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OmniVision to Provide Front and Rear Cameras for Second-Generation iPad?
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Yeah, a "FaceTime" camera makes a ton of sense but I'd never take a photo or record video with a rear camera. I'd say they put a rear camera in it just to make it look like it's ahead/on pace of the game with other tablets. There really is no need for a rear camera on a 9.7" device.
If I'm a photographer and I find myself in a situation to get a once-in-a-lifetime shot and have nothing to capture it besides my iPad, then I deserve what I get. I am not saying a camera on the iPad won't be useful.
I could fill a 64GB iPad with my music collection alone if I wanted to.
And that's without any apps or photo's, not to mention movies.
I've not loaded my iPad up though as I don't see the point in weighing it down with data, if I wanted a movie or two, I'd put them on it, watch them and remove them again.
By the time memory is cheap enough to really store everything we be using cloud based systems anyway.
I almost bought an iPhone and iPad earlier this month. Thankfully I decided to check how to tether them before pulling the trigger and found out apple deliberately made the iPad defective and unable to tether.
Out of pure disgust with Apple, I've bought a blackberry instead and there is no way I'm going to buy a defective iPad. I might consider the newer iPad if it's not deliberately defective, but my disgust with Apple is so high right now I'm probably going to switch back to a PC.
Edit: Oh yeah, and after finding all that out before buying the blackberry, I tried to link my bluetooth headset to my iTouch 3rd gen. After a lot of trouble and research, I found out apple deliberately broke that from working too so the iTouch wouldn't work as a communication device. Rarely have I seen a company as hostile to its customers as Apple.
Out of pure disgust with Apple, I've bought a blackberry instead and there is no way I'm going to buy a defective iPad. I might consider the newer iPad if it's not deliberately defective, but my disgust with Apple is so high right now I'm probably going to switch back to a PC.
Edit: Oh yeah, and after finding all that out before buying the blackberry, I tried to link my bluetooth headset to my iTouch 3rd gen. After a lot of trouble and research, I found out apple deliberately broke that from working too so the iTouch wouldn't work as a communication device. Rarely have I seen a company as hostile to its customers as Apple.
A rear facing camera can be used for lots of things.
There are Apps that read Bar Codes (Stores could use this to take inventory and check out customers, freight companies could use it to scan bar codes to track packages)
There are home photo inventory apps that let you store photos of all your stuff, like albums, cars, wine lists, etc.
There are Apps to add Photos to databases (Doctors can use this to add photos of rashes or broken bones to their patient files)
There are Research Apps that let you add Photos of Documents
There are Family History Apps that let you add photos of Grave Stones, Birth records, Death records, etc.
The contact list allows you to take a photo of the Contact
You can attach photos to emails
In Facetime you can switch to the front camera so you can show what you see
With a front camera developers will be able to add a lot of new business functions to their Apps
Without a front camera the Press will not give as good a review when comparing to other tablets with cameras
A 5MP camera can take VGA video, 720p video, and 1080p video if the software supports it. The argument that 5MP is to big for video is stupid, cameras can still take lower quality images.
I have held off buying a iPad because it does not have a camera, it needs 2.
Yes, you can take a photo with a separate camera and hook up a cord and transfer it to iPad then go to these apps and find the photo from the photo folders but that is a lot of hassle for many applications that will just let you take the photo directly.
They need a front camera to support business Apps, it would not need to be 5MP but you have much more flexibility with a 5MP camera than with a smaller camera, look at the hassle the press gave Apple over the smaller front camera in the iPod Touch. It does not look good on the spec sheets. Some people still make decision based on specs when comparing to other products.
I think the front camera should be at least a 720P camera, it can still operate at VGA for limited bandwidth.
There are Apps that read Bar Codes (Stores could use this to take inventory and check out customers, freight companies could use it to scan bar codes to track packages)
There are home photo inventory apps that let you store photos of all your stuff, like albums, cars, wine lists, etc.
There are Apps to add Photos to databases (Doctors can use this to add photos of rashes or broken bones to their patient files)
There are Research Apps that let you add Photos of Documents
There are Family History Apps that let you add photos of Grave Stones, Birth records, Death records, etc.
The contact list allows you to take a photo of the Contact
You can attach photos to emails
In Facetime you can switch to the front camera so you can show what you see
With a front camera developers will be able to add a lot of new business functions to their Apps
Without a front camera the Press will not give as good a review when comparing to other tablets with cameras
A 5MP camera can take VGA video, 720p video, and 1080p video if the software supports it. The argument that 5MP is to big for video is stupid, cameras can still take lower quality images.
