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New Displays at MacWorld?
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True, but they're no iSight!
(Yes, that was meant to be an Apple-biased comment...)
Psssh...we know that everyone at MR falls in the "I can't believe Apple is doing something that stupid...please send me two" category.
I have been waiting for the reintroduction of iSight to Europe for MONTHS.
Being worse is not even the main problem. The main issue is that the only webcam that works with all the software is the iSight.
Being worse is not even the main problem. The main issue is that the only webcam that works with all the software is the iSight.
Good - they need to slim down the display a little anyway. The current one looks pretty good but too much border around the viewable area, etc. Also, maybe the new displays will match the look of the new headless ~ $1000 Mac I hope they introduce. The Mac Mini is too small to add drives, etc. and the Mac Pro is too expensive. As for the iSight - Yea, integrate them into the display, but still offer an external iSight for users with old Apple displays or with third party displays.
Or a third party vendor will pick up the market and free Apple from having to engineer, package and sell this item.
I think it's possible they could integrate the iSight into the Cinema Displays and also offer a smaller improved standalone iSight. But I have not intention to by a Cinema Display anytime soon so my opinion doesn't matter much.
I think this is on the money. The built-in iSight is nice, but it's fun to carry around my G4 PowerBook and point the external camera at whatever. I've been showing off my new baby daughter to my family on the other side of the world for the past few weeks, and since she sleeps/pukes most of the time it's a good idea to bring the camera to her, rather than vice versa.
Bad Move
Apple displays are professional displays. How many pros would even use this web cam? It would increase the cost of the displays for everyone that doesn't want it. What if you duel or triple Apple displays on your workspace? You would have useless web cams on the other displays. I really hope they make a new standalone iSight.
But I would never buy an Apple display because they are overpriced and under-featured. Dell has the best displays for the price. Unless Apple does some amazing things with the new displays, I won't be interested.
Apple displays are professional displays. How many pros would even use this web cam? It would increase the cost of the displays for everyone that doesn't want it. What if you duel or triple Apple displays on your workspace? You would have useless web cams on the other displays. I really hope they make a new standalone iSight.
But I would never buy an Apple display because they are overpriced and under-featured. Dell has the best displays for the price. Unless Apple does some amazing things with the new displays, I won't be interested.
The deal with lead content
It's a stupid rule, but for now, most governing bodies measure hazardous substance content as a percentage of the shipping weight of the product. Therefore, it's entirely feasible that a standalone iSight, weighing 1/2 pound, would not pass the test, while a 10 pound monitor with a built-in iSight, even with potentially more lead in it, would be fine.
It's a stupid rule, but for now, most governing bodies measure hazardous substance content as a percentage of the shipping weight of the product. Therefore, it's entirely feasible that a standalone iSight, weighing 1/2 pound, would not pass the test, while a 10 pound monitor with a built-in iSight, even with potentially more lead in it, would be fine.
Um, not quite. The existing model can still be sold in the USA and elsewhere, so they're losing sales by not having *anything* available right now.
What I really see as the bigger problem is that this is one more example of where Apple is writing themselves out of the business market.
We've already seen mention about how some businesses specifically disallow webcams to be brought into their offices (I'm in one such office), which means that even if I could have tap-danced around our "Must buy Dell" mandate as well as the "Must run Windows" (aha! boot camp), the built-in camera becomes one more stake in the coffin.
FWIW, the same also applies for Apple not having chosen the full width PC card in their laptops, which means no internal SmartCard/CAC reader in a Mac laptop, which is now required for secure network log-in by my employer.
Overall, while I recognize that Apple is still focusing on the consumer market, to be moving in a direction *opposite* of facilitating major businesses to ever consider their hardware is pretty much a guarenteed way to keep Apple out of the Office.
-hh
PS: Thanks to whoever put up the URL link of http://www.ecamm.com/mac/imagewebcam/
If I heard correctly, the iSight in current MacBooks & iMacs use USB, so IR probably would, too. So there will probably be 4 cables: power, DVI, USB & Firewire (1 each). Kind of a lot, but I also heard all 4 are in 1 cable until the very end of it.
The stand alone has its uses...
#1 there could be some privacy issues, when adding isights to all screens. Some offices, have strict privacy rules. Medical records, accounting records, industrial espionage, etc...
#2 I cant afford an apple screen, but my isight works fine w/my 20inch samsung.
#3 If its on a screen i cant use it as a cheap vidcam hooked up to a laptop w/quicktime broadcaster. If I want to show something in the room to someone I'm conferencing with its easy to move or manipulate the stand alone isight to get different angles. Now I would have to move the screen?
Many screens out there have built in card readers, and other video ports. I would rather see that than a built in isight.
All in all, this only gives me another reason, not to buy an apple display.
#1 there could be some privacy issues, when adding isights to all screens. Some offices, have strict privacy rules. Medical records, accounting records, industrial espionage, etc...
#2 I cant afford an apple screen, but my isight works fine w/my 20inch samsung.
#3 If its on a screen i cant use it as a cheap vidcam hooked up to a laptop w/quicktime broadcaster. If I want to show something in the room to someone I'm conferencing with its easy to move or manipulate the stand alone isight to get different angles. Now I would have to move the screen?
Many screens out there have built in card readers, and other video ports. I would rather see that than a built in isight.
All in all, this only gives me another reason, not to buy an apple display.
Any chance that we will see Mac Pros refreshed to go with the new cinema displays?
nope.
Maybe after MWSF.
It's still only 15fps.... that's where isight takes off past most webcams, 30fps full motion video. The half frame rate jumpy just isn't worth it, And... it's ugly.
Uh, that's why I have one. I use it several times a week.
You need to get out more, get away from your PC and meet some real people. So you can then go home and chat w/ them using an isight
Could you buy them now and return them for exchange when the new ones are released?
Crap!
Man... I'm waiting anxiously for any rumor on Cinema Displays the last couple of weeks! This morning I got fed up with waiting and bought a 23" off the shelve... and now this!!!
However I don't really like the look of the new 'web-cam-happy' products in Apple's gamma.
Man... I'm waiting anxiously for any rumor on Cinema Displays the last couple of weeks! This morning I got fed up with waiting and bought a 23" off the shelve... and now this!!!
However I don't really like the look of the new 'web-cam-happy' products in Apple's gamma.