If Apple releases a webcam I think it will be just that...a small firewire webcam.
I hope you are dead wrong. Apple's not in the business of selling affordable and mundane gadgets. You're talking about a company that's asking $300 as the price of entry to the digital music portable world. I'd imagine any Apple camera would sport a similar starting price.
i have said this before, but IF the ipod had gotten a color screen in the last revision, i could see it working in conjunction with a firewire webcam.
think of it: without the ipod, it's just another webcam, capable of streaming to a computer, useful for videoconferencing, chat, etc., but that's about it.
hook up an ipod (say, in a locking slot on the back of the unit), and you bump its storage up to 30 GB, give it a color LCD viewfinder, and a convenient jog wheel to scrub through video quickly, as well as convenient play, pause, rewind buttons, etc. so iSight would be a good webcam without ipod, but the two together would be great!
but, alas, without a color screen on the ipod, my idea doesn't work (or, at least, doesn't work as well).
A gadget the size of a deck of cards... It's got a nice big HD in it, can store and play MP3s, has a radio tuner, can record from the tuner and via a built-in microphone. It's also got a color LCD screen, which also acts as the viewfinder for the good-quality digital camera (optics would need to be very clever at this size) that's built-in. This camera can shoot both still and moving pictures. Of course, the thing could also work as a web cam, and to top it off I can use it as a cell phone and a very basic PDA.
There.
Every electronic device I'd ever want, in one, and it fits in my pocket. That's what I'm waiting to buy.
I was tempted to say dont read too much into this but if Apple are gonna integrate videoconf with the iLife apps then perhhaps tehre is some new hardware in the pipeline. But maybee not. Just looking at how they have intetrated iSync with many mobile phones, maybee that is the route theyi would take with any new vidconf. app. Lets face it the standards issues are more or less sorted for image and video - integration should be a peice of pie.
true...but how many people are video conferencing or even video chatting on macs now??? i don't know any, but i am sure there are some....but how many people use macs?? and how many are using os X?? lets say 4 million people use osx (and the number is growing and will keep growing if the 970 and panther are what people say they are...maybe a lot of those 20 million plus os 9 people will finally switch) ...if apple makes iChat2 with easy and intergrated video and then if one out of 4 os x users gets a webcam, that is a million people wanting webcams...even if apple makes only 10 bucks on a webcam, that is 10 million bucks...not a lot of money, but also not losing money...and it give apple one more thing to show in ads and commercials...happy, geeky people webchatting on their cute flat panel iMacs and new cubes and such...digital hub, corner stone of your digital life...Apple
i know it is not a big thing, but mac people like to buy apple stuff..they like it to work seamlessly...a little webcam wont rock the world, but it would sell and it would serve a purpose...a 400 dollar all-in-one camera thingy might sell also, but is a bigger risk and needs to be done on a wonderful scale (like the iPod, it will need to amaze the population if it is to sell and make any money)...a webcam needs to be done on a nice scale, but doesn't need to amaze, just work and be pretty....
I am a bit off topic here but as a recent 'switcher' it does seem that Apple is in a different league now SJ is back in the chair. It really is one good news story after another as far as I can see. Mindshare is on the rise and increasing by the day!
There's one thing Apple would definitely bring which I would heartily welcome to digicams:
firewire
Downloading pics takes too long with USB. The digicam makers just don't get it. The latest wizbang Canon G5 was just announced with... (drum roll please)... USB1. Wow.
I think firewire2 would be awesome, but firewire1 would even be great to make downloading a quick painless process.
There are FireWire CF card readers. I own a Lexar ($45) and Sandisk offers one, too.
I think we will see a new Cinema display with an intergrated camera thingy. Something similar to the one in the Sony laptop.
I wouldn't. What happens if your camera breaks? You have to send back the whole monitor.
so if my 99$ built in fireware cam (i guess then adc would have to support firewire as well? or we get another ugly cable defeating the purpose of adc) i have to send back my $1300 monitor?
now if there was a "cliff" or slot the cam can go into on the side of the display.......(but it would still need fireware )
Not really, USB 1.1 is more than enough. Not great, but enough and some with it's 12Mbps, a DVD only has about 9 and they look great, the 640x480 or 320x240 @30fps is well within reach of USB1.1.
So that every soccer mom who wants to video conference with iChat 2.0 has to drop 2K on a monitor?
What is wrong with integrating a camera into all new computers and offering a usb or firewire solution for pre-wwdc2k3 macs? Are those two mutually exclusive?
Apple will start including a bare-bones but decent quality firewire webcam with all Macs in the same way they used to include PlainTalk microphones. Integration with iChat for videoconferencing, QT Broadcaster/QTSS for video streaming, and iPhoto (think webcam connected to your laptop). The possibilitites open wide when it can be a given that all Mac users have a webcam at their disposal, just as with accelerated 3d graphics and CD burners.
Comments
Originally posted by Michael Grey
If Apple releases a webcam I think it will be just that...a small firewire webcam.
