iSight

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Isn't it about time Apple makes this thing more um.....affordable.



149 bucks is a bit much, considering you basically have to own two to use it.



I'd like to see a buy 2 deal for between $200 and $250



and maybe a $99 deal when bought with a new mac.





it's awesome, but too much money and surely after all these months must cost less.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    I'd just like to see them bundle iChat AV with the stupid thing. I mean, really...
  • Reply 2 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by applenut

    149 bucks is a bit much, considering you basically have to own two to use it.





    you don't need two. any Firewire video camera can substitute for iSight.



    what you need two of (currently) are Macs running iChat AV



    though there are non-iChatAV OSX clients that claim cross platform support to PC/Linux/Mac



    and a telephone was once useless if you seemed to have the only one in town.

    infrastructure and installed base will take time.

    standards compliance from other developers will come with time (we hope)
  • Reply 3 of 17
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by curiousuburb

    you don't need two. any Firewire video camera can substitute for iSight.





    1. you gonna pay 600 bucks to get me a camcorder?

    2. camcorders with iChat AV look like shit
  • Reply 4 of 17
    there are also apps to allow a standard USB webcam to work with iChat AV...but it wouldn't look as good.



    I agree 100%, I think there should be more deals with it, discount with a new mac, or 2 for $200, that would be excellent.



    I was going to get one with my new powerbook, but it just seemed like too much for too little.



    now at least, if iChat AV picks up some and I have a good handful of contacts using it, I will get me an iSight.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    Agree.

    Agree.

    And Agree.



    I'm dying to get one of these but my friends are not all that interested once they find out the price. I'd buy a damn 2-for-1 deal and give one away.
  • Reply 6 of 17
    gongon Posts: 2,437member
    Digital hub my as5...



    As good as things look now with many of Apple's products, their main problem remains. They're not open enough. People fear getting locked in, and a significant part of convincing people to use Apple stuff is that you show them it works with their existing stuff and anything you might want in the foreseeable future.



    The problem is especially bad with iChat, which should work with _any_ webcam and processor it possibly can work with.



    Even if iSight were cheaper, people like to choose. They do have old webcams. They do need "just to get by". This is about (video) messaging, and messaging in general is a commodity where the potential for the technology rises proportinately to the number of people who join, aka the "network effect". First priority is to get everyone have video messaging, only then masses of people will be interested of a "luxury" version.



    One last thing...

    iChatAV should be a free download, more than any other software Apple makes. Again, this because of the network effect.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    iChatAV is included with Panther, free.



    iChatAV will be a $30 add-on for Jaguar after the trial period expires... what is that, January? For now, it is free.



    Any FireWire DV camera will work with iChatAV. We have three non-iSight cams we use in my research group with it. Two iBots and a black Logitech that I don't recall the model name of. You don't need a $600 camcorder, for god's sake. Jeez. These are $100 cameras. $80 if you look around a while and hit a sale.



    Obviously, though, Apple's marketing is failing miserably if even the Mac users are subject to this much misinformation... :P



    (USB webcams can be made to work with iChatUSBCam. A bit of $, but worth it if you really want to use that old camera lying around and don't have the extra moolah to get a FW DV cam.)
  • Reply 8 of 17
    Although I agree that iChat AV really should come with each iSight I believe that they're very well priced. It's a premium-quality camera with lots of features that cheaper alternatives don't have (good stereo sound for one) and it looks great. I bought my father-in-law a powerbook with iSight so that he can keep in touch with my wife and my kids and I could not put a price on how happy it makes him seeing his grandkids full screen whenever he likes. I really do think it's a small price to pay.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    ya, I guess it's not THAT bad of pricing, but I would love to see a 2 for $200 or something like that
  • Reply 10 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kickaha

    iChatAV is included with Panther, free.



    iChatAV will be a $30 add-on for Jaguar after the trial period expires... what is that, January? For now, it is free.







    Apple is charging all that money for iChat AV because they want people to buy Panther. AV is a great app, but I wouldn't pay $30 for it, I have no need. It's awesome that it's included in Panther though.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    jubelumjubelum Posts: 4,490member
    When do you think we will see (if ever) iChatAV for the PC platform? Like with iTunes, iChat AV should be ported to PC so that we can (A) make the iSight/iChatAV setup more useful for we Mac folks, and (B) imagine the marketing power of having an Apple webcam on a PC user's desk (to match their iPod...)



    Do you think we will ever see iSight for PC?



    Just fodder, butcher at will. \



    "Smokin's Bad, MMMmmmKay..."
  • Reply 12 of 17
    iChat AV isn't included with the iSight?



    What the hell else would you use it with? Right, right, they want you to upgrad to Panther, so making it a paid download is one thing. But, once you've dropped $150 on the camera, I'd think they would be so moved to provide the only software that makes it useful.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    keshkesh Posts: 621member
    I have a feeling we'll see just that at Macworld in January: a reduced-price iSight with iChat AV bundled.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    I don't think AOL would be too happy about iChat for PC...
  • Reply 15 of 17
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    It's a shame iSight and iChat A/V weren't around during the decade I spent in SoCal (and a year in Virginia). What a cool way that would've been to stay in touch with the family and friends back home!



    Now everyone's in the same town.







    But I AM getting restless again...
  • Reply 16 of 17
    mac+mac+ Posts: 580member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by applenut

    Isn't it about time Apple makes this thing more um.....affordable.



    149 bucks is a bit much, considering you basically have to own two to use it.



    I'd like to see a buy 2 deal for between $200 and $250



    [snip]




    You think they're expensive ... Au$259 for one!



    Based on today's exchange rate ($149US -> $201Au) Apple Australia is adding a further $58 to the conversion... roughly speaking, that's an almost 30% mark-up on a product that already has it's own retail mark-up included!



    Arrrrgh!
  • Reply 17 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by piwozniak

    I don't think AOL would be too happy about iChat for PC...



    Thats too bad, AOL sucks They are losing customers everyday because of crappy service, high prices, and sllloooowww connections. Now that AOL is almost finished killing itself, it's time for someone else to take a stab at them, I think iChat AV for windows would be a great place to start.
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