New photo of Job's iPad camera

[peterdevries]

I can't believe people are expending so much energy on trying to conjure a feature on a device which quitely honestly they wouldn't use much in the first place.

I have had a netbook for a YEAR and I've fired the camera up exactly once to see if it worked or not. Trust me guys... you AREN'T going to miss the camera when it's not there. And it's NOT going to be there.

I can't speak for everyone like you do , but I agree. I thought that the fact there is no camera is a pity, and that that would be a reason to be wait for rev. 2 and be disappointed again. Then I realized that to me it would actually just be a gimmick. Cameras are cool, bot not on the front of a device that is too big to use as a photo or videocamera.

No point in shelling out extra money or waiting for a bit of Skype or iChat functionality that I rarely use..

 

[cjbryce]

I can't speak for everyone like you do , but I agree. I thought that the fact there is no camera is a pity, and that that would be a reason to be wait for rev. 2 and be disappointed again. Then I realized that to me it would actually just be a gimmick. Cameras are cool, bot not on the front of a device that is too big to use as a photo or videocamera.

No point in shelling out extra money or waiting for a bit of Skype or iChat functionality that I rarely use..

But then, there may be a number of potential buyers for whom the lack camera for Skype/iChat is a deal breaker. Like me.

There's the real issue - we have no access to Apple's market research, which may show that a camera is either of no use or is only a nice-to-have for most people so they will wait until version 2. OTOH it may show that a camera is essential for securing maximum sales potential. We simply do not know.

What we can do is speculate feverishly. IMO (and it is, perforce, an uninformed one) is that there will be no camera in V1 but it will be there in V2.

 

[iWoz]

So, where is a better one?

Otherwise, if this forum is hostile to newbies then I won't contribute in the future. I usually receive respect for my work.

+1 Ignore the negative comments, You will find alot of that on the forum. I guess some people just thing it's "cool" to be the opposite.

But I do agree with you it does look quite interesting!!

 

[UltimateSyn]

I believe you.
Here's my supporting evidence:

• At 9:04 in the video he takes a cover off of one iPad from the table and shows it to us
• You can clearly see, as your picture demonstrated, a camera in that device (it's in the exact center so it's not the light sensor)
• He then puts this iPad model BEHIND THE COUCH. Watch at 9:20!
• Later he takes the cover off of a NEW and DIFFERENT iPad from the table at 12:20 Repeat, this is not the same iPad as before! Watch for yourself!
• This one does not have a camera, and neither do the press display models, but I fully expect they will announce this as a feature announced before the ship date
• Why else would he use 2 different models in a time period of 3 minutes? I think to give us a hint that there was a camera.

By the way, that was mostly for the non-believers but if you watch where I listed, OP, you will see that we are correct.

 

[anthonymoody]

Well I say thanks for the sleuthing Falcon Eye, and welcome.

Fun stuff to ponder. The inclusion of a front facing camera, sooner or later, is too obvious a thing to simply dismiss the possibility that the late-proto SJ used had at least the cut outs under the surface if not also the device itself.

In any case, even if it ships w/o a camera for now, I'm happy to order Rev A, and trade to Rev B when it comes out.

And yeah +1000 on ignoring the negativity. The iPad has spawned some pretty strong reactions, both positive and negative. As is always the case, some people - on both sides - simply aren't interested in constructive dialog and rather seem hell bent on spewing their POV, certain in the "knowledge" that they are 100% correct.

 

[wackymacky]

Seve looks gaunt in this photo, a little like the Grim Reaper, holding up a symble of the end of Apple.

What did he say?: "Apple is a mobile device company".

Apple computing is dead.

 

[Sketh]

Also, wouldn't a light sensor be poorly placed in the exact middle of the top bezel? You have to figure that people are going to be holding this every which way, but most of the time when in landscape mode, that section would be covered up.

Then again, this whole camera thing seems crazy to me.

 

[CylonGlitch]

Also, wouldn't a light sensor be poorly placed in the exact middle of the top bezel? You have to figure that people are going to be holding this every which way, but most of the time when in landscape mode, that section would be covered up.

Then again, this whole camera thing seems crazy to me.

With something of this size, as an engineer, I would most likely put FOUR light sensors in the device, one in each corner. Then use 3 out of 4 voting to determine if it should be dimmed or not. Apple has done this with the MBP (at least the version I have, 2008). There is a light sensor under the left AND right speaker grills, you have to cover BOTH of them to get it to dim, one or the other won't cause it to dim. You do this so that if it is partially covered, maybe by someone's hand holding it, or typing on it, it doesn't accidentally dim. In the iPhone and iPod Touch, it doesn't matter as much because you hold it differently.

As for camera things. There are obviously iPads WITH cameras, and iPads WITHOUT cameras. One of these is an engineering unit, meaning it was built up for testing and development purposes, but not really meant to be in the public's hands. [note, both could be engineering units, but I'll go with one is are production units] BUT what we don't know, is which is which.

It could be that the one without camera is the production unit, version 1.0. Where the one WITH a camera are the engineering units for version 2.0. That is another possibility, I'm sure they are already working on the next gen hardware.