I have held off buying a iPad because it does not have a camera, it needs 2.
Yes, you can take a photo with a separate camera and hook up a cord and transfer it to iPad then go to these apps and find the photo from the photo folders but that is a lot of hassle for many applications that will just let you take the photo directly.
They need a front camera to support business Apps, it would not need to be 5MP but you have much more flexibility with a 5MP camera than with a smaller camera, look at the hassle the press gave Apple over the smaller front camera in the iPod Touch. It does not look good on the spec sheets. Some people still make decision based on specs when comparing to other products.
I think the front camera should be at least a 720P camera, it can still operate at VGA for limited bandwidth.
Same here. iPads are way to large to follow any modern camera usage paradigm. I don't know if John Ive would go for a camera with a tilt mechanism built into the iPad.
My take is that we will see a front facing camera for FaceTime and possibly a second camera somewhere along the edge but not rear facing and hard mounted into the case.
(Facetime call)
"Hey mom!Check out our new solar telescope"
*switches cameras*
"Wow Son!That looks a lot better that the one your father and I got for our wedding!"
*switches cameras again*
"Yea we love it so far!"
"Say son,you look a tittle thin,is she feeding you well?"
Or just watch Apple's Face time ads to see what the rear camera is for(among other things)
No mystery.
Consider the use of Prizmo on an iPad with a rear facing camera. Being able to keep a scrapbook of searchable text, photographed and OCR'ed, on an iPad - a killer-app usage for a student or anyone in workplace doing project work with notes to manage.
When you think of a camera on an iPad, don't think "taking pictures of the family with my iPad", think "taking pictures of whiteboards in the office with my iPad."
You know the one thing that puzzles me most about some Mac people, as I don't tend to see the same thing in other groups, PC owners for example.
And this only relates to a small percentage.
The way they want to limit the functionality of an Apple device.
Yeah, sure, perhaps they can't at the moment see a need they might personally have, but to actively want a product not to have a feature seems very strange.
You would think that they would like to see the company and the products it makes move always forward and onwards to make it's products better.
Yes, perhaps for example I don't see a need for, lets say, a gyroscope, but I'd never say, I don't want one, they should leave it out, I'm going to vote negative.
Why would you vote negative to an advancement?
If it came with a cost (less battery life) for example, then fair enough, they would have a point, but if there is no known negative (like with the camera) then why would you class it a negative?
Likewise, Oh, the case won't be any good - moan.
Well you bought the case for the model you have now. If you give your iPad to someone else in the family then they will want the case, or if you sell it, you can sell the case also.
If you want the new Mk2 model then you can choose to get a new case thats made for that one also.
Hey, if you don't like the rear camera idea, then you can use your old case to cover the camera up, if it's on the back, and you will be even more happy.
Myself, I LOVE advancement, I want things to get better and better in every way. I of course have different views of what's important than others as we all have different needs for the device, and it's difficult to keep everyone satisfied all the time.
The very worst thing for us customers if if Apple gets smug, get's cocky and starts to feel it's invisible and can't do anything wrong, and sits on it's backside without offering much enhancement.
That's why it's so very great to see other tablets coming onto the market from now onwards.
By the time iPad2 comes out the market is going to have a very wide range of good tablets with cameras and nice chipsets out for consumers, and I can only hope knowing this Apple must do something special again, otherwise it will allow everyone else to catch up, even overtake their hardware.
And this only relates to a small percentage.
The way they want to limit the functionality of an Apple device.
Yeah, sure, perhaps they can't at the moment see a need they might personally have, but to actively want a product not to have a feature seems very strange.
You would think that they would like to see the company and the products it makes move always forward and onwards to make it's products better.
Yes, perhaps for example I don't see a need for, lets say, a gyroscope, but I'd never say, I don't want one, they should leave it out, I'm going to vote negative.
Why would you vote negative to an advancement?
If it came with a cost (less battery life) for example, then fair enough, they would have a point, but if there is no known negative (like with the camera) then why would you class it a negative?
Likewise, Oh, the case won't be any good - moan.
Well you bought the case for the model you have now. If you give your iPad to someone else in the family then they will want the case, or if you sell it, you can sell the case also.
If you want the new Mk2 model then you can choose to get a new case thats made for that one also.
Hey, if you don't like the rear camera idea, then you can use your old case to cover the camera up, if it's on the back, and you will be even more happy.
