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integrated iSight on iBooks looks possible


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integrated iSight on iBooks looks possible
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joebells
New Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
 
2005-10-20, 12:25

If you look at the dissasembly pictures of the new iMac with the iSight built in the isight looks really tiny. It looks like it wouldn't be very hard at all to put that into the lid of a powerbook or an iBook. I think it would be nice to have but dont' care that much. I just wish they would update the graphics ram in the 12" iBook as thats the laptop I want to get.
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Wyatt
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2005-10-20, 12:28

Quote:
Originally Posted by joebells
If you look at the dissasembly pictures of the new iMac with the iSight built in the isight looks really tiny. It looks like it wouldn't be very hard at all to put that into the lid of a powerbook or an iBook. I think it would be nice to have but dont' care that much. I just wish they would update the graphics ram in the 12" iBook as thats the laptop I want to get.
I think we might actually see this, as well as Front Row on iBooks, if they go widescreen with the Intel-based iBooks.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2005-10-20, 12:30

Recently (within the last month or two) there were some US patent drawings found from Apple that showed an idea for a small camera placed into the hinge area of a laptop.

I'm sure it's something in the works. I assume it'll be part of the next-generation, Intel-based Apple laptops, and both models (iBooks and PowerBooks) will get them whenever that transition occurs.

They may toss them into the Cinema Displays, but who knows.

But with the eMac now pretty much gone (except for education), the iMac, iBook and PowerBooks are the only AIO Macs Apple makes, so putting the iSight in those three makes up a HUGE chunk of the Mac-buying public.

I'd bet good money it's a lock for any new laptop coming out in (hopefully) 2006.

EDIT: here is the story from AppleInsider (with images) about those laptop camera drawings:

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1273

Hmmm...upon re-reading the story, I realize those drawings were from early 2004, a year-and-a-half ago. Perhaps they were refined and became what we saw on the iMac, and Apple might've cooled on the idea to implement them into laptops? Who knows...

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2005-10-20 at 12:39.
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Wyatt
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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2005-10-20, 12:59

Old patent or not, I still think it will happen. Think about it: iMac with iSight and Front Row for home users, iBook and Powerbook with iSight and Front Row for people on the road. That'd be perfect. Plus, making a notebook into somewhat of a portable media center is the perfect selling point for Apple to push hard drive upgrades to store more digital media.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2005-10-20, 13:11

Oh, I agree...I really think they should do this (if they can).

IMO, one of the most underrated, untalked-about features of OS X and Macs is the whole iChat A/V and iSight thing. It's seamless, easy-as-pie and fun as can be.

And with parents who have to travel for work, families with members living in different parts of the country, teens going off to college in distant states, etc., Apple really has a neat product and solution on its hands with iChat and iSight.

Making this camera built-in to new, upcoming Macs is only going to get that whole thing off the ground in a major way.

David Pogue wrote a really cool, heartwarming piece about iChat and iSight a couple of years ago, relating a story about how he was in London for some Mac or tech conference, and really missing his wife and kid. He found an Internet cafe, borrowed an iSight and was instantly seeing the ones he was missing, in real time.

The next best thing to being there, for sure.

And I'm surprised it's not bigger (or isn't pushed a little harder by Apple).

Perhaps this built-in approach is their attempt to do that?

I would've loved this years ago, living in California...all my friends and family were 2,500 miles away, back in Tennessee. Would've really been nice to bridge those gaps between yearly trips back home.

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shell
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Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2005-10-20, 13:17

No, no, no. I would be pissed if they put a camera into the PB, that would mean that alot of us wouldn't be able to take our laptops to work with us, it's already a pain for me to be without my cell phone (stupid for me for getting one with a camera ).
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dfiler
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Pittsburgh
 
2005-10-20, 13:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by joebells
If you look at the dissasembly pictures...
I've been looking for internal pictures with no luck. Can you link us to those pics?
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-10-20, 13:20

they could easily fit an isight into both the powerbook and the iBook lids or hinges*. I'm sure they are planning to do it somewhere down the line. Maybe they want to see how well the iMac's iSight will be received before they commit further product lines to it.