We'll find out in about 60 days, till then, or until Apple says something different, everything is just speculation.

 

[testcard]

Anyone else seen this: http://www.theipadcommunity.com/home/2010/2/2/ipad-has-room-for-a-front-facing-camera.html

 

[Compile 'em all]

Anyone else seen this: http://www.theipadcommunity.com/home/2010/2/2/ipad-has-room-for-a-front-facing-camera.html

This was posted on the front page of macrumors. Ages ago.

 

[CylonGlitch]

Anyone else seen this: http://www.theipadcommunity.com/home/2010/2/2/ipad-has-room-for-a-front-facing-camera.html

Yup, been talked about in this thread already. Doesn't mean much. Just means that they :
1) designed it with a camera, but then took it out because of one reason or another.
2) Designed it with a camera, and it is actually there . . . just not shown yet.
3) Designed the case to support a camera, in case they chose to add one in either a future version or a different model.

 

[testcard]

Apologies. I really need to try and keep up.

 

[rorschach]

I believe you.
Here's my supporting evidence:

• At 9:04 in the video he takes a cover off of one iPad from the table and shows it to us
• You can clearly see, as your picture demonstrated, a camera in that device (it's in the exact center so it's not the light sensor)
• He then puts this iPad model BEHIND THE COUCH. Watch at 9:20!
• Later he takes the cover off of a NEW and DIFFERENT iPad from the table at 12:20 Repeat, this is not the same iPad as before! Watch for yourself!
• This one does not have a camera, and neither do the press display models, but I fully expect they will announce this as a feature announced before the ship date
• Why else would he use 2 different models in a time period of 3 minutes? I think to give us a hint that there was a camera.

By the way, that was mostly for the non-believers but if you watch where I listed, OP, you will see that we are correct.

I watched it.

The reason is because the 2nd model is hooked up to the projector for the demo. The 1st one isn't so that he could walk around the stage with it when he unveiled it for the first time to show what it looked like.

 

[jav6454]

I believe you.
Here's my supporting evidence:

• At 9:04 in the video he takes a cover off of one iPad from the table and shows it to us
• You can clearly see, as your picture demonstrated, a camera in that device (it's in the exact center so it's not the light sensor)
• He then puts this iPad model BEHIND THE COUCH. Watch at 9:20!
• Later he takes the cover off of a NEW and DIFFERENT iPad from the table at 12:20 Repeat, this is not the same iPad as before! Watch for yourself!
• This one does not have a camera, and neither do the press display models, but I fully expect they will announce this as a feature announced before the ship date
• Why else would he use 2 different models in a time period of 3 minutes? I think to give us a hint that there was a camera.

By the way, that was mostly for the non-believers but if you watch where I listed, OP, you will see that we are correct.

You missed the third one. Go back to my previous comments.

 

[falconeye]

About the importance of a webcam

I agree that webcams in portable devices, up to today, are not that important. To shot photos, yes, but nobody makes video calls.

As early as 20 years ago, when German Telekom introduced ISDN with a pair of video-call capable wired phones, does the world hear about the forthcoming use case of doing video calls.

A minority is doing it now using Skype or iChat on their desk computers.


BUT

More than once, Apple managed to turn a hypothetical use case into mass usage. Before the iPhone, nobody browsed the web with a phone.

A mobile Apple device which can make phone calls using VoIP only (i.e., using Skype or iChat) could indeed be a game changer. Maybe. Don't know. And of course, not w/o a front-facing cam.

 

[UltimateSyn]

You missed the third one. Go back to my previous comments.

Oh wow, totally missed Page 2! Now I feel like an idiot
Now that a few of us understand iPad #1 had a camera, I'm really hoping the final models will ship with a camera.

 

[mtnDewFTW]

He's holding it upside down. Screen orientation auto-flips. That's the home button. At the bottom (really the top) there's nothing, no button, just glare.

False.

 

[Gav2k]

I've emailed Steve to see if I can find out. Maybe just maybe I'll get an answer!

 

[testcard]

As soon as he's finished his breakfast he'll be right on it

 

[mickbab]

Apple has done this with the MBP (at least the version I have, 2008). There is a light sensor under the left AND right speaker grills, you have to cover BOTH of them to get it to dim, one or the other won't cause it to dim. You do this so that if it is partially covered, maybe by someone's hand holding it, or typing on it, it doesn't accidentally dim.

You sure?

With my late 2008 MBP when I cover up the iSight the screen dims. I assumed the light sensor was in there.

 

[SwooshOU]

I think a webcam accessory would make more sense rather than a built in one.

With a built-in front-facing webcam, you would be able to do video chat sessions, but you would have to hold it a certain way in order to frame yourself just right. And if you wanted to record something in front of you, you would not know exactly how you are framing what you are recording since the screen would also be facing the recorded object.

Now, if you plugged in a small swivel webcam and held the iPad upside down, you could hold the iPad in a way that is comfortable and then adjust the web cam up, down, left or right to frame yourself just right. Plus, when you want to record something in front of you, just swivel the cam all the way around and you will still be able to see the screen and what you are recording.

My two cents...

