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Apple used to aim to make good computers by making a profit.
Apple currently aims to make a profit by making good computers.

That little philosophical shift ends up with bad design choices like this.
 
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You can't compare image where one has a big backlight (florescent light in the ceiling) and the other doesn't.

Cameras will adjust the image to balance the light. Having a bright light behind will make your face darker. The comparison photo at the end was not in the same location.
 
The main light source is a florescent light behind the subject and the secondary light source is your screen. Did you think this was going to produce a quality shot?

It’s a notebook webcam... office environments like in the OP’s pics are likely where this webcam will end up being used. If anything the author did a good job replicating the average lighting conditions for someone on a Zoom call.
 
"We don't care being the first but being the best", remember that speech?. Saving 2 dolars on cameras?, in what else is Apple cutting corners?.
Does any executive at apple uses this "entry level" products?, or they care more about shareholders, profit and not customers?.
 
Look at the thickness of the display... then think about what camera could go in there that is still good. There probably isn't one. The display is just too thin. Open up an iPhone and check out how big the camera actually is. The camera has quite some "depth" in an iPhone... can't put that in a notebook display. It's a physical limitation.
 
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A trillion dollar company lol well at least they used to be. Can't wait to see the Apple apologist put a positive spin on this one...

As opposed to the Apple hatest spin? As if market cap has anything relevant to the discussion?
Honest question... don't you have anything better to do with your time? Or does being here posting hate pay enough?
 
Meh. It’s marketed as a FaceTime HD camera. The quality is more than sufficient for FaceTime.

The piece argues that it’s for more than FaceTime, but that’s not how it’s being sold. Apart from a quick “at desk selfie” there’s not much more most people are doing with it.

Could it be better? Yes, I agree it could be but it’s not awful for it’s intended purpose.
 
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"We don't care being the first but being the best", remember that speech?. Saving 2 dolars on cameras?, in what else is Apple cutting corners?.
Does any executive at apple uses this "entry level" products?, or they care more about shareholders, profit and not customers?.
I think i will choose choice B. And also, all their friends they recommend computers to are Larry Ellisons.
 
You have to realize that Apple probably saved 2 or 3 dollars by cutting corners on those FaceTime cameras on their Macs. This was very important to Apple.

Yah... it's so weird how for a number of years they have obsessed with every single component that goes into an iPhone... but seems like they couldn't give a rats arse about the laptops/imacs.
 
As mentioned before, it's the super thin clamshell lid that's constraining the camera. You need physical space for a quality camera and lens. If you need a better video conferencing camera, unfortunately you'll need an external webcam.

All in all, the Macbook situation is better than putting the camera below the display and shooting up the user's nose.
 
Well, just from the few comments posted in this thread you can see, how different the tastes are. I'm personally a supporter of the "tape" fraction with a small plastic device sticking over the camera of my MBP, because I don't need it. But if somebody spends some 6 hours a day with facetime, camera quality may become more relevant.
But for sure, resolution isn't everything. Light conditions are at least of the same importance and these tiny lenses - regardless if coming from a MacBook or an iPhone - can never produce really good images. So what is this "complaining" on the 720p resolution all about? 1080p from iMac Pro in bad light looks "awful" too. Maybe Apple will create a video software update to pimp facetime pictures in real time with some really really awful results ...
 
That happens when you spend all the money on making notebooks thinner instead of putting in better components and then decide how thin it can be.
In all fairness, most users care about thinness and lightness more than the facetime camera. I would like to see usage stats because I would estimate that most MacBook users have never used their facetime cameras more than once.
 
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