New MacBook Air - No iSight not Facetime Camera

[gwelmarten]

Hi
I just got my new MacBook Air with 4gb RAM and upgraded processor to 2.13GHz. However, I have a number of questions regarding it's history.

When I look in "More Info" in "About This Mac", it shows that the camera is an iSight Camera, yet the MacBook Air was only introduced on the day on FaceTime for Mac. The OS it is running is 10.6.5, though I am currently updating this to 10.6.7. The Apple website advertises the camera as a FaceTime camera, which should therefore be 720p shouldn't it? Not the bad quality I'm getting on here at the moment.

Any feedback is appreciated - should the Air show up as having a FaceTime camera and should it be 720p?

Whats also interesting is this was only ordered yesterday, and it has the old SSD in it - read speed of about 210MB/s compared to the new Samsung SSD with read speed of 250MB/s or higher (see this article on Page 2 of Mac Rumors or at https://www.macrumors.com/2011/04/17/some-macbook-airs-shipping-with-faster-ssds/)

Thanks in advanced.

Sam

 

[jlblodgett]

The specs state that it has a "facetime camera" but I do not believe it is HD.

I don't think the HD cameras came out until the most recent MacBook Pros.

 

[gwelmarten]

I didn't think it was HD (specially as the lid is only about 2mm thick at that point) but Apple did say it was FaceTime.

Does anybody have an Air with FaceTime?

Sam

 

[gwelmarten]

Does the MacBook Air have a FaceTime Camera?

Hi
I've just purchased my MacBook Air and am disapointed that when I go to "About My Mac" and then go to "More Info" "USB" it shows I have an iSight camera, not a FaceTime camera, as advertised on the Apple website.

Just wondering - Does anybody with a MacBook Air have a system which shows up a FaceTime camera in this system info window?

Thanks in advance.

Sam

 

[Chopstick217]

You have to purchase the FaceTime app for 99 cents in order to use FaceTime

 

[ZipZap]

I didn't think it was HD (specially as the lid is only about 2mm thick at that point) but Apple did say it was FaceTime.

Does anybody have an Air with FaceTime?

Sam

Facetime camera does not mean HD camera. I would be surprised if the camera is more that 2 megapixels.

 

[ZipZap]

"Facetime compatible camera"

 

[DeusInvictus7]

What's the difference between a Facetime camera and an iSight one? Oh wait...there isn't one.

 

[gwelmarten]

Hi
Thanks for your replies.

I spoke to someone at Apple technical support and was told a FaceTime Camera offered better image quality. He said it was strange it was showing up in that system info window.

I've already got the FaceTime app - but it still is rubbish image quality - no better than my 2 year old MacBook iSight camera.

Has anyone got a MacBook Air that system info says has a FaceTime Camera?

Sam

 

[gwelmarten]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

I know FaceTime doesn't mean HD - however it should mean according to Apple better quality image than iSight due to a different camera.

Has anyone got a MacBook Air that says in System Info it has a FaceTime Camera?

Sam

 

[christophermdia]

iSight = FaceTime. Same thing, just a rebrand of the name. HD cameras were included on the new 2011 MacBook Pros. MacBook Airs were last updated in October 2010, before the rebrand, new marketing materials will list the old iSight as FaceTime for consistency.

 

[zap2]

I don't think Apple has a product(or part of a product) called "facetime camera" My Air say "built in iSight camera" as well. I see where Apple calls it "Facetime Camera", but I think thats just them trying to market Facetime.

Or maybe they are changing the name from iSight to Facetime, but they have yet to do so. Either way it seems to be just a name change without specs being related to that.

 

[bcaslis]

Facetime does not equal HD. If you look at the description of the new MacBook Pros, their camera is described as a FaceTime HD camera. The MacBook Air is iSight = Facetime since it can do facetime just fine, just not HD.

That's the quality of the camera in all MacBook Airs. Yours is not any different.

 

[The Tuck]

The only Macs I'm aware of that currently has an HD FaceTime camera are the new MacBook Pros. I'm assuming next, the new iMacs will get an HD camera, then the MacBook Airs will probably get one in the next refresh..

Tuck

 

[The Tuck]

Hi
Thanks for your replies.

I spoke to someone at Apple technical support and was told a FaceTime Camera offered better image quality. He said it was strange it was showing up in that system info window.

I've already got the FaceTime app - but it still is rubbish image quality - no better than my 2 year old MacBook iSight camera.

Has anyone got a MacBook Air that system info says has a FaceTime Camera?

Sam

The terms "iSight" camera and "FaceTime" camera are just marketing terms. I think that the camera in the new MacBook Air is the same one that has been in the MacBook for years. They have only just recently put HD "FaceTime" cameras into the new MacBook Pro. But I believe the new MacBook Air has the same old "iSight" camera. They're just calling it "FaceTime" for branding purposes.

Tuck

 

[Consultant]

iSight = Facetime camera

HD Facetime camera is only on 2011 MacBook Pro

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Is it really necessary to start two threads on a (frankly, pointless) topic?

FaceTime camera = iSight camera. They are both VGA webcams.

End of story. Nobody's Air says 'Built-in FaceTime camera' in About This Mac. They are all iSights.

Better image quality is only in the HD iSight cameras on the 2011 Pros.

Is there a difference? Why are you 'disappointed'

 

[gwelmarten]

Well, I thought the two questions were slightly different. And I'm sorry you felt the need to be rude.

Sam