 

[peterdevries]

I believe you.
Here's my supporting evidence:

• At 9:04 in the video he takes a cover off of one iPad from the table and shows it to us
• You can clearly see, as your picture demonstrated, a camera in that device (it's in the exact center so it's not the light sensor)
• He then puts this iPad model BEHIND THE COUCH. Watch at 9:20!
• Later he takes the cover off of a NEW and DIFFERENT iPad from the table at 12:20 Repeat, this is not the same iPad as before! Watch for yourself!
• This one does not have a camera, and neither do the press display models, but I fully expect they will announce this as a feature announced before the ship date
• Why else would he use 2 different models in a time period of 3 minutes? I think to give us a hint that there was a camera.

What you are posting is not evidence but deduction, and even very poor deduction. Here my criticism per point:

• True

• It could be a camera, but it is definitely not clear. In addition there is no reason why a light sensor would or would not be in the center. That last point is in no way supportive of your assumption that it is a camera. It could very well be the light sensor. Just because it is not in the center of the iPhone doesn't mean there is a law within Apple to put all light sensors in all products off-center.

• So?

• So? Why NOT use two or more iPads? Jobs is clearly a presentation expert, so he drills and exercises it for a long time. Maybe it made more sense to use another iPad, so he didn't have to walk around to much getting to the other one behind the couch. This is a whole lot more logical than covering up a difficult to see camera that he already allegedly showed a few minutes before.

• Well this is not even evidence...

• Check your logic. Why would Jobs show an iPad with camera if that would not be in the first release? Give me one good reason. There are reports of multiple iPads that were in testing, so you can bet that they didn't have to use a revision 2 prototype to present the thing, because there maybe not enough around. Apple wants to sell these things, and the last thing they would want is for people to have confirmation already now that the second release HAS a camera . There would be many people holding out until that came out. (knowing Apple there will be a yearly refresh)

I can see that people would like to have a camera on the thing, but the "evidence" and reasoning that is being presented here in some cases borders on delusional and desperate.

And lastly.. there usually is a flurry of discoveries when Apple products are released, but these are in most if not all cases software features or minor hardware details. There is no reasonable and/or logical reason why Apple would keep the existence of a camera on one of its products hidden until the release date. Tell me why?

 

[brewno]

I believe you.
Here's my supporting evidence:

• At 9:04 in the video he takes a cover off of one iPad from the table and shows it to us
• You can clearly see, as your picture demonstrated, a camera in that device (it's in the exact center so it's not the light sensor)
• He then puts this iPad model BEHIND THE COUCH. Watch at 9:20!
• Later he takes the cover off of a NEW and DIFFERENT iPad from the table at 12:20 Repeat, this is not the same iPad as before! Watch for yourself!
• This one does not have a camera, and neither do the press display models, but I fully expect they will announce this as a feature announced before the ship date
• Why else would he use 2 different models in a time period of 3 minutes? I think to give us a hint that there was a camera.

By the way, that was mostly for the non-believers but if you watch where I listed, OP, you will see that we are correct.

I also believe the OP, and I am thankful for his time in doing that with the picture. I appreciate it.
My opinion is the same as above, obviously he woudn't want to ruin the "ONE MORE THING" in 3 months from now, sending the developers a version without the camera.
In 3 months we'll have our "One more thing" and people will be ******** bricks.

 

[bossxii]

But then, there may be a number of potential buyers for whom the lack camera for Skype/iChat is a deal breaker. Like me.

There's the real issue - we have no access to Apple's market research, which may show that a camera is either of no use or is only a nice-to-have for most people so they will wait until version 2. OTOH it may show that a camera is essential for securing maximum sales potential. We simply do not know.

What we can do is speculate feverishly. IMO (and it is, perforce, an uninformed one) is that there will be no camera in V1 but it will be there in V2.

If Apple (SJ) felt he was going to lose 50% of the target market due to no camera, it would have one. The novelty of video calls doesn't appeal to the masses. It sounds cool in concept, but reality sets and it's just not that cool. Perfect example to me is when the family gets together for the holidays, we have 12 to 15 kids under the age of 16 in our family. They spent hours messing around with photobooth the first time they were able to play with it. In the past several years their is always 2 or 3 MBP's laying around and it's not even something they care about anymore. Webcams simply don't get used that much.

I work with/know probably 20 to 30 people that own MBP or iMac's, and since all the iPad hype has hit none of them have mentioned a camera as the "missing" feature. I have yet to talk to an adult that has said "no camera, no way I'd buy". Sure it's a small cross section of people, but I'd bet money this is the general consensus among adults that would buy the iPad. The camera doesn't matter enough to sway their buying decision. Teens and college age may find more use, but I'd still bet the majority don't care and it's not the deciding factor. I'd bet flash is a bigger deal to them than the camera.

 

[Cyberguard]

Let's just hope that we get a definitive answer soon ! This is really starting to confuse me.

The pictures, the theories and the presence of support of a camera in the SDK is really mind boggling.

I agree that it is not a determinant feature, but it is useful to some people such as myself. I live far away from home and travel a lot. My mother actually mastered the art of video calls on her computer and it would be nice to be able to do that wherever I want/can...

Then again, not a priority.