.

Or it could be marketing: leave it out. create hubbub. know that space in frame will be discovered. know that SDK will be dissected. gauge reaction to price as demo'ed, find most people view it as acceptable. keep price but add camera at launch and reap benevolence points.

 

[h00ligan]

They were not present for the same reason as them missing on the itouch.. the 3rd party supplier is blowing the supply, leaving apple out to hang.

 

[leomac08]

Anyone who buys a 1st gen iPad is a sucker IMO.

HOW CAN YOU EVEN SAY THAT! IF NOBODY IN THIS EARTH (except for the press and apple employees) HAS NOT EVEN TOUCHED IT! OR PLAYED WITH IT!

 

[Kanada]

Decline

I don't care about video calls. What I would like is a safe legal way to obtain adult content as easily as I do movies. Not necessarily for porn, even if it is for porn, it is my business not theirs. The whole idea of what I have access to being subject to the approval of some dingleberry at Apple seems ridiculous to me. If Apple intends to be the only place to legally obtain content for the iPad then they need to allow all legal content onto the iTunes store.

If they don't someone else will, or they will just use another platform.

 

[muskratboy]

Are you telling me you'll be walking around with this thing and taking pictures?

yup, that's exactly what i'd do with it.

not like, every day or anything, but sure... of course it should have a camera. everything should have a camera.

viewing photos on this thing is one of its main features... but i really can't see myself transferring photos from my computer onto this thing. i don't do it with my iphone either... photos on my iphone CAME from my iphone.

i'd use a camera alot more than the picture-viewer-of-photos-you-took-somewhere-else application.

but i guess digital picture frame is also one of this thing's main features too... screw it, it should still have a camera.

 

[huntercr]

seriously? come on... you don't want this

Why on earth would you want this feature? People keep saying they would want it, but I can't think of why. I guess so you can give remote deviated septum diagnoses??

Seriously though... even if it worked, I think you would only rarely use it. It's not a show stopping deal. I'm guessing that Apple test marketed it with the beta team and they probably listed it as the least often used feature, so they axed the feature.

Maybe someday they'll have it, and that will be nice and all, but I'd rather have a bunch of other features first.... ( USB port, 24bit display, hdmi output and smaler screen, off the top of my head )

 

[h00ligan]

I don't care about video calls. What I would like is a safe legal way to obtain adult content as easily as I do movies. Not necessarily for porn, even if it is for porn, it is my business not theirs. The whole idea of what I have access to being subject to the approval of some dingleberry at Apple seems ridiculous to me. If Apple intends to be the only place to legally obtain content for the iPad then they need to allow all legal content onto the iTunes store.

If they don't someone else will, or they will just use another platform.

That's a VERY good point. period. Porn, x rated violence, whatever.. if I buy a device, it's my decision what to do with it. Well stated and QFT

 

[suzerain]

I'm not convinced the thing has no camera. I won't believe it until it's released.

It's literally a $5-$10 part, so it's not about saving money. The OS already supports a camera, so it's rather doubtful it's about software (though I suppose that's the only possible reason). Many, many apps in the App Store use the camera (even apps that don't "need" it, like games, utilities, etc.), and the App Store is the only market of software for the device.

It's just too convenient...a PR strategy to leave it out of the announcement, not mention it, get everyone buzzing about how awful it is, and then release it and say "we listened to customer criticism", when in fact it was planned all along.

 

[h00ligan]

again, i know it's a supply issue.

 

[cdinca]

A native, always-on, skype app will be announced at launch. They can't say anything yet because of skype's current deal with verizon. I have inside information...

...inside my head.

 

[rhett7660]

I don't care about video calls. What I would like is a safe legal way to obtain adult content as easily as I do movies. Not necessarily for porn, even if it is for porn, it is my business not theirs. The whole idea of what I have access to being subject to the approval of some dingleberry at Apple seems ridiculous to me. If Apple intends to be the only place to legally obtain content for the iPad then they need to allow all legal content onto the iTunes store.

If they don't someone else will, or they will just use another platform.

I don't think apple has ever said you can't put porn on your device. They just won't support an app of porn for the device. I have yet to see anything that will block a movie streamed or loaded from playing on your device. I have also yet to see safari blocking any or all porn sites.

What I have seen is apple not allowing an APP that supports porn. Big difference if you ask me.

 

[Bakafish]

Why are you so sure it won't ship with a camera?

