Macbook Air, WHY do they ALWAYS leave up something essential?

[GadgetGeek407]

AGH last refresh kept me from buying cause of the lack of backlit keyboard, this time around no HD in the FaceTime camera? seriously apple why do you get cheap? I would have imagined an option for 8gb ram even but I guess not.

 

[Ljohnson72]

The screen on the Macbook Air is simply too thin for the HD camera.

 

[ri0ku]

AGH last refresh kept me from buying cause of the lack of backlit keyboard, this time around no HD in the FaceTime camera? seriously apple why do you get cheap? I would have imagined an option for 8gb ram even but I guess not.

Because those components would cost more... thus increasing the price to us customers and making them even harder to obtain....

And also it gives them a little room to increase these sort of things in the next refresh etc

Besides why do you need an HD webcam ? who on the other side really needs to see you in HD?

 

[Soulman]

Besides why do you need an HD webcam ? who on the other side really needs to see you in HD?

touché

 

[adnoh]

Why is the HD a necessity?

 

[Davidkoh]

I would say, why do you need a camera at all. I wish they would get rid of it, it's just ugly and useless.

 

[antster94]

Yeah, the person on the other end is hardly gonna mind or even realise you're not in HD.

 

[Ubuntu]

AGH last refresh kept me from buying cause of the lack of backlit keyboard, this time around no HD in the FaceTime camera? seriously apple why do you get cheap? I would have imagined an option for 8gb ram even but I guess not.

You think a HD camera is essential? How on earth did you cope a few years ago when webcams usually had 0.3 MP cameras?

 

[reputationZed]

Another vote for non essential

 

[zerind]

lol, I have 4 laptops with built-in cameras and I don't think I've ever used a single one of them. Hell, in the 13 months I've had my iPhone4 I think I've used Facetime once just to say I did it. I don't think I'll ever use the one on my MBA. Video chatting just creeps me out

 

[entatlrg]

Some people complain about everything others buy and enjoy.

8gb ram, hd camera, that's your complaint about the Air?

What about all the Air's incredible features?

You don't know what you're missing, the MBA is the best notebook I've ever owned and I've owned many.

You hold out for the camera and ram we'll be here flying on one of perhaps the best ultralight notebooks ever made!

 

[uzit]

I use FaceTime quite a lot with family and girlfriend on my 2011 Macbook Air and its good enough.

 

[WhoDatWayne]

I use FaceTime quite a lot with family and girlfriend on my 2011 Macbook Air and its good enough.

I agree. The existing camera is plenty good enough. I have been using it and it serves it purpose perfectly-at least for me.

Like others are saying, if you are not buying the Air because of lacking HD camera, you are missing out on a great computer.

 

[KohPhiPhi]

In my opinion, the only major issue with the latest MBA update is that there's no "ultimate" upgrade, meaning there's no 8gb RAM upgrade. I would have loved that one, and I would have gladly paid the extra for it.

 

[Hey Jude]

I would say, why do you need a camera at all. I wish they would get rid of it, it's just ugly and useless.

Agreed -- I have never used mine.

 

[Fernandez21]

I think two reasons.

1. They want you to upgrade when the next one comes out so theyll leave some things out to add to the next iteration to make that one look that much better.

2. Apple focuses on a core experience and does what they can to make that core experience great while still hitting a certain price point and profit margins, even if that mean sacrificing or excluding other features that fall outside of that "core" experience. And as technology moves forward and gets cheaper, they'll add those other features in future releases building on that strong core they've already established.

I think number 2 is the most probable reason why they do what they do, just look at all their other products. For the most part this strategy seems to work very well, though it does have it's problems, too. Just look at iTunes as they keep adding in those features it keeps getting more bloated and slowing down.

 

[clyde2801]

Oh, come on. Even the staunchest apple fanboy would have to admit it sometimes leaves off or under provides on features to give their products an upgrade path for the next year.

Exhibit A is the lack of a camera in the iPad 1.

(Betcha they're going to come up with a drastically better camera with the same physical dimensions in the iPad3, and call it revolutionary and magical. If they don't put in a better camera in the 2012 model, I'll believe it's not possible to do so, fine. If they do, you'll know that Apple marketing is calling the shots.)

Exhibit B is the 256 gigs of ram in the iPad 2.

The evil geniuses at apple marketing also find compelling reasons to upsell consumers to higher priced machines by artificially hobbling the base models.

Exhibit 1 is the paltry 2 gigs of ram in the 2011 $999 11" Macbook Air.

To a certain degree all companies do it, but-like all other matters-Apple does it better than everyone else.

 

[BJonson]

I video chat all the time with family, some have HD cameras some don't. It really doesn't matter, it all looks like crap and we all have awesome internet, 100mb download, 10 up.

 

[h00ligan]

The issue is not just with resolution, the hd cameras have a much better light sensitivity. Look at the iphone vs ipad vs macbook air. The latter 2 are basically on par.. which is to say - it's questionable they should have even included them.

 

[3bs]

I was a bit disappointed with the camera on my 2010 MBA. Still love it though and I rarely use the camera anyway

 

[Tootles]

Ha ha. Serves you right for insisting on it having a backlit keyboard - a pantywaist feature that does nothing useful and it adds weight.

 

[haruhiko]

Oh, come on. Even the staunchest apple fanboy would have to admit it sometimes leaves off or under provides on features to give their products an upgrade path for the next year.

Exhibit A is the lack of a camera in the iPad 1.

(Betcha they're going to come up with a drastically better camera with the same physical dimensions in the iPad3, and call it revolutionary and magical. If they don't put in a better camera in the 2012 model, I'll believe it's not possible to do so, fine. If they do, you'll know that Apple marketing is calling the shots.)

Exhibit B is the 256 gigs of ram in the iPad 2.

The evil geniuses at apple marketing also find compelling reasons to upsell consumers to higher priced machines by artificially hobbling the base models.

Exhibit 1 is the paltry 2 gigs of ram in the 2011 $999 11" Macbook Air.

To a certain degree all companies do it, but-like all other matters-Apple does it better than everyone else.

The iPad 2 has 512MB RAM.

 

[KPOM]

Ha ha. Serves you right for insisting on it having a backlit keyboard - a pantywaist feature that does nothing useful and it adds weight.

It adds all of an ounce and makes it easier to use in low light conditions. I'm not sure how removing the backlight would make room for a FaceTime HD or 8GB of RAM. A fiber optic cable takes up a lot less room than an extra 4GB RAM, and the FaceTime camera is in the screen, not the base.

 

[ovrlrd]

Ha ha. Serves you right for insisting on it having a backlit keyboard - a pantywaist feature that does nothing useful and it adds weight.

Yeah I am actually disappointed they caved in and added it. I would rather take the weight savings personally. Oh well, I am still happy with my 11" i7, and have no problems with the lack of a "HD" FaceTime camera. The difference between the two cameras isn't as great as the marketing would make you believe. For one thing the FaceTime HD cameras aren't really HD anyway, at least not by my definition. It is capable of 720p, but the sensors are so small still and the compression on FaceTime is so high that it's still not truly "HD."

 

[Lord Appleseed]

Meh, its just a webcam, don't need HD for that.