Myself, I LOVE advancement, I want things to get better and better in every way. I of course have different views of what's important than others as we all have different needs for the device, and it's difficult to keep everyone satisfied all the time.
The very worst thing for us customers if if Apple gets smug, get's cocky and starts to feel it's invisible and can't do anything wrong, and sits on it's backside without offering much enhancement.
That's why it's so very great to see other tablets coming onto the market from now onwards.
By the time iPad2 comes out the market is going to have a very wide range of good tablets with cameras and nice chipsets out for consumers, and I can only hope knowing this Apple must do something special again, otherwise it will allow everyone else to catch up, even overtake their hardware.
Personally, I wouldn't use the rear facing camera for taking pictures. And if I was on a walking around/facetime video chat, I'd probably use my iPhone or iPod Touch, as it's easier to "aim".
The real strength for the rear camera is the type of new apps it would enable. Not just Augmented Reality stuff, but I can imagine interactive troubleshooting (locate the fuse to pull on your car), or design (match the new curtains to your paint color and carpet), etc.
I have an iPad 1st Gen, and will most likely buy the 2nd Gen soon as it comes out, as long as the update doesn't do something wonky. (Not that I expect it, but something like a Smaller screen with hardware keyboard slider or 7" tablet screen would kill it for me.)
The real strength for the rear camera is the type of new apps it would enable. Not just Augmented Reality stuff, but I can imagine interactive troubleshooting (locate the fuse to pull on your car), or design (match the new curtains to your paint color and carpet), etc.
I have an iPad 1st Gen, and will most likely buy the 2nd Gen soon as it comes out, as long as the update doesn't do something wonky. (Not that I expect it, but something like a Smaller screen with hardware keyboard slider or 7" tablet screen would kill it for me.)
Finally, someone on this board that 'gets it'. Especially the part about using the camera for showing people what you see on Facetime. I just did that very thing yesterday with a friend who lives half way around the globe. Gave them a nice view of what my neighborhood looks like. This, to me, is one of the best uses for Facetime. You don't always need to see the person you are talking to, but being able to provide a 'live shot' is great. You can help people with repairs if you can see what they see, etc. Lots of good uses for that camera.
It amazes me how limited the thinking is on this forum at times.
Even money says that all of those who cried loudest for two cameras will cry loudest that it is barely usable - not only is the iPad too heavy to hold as a viewer, but it means that virtually every iPad case out there is redundant.
Again, yeah I'd love to do that, but the iPad is too heavy and awkward. This is where the iPhone comes into its own. As for using the camera for barcode scanning etc., this raises ergonomic concerns - it is fine for reading or typing on a rested surface or handheld for short periods, but when you are scanning barcodes these tend to be at different heights and in multiple orientations, meaning that one would be lifting and twisting the iPad all day - complicated by the fact that without a laser guide you need to be able to see the screen in order to accurately aim for the barcode, and that the weight would be even greater as the iPad would require a rugged case to workplace-proof it. There are better devices that already fill these roles.
4x? Are you kidding me? You want 528 ppi? In a 9.7" screen? I don't think anyone apart from Mr Jobs and Mr Gates could afford to buy one of those.
And I still maintain I'd rather have adapters than more connections on a mobile device as more ports means more spaces for dust to creep in.
Dual Cameras All the More reason for 7" iPad
While there are certainly a lot of functionalities you can get from 2 cameras, I always feel the current iPad is too large for image capture handling. With iPhone you can do this with one hand. I couldn't imagine using that tiny webcam with an oversized iPad other than have it docked while doing FaceTime. A smaller iPad would make more sense.
Shall we start the 7" Revolution?
While there are certainly a lot of functionalities you can get from 2 cameras, I always feel the current iPad is too large for image capture handling. With iPhone you can do this with one hand. I couldn't imagine using that tiny webcam with an oversized iPad other than have it docked while doing FaceTime. A smaller iPad would make more sense.
Shall we start the 7" Revolution?
How is it weird holding something that big and Facetiming your friends? I mean, mind you I don't have an iPad yet (I'm waiting to see the 2nd gen) but I have used it and I don't see how it would be wierd. Maybe the camera on the back possibly, but not really the one on the front.
Yes. Now this time, watch the whole video and explain why you apply ergonomic considerations regarding prolonged use of a theoretical touch-iMac to the 5 seconds involved in taking a photo with an iPad. Or iPhone for that matter.