It doesn't make any sense to be "adding" this **** to the dev kit if the decision was already made to remove it from the hardware. It's just as likely that this is a "one more thing" feature for Steve to announce. The 4G iPhone will most likely add a front facing camera (and a rear flash) and so announcing a front facing camera on the iPad would have led to the obvious conclusion that the 4G would get it too (or complaints if it didn't.) Either way, Apple doesn't want to talk about the 4G iPhone right now, and it's not like anyone is going to complain if they add a camera to the iPad for the same price, right?

Until the damn things actually ship, no one will truly know what the exact HW configuration is going to be, so relax and let's see what happens.

 

[jaykk]

Or

They just want to test the waters out first. If the sales are slow, then they will quickly introduce gen2. If iPad is selling like hot cakes without a camera, they will continue to milk and won't show up till gen3 or gen4. This is typical apple. Apple products are drool worthy, so we keep buying stuff.

But I am buying one with or without camera anyways, since I am going to develop some apps for it.

But I feel sorry for the regular customers though, they leave out the camera which is available in basic $199 netbook. The camera is very useful for apps like PhotoBooth, iChat ( or any other video conferencing) , etc.

Oh well, what can you do, you either buy or don't buy based on your needs.

 

[jeremy.king]

Is Erica looking for the boot from the Apple Developer Program? It's one thing to "leak" out this information, but another to put it on your own site! So much for an NDA

 

[jdylan]

Typical Apple and Capitalism

Why release something great that they are fully capable of building, when they can release a stripped down version for the same price? Then, every year, release a newer version that has one or two "improvements" or extras thrown in, and most of the idiots out there will buy it, every year. Hell of a business model, really. They'll call the camera a "advancement", even though they were fully capable of releasing it with version 1.0.

 

[Friscohoya]

What if the camera is incorporated into the pixel structure like in their patent? Kinda like in the Thomas Crown Affair. "it was there all along".

 

[MacDawg]

Rear facing camera?
Why? The thing would be way too big and clumsy to be a good camera
I would use my iPhone for that, or another camera

Front facing camera?
Maybe. For skype, video conferencing, etc.
But certainly not necessary or even desirable to me (I know I am not everybody)
But I know I would rarely use it, if ever

Would I buy one if it has a camera?
Of course, that would stop me from buying one

Would I buy one without a camera?
Of course, I don't care if it has one or not

 

[SteveSparks]

What are you guys seriously going to do with a camera on this thing?
[/B]

I am going to use it with the Family to Skype when I travel....

 

[caprica]

camera censored as too sexy

I heard that apple did not include the camera in the ipad because it was just far too sexy....

 

[admanimal]

I don't care about video calls. What I would like is a safe legal way to obtain adult content as easily as I do movies. Not necessarily for porn, even if it is for porn, it is my business not theirs. The whole idea of what I have access to being subject to the approval of some dingleberry at Apple seems ridiculous to me. If Apple intends to be the only place to legally obtain content for the iPad then they need to allow all legal content onto the iTunes store.

If they don't someone else will, or they will just use another platform.

I hear they have porn on the internet now. You should try that. It works on the iPhone and I have heard from very reliable sources that it works on the iPad too.

 

[Darkroom]

there's a simple explanation for all of this: why waste a good camera on a device that's gonna flop.... *FLAME SHIELDS ON MAX*

Apple has been pathetic lately

+1

 

[JSmoove05]

Does anyone think there is a chance that they will include the camera with the first release as surprise to customers. Wishful thinking but possible??

 

[jaykk]

If apple adds the camera at last minute, it may be cause of windows 7 series.

The competition is catching up, Android growth is 10 times, and Windows 7 Series is a serious competition ( though personally I don't like too scrolly interface). Right now MS Courier is a vaporware, but if they ever come out with one this year, its going to be a serious competitor to iPad.

 

[MacDawg]

I don't care about video calls. What I would like is a safe legal way to obtain adult content as easily as I do movies. Not necessarily for porn, even if it is for porn, it is my business not theirs. The whole idea of what I have access to being subject to the approval of some dingleberry at Apple seems ridiculous to me. If Apple intends to be the only place to legally obtain content for the iPad then they need to allow all legal content onto the iTunes store.

If they don't someone else will, or they will just use another platform.

That is your personal choice
But the iPad is probably not for you then

 

[sladey]

I don't care about video calls. What I would like is a safe legal way to obtain adult content as easily as I do movies. Not necessarily for porn, even if it is for porn, it is my business not theirs.

You won't be wanting the iPad then. It only has an oleophobic screen protection.

You may need the tablet with some other sort of ????phobic protection...