*I have a 1.3 megapixel video phone with 2 screens, it's lid is the exact same thickness as the powerbook lid. I'm sure it could be thinner too if it only had 1 screen, and I'm sure apple could be creative with how they use space. They can definitely fit it in there, the question is when.
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Wyatt
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Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2005-10-20, 13:33

Quote:
Originally Posted by shell
No, no, no. I would be pissed if they put a camera into the PB, that would mean that alot of us wouldn't be able to take our laptops to work with us, it's already a pain for me to be without my cell phone (stupid for me for getting one with a camera ).
I actually think they probably won't put the iSight in the Powerbook, the more I think about it. For the reason you stated, yes, but also to differentiate their "home" and "pro" product lines. Leave the current iSight available for sale to owners of Powermacs, Powerbooks, and Minis (leave the built-in out b/c there's no good way to do it, and it helps differentiate it as a "barebones" Mac), but build the iSight into the iMac and iBook.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
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joebells
New Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
 
2005-10-20, 13:44

Quote:
Originally Posted by dfiler
I've been looking for internal pictures with no luck. Can you link us to those pics?
http://www.kodawarisan.com/kodawaris...c_g5_aaaa.html
There you go the link was a news story on macrumors. If you look at it its a tiny little circuit board.
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Reid
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN
 
2005-10-20, 16:59

Hasn't Sony already done this?

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000060056600/
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Franz Josef
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, Europe
 
2005-10-26, 13:42

Quote:
Originally Posted by Reid
Hasn't Sony already done this?
And don't they manage to make it look ugly. Jeesh.
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Matsu
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-10-26, 18:10

ummm camera in the laptop hinge... better trim those nose hairs!
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
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2005-10-26, 18:15

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matsu
ummm camera in the laptop hinge... better trim those nose hairs!
It totally doesn't need to be in the hinge, the CCD stuff would easily fit above the screen under the latch. MAYBE requiring that part of the lid to be a TINY bit wider(not thicker!).

It would be fairly silly to put it in the hinge, but in the lid would be perfect. Maybe they could even find a way to integrate it with the latch so the latch doubles as a lens cover.
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Wrao
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-10-26, 18:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by Franz Josef
And don't they manage to make it look ugly. Jeesh.
The camera part doesn't look that bad actually, the rest of the notebook is kinda weird looking, but just the camera in the lid, looks fine to me. I would hope apple could figure out a way to have the camera and the latch system semi integrated to save on clutter in the design. The vaio actually has an advantage with blending the lens into the lid since it's darker. The iSight lens would be more noticeable on the white iBook. Now, if apple has a black thin iBook up their sleeve... then we're rockin.

Personally! I think all displays should have webcams, IR, USB and Firewire hubs and microphones built in. Even if they aren't top quality, the components to add all those things wouldn't drive the price of a display up all that much, and it would make the display far more useful. Promote AV chat, media center stuff, and provide quick ports for devices. Shrug, I'm surprised there aren't more displays like that.
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Matsu
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-10-26, 18:24

Sorry, pscates mentioned a hinge mounted camera, so I made funny. BTW, the sont picturebooks used to have that very hinge mounted arrangement.
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gjas15
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Colorado
 
2005-10-27, 00:14

Quote:
Originally Posted by shell
No, no, no. I would be pissed if they put a camera into the PB, that would mean that alot of us wouldn't be able to take our laptops to work with us, it's already a pain for me to be without my cell phone (stupid for me for getting one with a camera ).
Some places are really going to have to start dealing with that issue much better than they do now. Eventually all portable communications devices will have cameras. Laptops, Cellphones, PDA's, etc.