I hope you are dead wrong. Apple's not in the business of selling affordable and mundane gadgets. You're talking about a company that's asking $300 as the price of entry to the digital music portable world. I'd imagine any Apple camera would sport a similar starting price.
- Same price range for market (ie not exactly cheap)
- Micro hd
- Rechargable lithium ion battery
- FW/USB2 ala the iPod connector and docking station.
I would assume some of the considerations or stumbling blocks regarding the above carry over into something like a camera?
think of it: without the ipod, it's just another webcam, capable of streaming to a computer, useful for videoconferencing, chat, etc., but that's about it.
hook up an ipod (say, in a locking slot on the back of the unit), and you bump its storage up to 30 GB, give it a color LCD viewfinder, and a convenient jog wheel to scrub through video quickly, as well as convenient play, pause, rewind buttons, etc. so iSight would be a good webcam without ipod, but the two together would be great!
but, alas, without a color screen on the ipod, my idea doesn't work (or, at least, doesn't work as well).
It could even be a Bluetooth enabled webcam.
Apple making a digital camera would suck as there are already too many Pros (Canon, Nikon, etc) in the market.
It would be like Apple producing a phone.
There are bugger all decent webcams on the market (at least not for under $200).
Perhaps they will have a good alternative to video conferencing via the web.
Dobby.
A gadget the size of a deck of cards... It's got a nice big HD in it, can store and play MP3s, has a radio tuner, can record from the tuner and via a built-in microphone. It's also got a color LCD screen, which also acts as the viewfinder for the good-quality digital camera (optics would need to be very clever at this size) that's built-in. This camera can shoot both still and moving pictures. Of course, the thing could also work as a web cam, and to top it off I can use it as a cell phone and a very basic PDA.
There.
Every electronic device I'd ever want, in one, and it fits in my pocket. That's what I'm waiting to buy.
Maybe in five years?
i know it is not a big thing, but mac people like to buy apple stuff..they like it to work seamlessly...a little webcam wont rock the world, but it would sell and it would serve a purpose...a 400 dollar all-in-one camera thingy might sell also, but is a bigger risk and needs to be done on a wonderful scale (like the iPod, it will need to amaze the population if it is to sell and make any money)...a webcam needs to be done on a nice scale, but doesn't need to amaze, just work and be pretty....
g
Originally posted by DaveGee
I've been thinking about this and what about this...
Imagine a FW based CCD that could 'marry with' the iPod.
A device like this could be used in two ways...
1 - iSight connected to the CPU - a simple elegant webcam for use with iChat (connected via fw)
2 - iSight connected to the iPod - a basic 'on the road' camera for doing small movies (via fw or maybe/ more likely the new expanded connector)
Given the more advanced interface of the iPod it could happen... Sure the 'view finder' would be B&W but still, that wouldn't be the end of the world.
Something like this could spike the sales of iPods at the same time.
Dave
Well the camera could have it's own little color LCD, and when it is attached to the iPod, the iPod acts as a browser for the images.
I like the idea of something that has a small HD(5 gig)
can take high def pictures
works as a web cam
and interfaces with iChat, iPhoto, iMovie...etc.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...&threadid=2753
WWDC 2003 is going to be mega huge!
Originally posted by occam
There's one thing Apple would definitely bring which I would heartily welcome to digicams:
firewire
Downloading pics takes too long with USB. The digicam makers just don't get it. The latest wizbang Canon G5 was just announced with... (drum roll please)... USB1. Wow.
I think firewire2 would be awesome, but firewire1 would even be great to make downloading a quick painless process.
There are FireWire CF card readers. I own a Lexar ($45) and Sandisk offers one, too.
I think we will see a new Cinema display with an intergrated camera thingy. Something similar to the one in the Sony laptop.
I wouldn't. What happens if your camera breaks? You have to send back the whole monitor.
so if my 99$ built in fireware cam (i guess then adc would have to support firewire as well? or we get another ugly cable defeating the purpose of adc) i have to send back my $1300 monitor?
now if there was a "cliff" or slot the cam can go into on the side of the display.......(but it would still need fireware
Originally posted by Addison
I think we will see a new Cinema display with an intergrated camera thingy. Something similar to the one in the Sony laptop.
So that every soccer mom who wants to video conference with iChat 2.0 has to drop 2K on a monitor?
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
So that every soccer mom who wants to video conference with iChat 2.0 has to drop 2K on a monitor?
Three words: Third party opportunity.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
So that every soccer mom who wants to video conference with iChat 2.0 has to drop 2K on a monitor?
What is wrong with integrating a camera into all new computers and offering a usb or firewire solution for pre-wwdc2k3 macs? Are those two mutually exclusive?
Apple will start including a bare-bones but decent quality firewire webcam with all Macs in the same way they used to include PlainTalk microphones. Integration with iChat for videoconferencing, QT Broadcaster/QTSS for video streaming, and iPhoto (think webcam connected to your laptop). The possibilitites open wide when it can be a given that all Mac users have a webcam at their disposal, just as with accelerated 3d graphics and CD burners.