Except for top secret government agencies I cant imagine a reason for outright banning. There has to be a better way to fix the photo issue. If it wasnt so late id try to think of one....
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PB PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
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2005-10-27, 01:07

I don't think putting the camera laptop (book) line is a good idea not just for the above reason, which I think will continue to grow. Since I figure there will be more laws against the cameras considering that some people use them for less than legal activities, which shall remain nameless. I think they might go into the Powerbooks, but the ibook, not so sure. There has to be something, other than just CPU speed and backlit keyboards to make the Powerbooks top of the line.
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Franz Josef
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, Europe
 
2005-10-27, 02:08

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
......the rest of the notebook is kinda weird looking....
That's exactly what I mean - a nice addition to an ugly laptop ....
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dfiler
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Pittsburgh
 
2005-10-27, 08:36

Quote:
Originally Posted by gjas15
Some places are really going to have to start dealing with that issue much better than they do now. Eventually all portable communications devices will have cameras. Laptops, Cellphones, PDA's, etc.
Many companies will never allow cameras in sensative areas. Their trade secrets really are that valuable.

You'll simply have to choose, a gimmicky gadget or your job. A cell phone with a camera isn't a fundamental human right.

I hadn't thought of this concern when considering cameras being integrated into laptops... but I bet laptop manufacturers have. They must weigh the significance of lost sales to people who are prohibitted from using a camera equiped device. How does this compare to sales gained from customers desiring such a camera?

The engineering is trivial... price and corporate mandates against cameras seem to be the real issue.
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Matsu
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-10-27, 09:19

A cheaper, smaller, re-engineered, wireless ? iCam might be the solution then. Looking at the iMac sensor-lens-circuit board, it's a pretty tiny unit. I've got an idea that could work, but all the laptops would have to have CF cards.

Make the iCam into a credit card sized device. On it you find a battery, lens, circuitboard, and mic. It all slides neatly in to a PC card slot for charging (and storage!). When you need it you slide it out and perch it up on the screen. Design it in such a way that it uses the latch as a mounting point.

.........................................
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dfiler
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Pittsburgh
 
2005-10-27, 10:12

Howabout making the camera pod integrated but removeable. Simply pull it out and leave it at home if visiting a sensative area. Of course, you'd want some sort of cover to conceal the hole when the camera is removed.

Why add batteries and wireless to the mix? Just give it a tiny slot to plug into instead. Consumers who don't want to pay for the camera would simply have a plug in that tiny slot/indentation.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2005-10-27, 14:39

I think Apple would probably make the camera standard, but have a BTO option to remove it.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-10-27, 14:48

I don't think it'd be too difficult to work a camera cover into the lid too, it could double as the latch mechanism, in which case you wouldn't need to worry about the lens being scratched unless you're actively using it. It would also cover it up if you didn't care to use it. Unless it was going to add a substantial cost to each unit, there is no real reason NOT to include it.
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Luca
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-10-27, 14:49

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roboman
I think Apple would probably make the camera standard, but have a BTO option to remove it.
Why? It must only cost them $10 or $20 to throw in there.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2005-10-27, 15:11

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca
Why? It must only cost them $10 or $20 to throw in there.
For the reasons people were describing about their employers not allowing them to have cameras at work (be it a webcam, a phonecam, etc.)

I know it doesn't cost Apple much to add the webcam - I wouldn't expect them to shave off any of the cost of the computer, should you BTO a Sight-less one. Many here seem to be concerned about not being allowed to have notebooks with integrated iSights, and if it really was such a big issue, I'm sure Apple would allow for a BTO work-around.

It sure makes more sense than making some detachable docking "camera pod."

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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dfiler
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Pittsburgh
 
2005-10-27, 15:28

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roboman
It sure makes more sense than making some detachable docking "camera pod."
Now that I think about it, you're entirely correct. There probably isn't a market for a removeable one.

Instead, like you said, it makes more sense for the camera to be included in all laptops unless you BTO one without. Eventually that is... i wonder how much the board/lense assembly in the new iMac costs.
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