Does anyone miss a camera?

I remember feeling like a Camera would be absolutely necessary on the iPad and when it was introduced I was disappointed to not see one. However, now that I have had the iPad for several days I don't miss one on it at all. Aside from doing video chat "which I would never use" a camera would be completely superfluous for me. What do the rest of you iPad owners think?

Well um... haven't you actually answered your own question in a way ? Most people who really want a camera for video chatting via skype and such, and whom don't already own a laptop, are the ones who would miss it, and I'd take a gander at thinking that most of those people are holding out for the second gen or a third party accessory.

While people such as yourself, 'who would never' use a video chat app, pretty obviously shouldn't care. After all, unless there were other useful apps which utilized the camera in such a way as to not make the user look like a total dork while in the process, then really, what other use would a camera serve ? A person would have to be a proper nutter standing in the street or even in their house, holding up an iPad to take a photograph. That's actually quite a hilarious thing to imagine !

Doug

Like you, the only use for a camera I can think of is for video chatting. Fortunately, that's what my Macbook is for

It never has had a camera so i find it hard to miss ;P

I was thinking what would be useful would be something like the app Delicious Library. But a version for the ipad. For those who do not know this is an application for OS X that catalogues all of your CDs DVD's and books. So you don't have to type in the information for each entry and you know what you have and don't have.

And how this links to the topic is this application has uses the imac/macbooks camera in a way. It can turn it into a barcode scanner and then you can scan your book, CD, or DVD barcode and then it can look on the net with that information to automatically add the scaned product to your list. Without having to type in anything. Sure you can manually add in products to your list via typing the barcode or the raw data.

And now how this really relates is having a camera on the ipad would allow you to have such a barcode scanner on the ipad so you could have this Delicious Library application on the ipad with all of it's features. And this is useful because soem people have hundreds of CDs or Books or DVDs and we can't remember everyone we have. And having such a list on the ipad while in store then you could say "do I own that DVD?" Then you could check up your list there and then if you had it or not.

I don't care for video chatting on the ipad at all. But something like my idea above would be one good use (the only good one I've found so far) for an ipad camera.

Pretty much the only thing I use my iSight for on my iMac is a very occasional video chat with a friend I have not seen in ages. I can do without it and just send them a pic taken with my Canon instead. Not a deal breaker.

Doug b said:

dork while in the process, then really, what other use would a camera serve ? A person would have to be a proper nutter standing in the street or even in their house, holding up an iPad to take a photograph. That's actually quite a hilarious thing to imagine !

Doug

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Haha Doug, this made me laugh at the mental image of someone swinging their iPad around asking people to smile for the camera and ending up with a punch of pictures with confused faces. I guess I really should have titled this thread "how many iPad owners miss a camera for video chat?" As I already stated, I wouldn't use video chat and I can't see apple putting a built in camera on any future iteration of the iPad. I think they will use tech like that on the iPhones and other devices that focus on personal communication and not computing....I know there is evidence to suggest that Apple is planning on a camera based on a space holder built in the design of the current iPad....however I thought perhaps Apple actually removed the camera late in te design process as they realized it just wouldn't be practical. Thoughts?

P.s. I love typing on the iPad.

Personally, a camera would be totally superfluous on the iPad.

As for something like Delicious Library - don't really see as much use for it on the iPad as on my phone. The iPad is just flat out too big for me to be carrying it to the store with me. The touch or a phone is about perfect size for that. Don't want to go shopping with something that I have to carry in my hand, and sorry, you'll not find me adopting a "guy purse" to do it either. My house is also never lit up like the outdoors with fluorescent lights all over the place either. I quit using the iSight to input my collection into DL before I had the first 50 movies added to it. Quite frankly, I could type them in twice as fast as I could get the thing to scan it and don't have to move my computer or lamps from any of their current positions to do it.

I understand the iPad doesn't fit into everyone's lifestyle. I also understand there are a great many that wanted Apple to enter the "small notebook" or Netbook market. They didn't. I'm so sorry. But the iPad is no different than any other piece of electronics, equipment or tool designed with a purpose on the market. If it does what you want it to do, great. If not, go get the one that does or the one that does it better.

I'd buy that bread maker if it made soup. Why doesn't it make soup? It's got a big bowl like area there. I'll wait for the next version that makes soup also. Why should I need to buy two things?

I'd buy that kitchen knife if it did everything that set of 15 knives does. Why should I buy 15 of them? I'll wait until they make one that does everything.

I'd buy that TV, except it doesn't play my DVDs, my HD-DVDs, my B-Rs or receive my satellite signal. It also doesn't stream Netflix, hulu, Amazon unbox videos, or let me rip and store all my videos on it. It doesn't have 7.1 sound outputs or even have the ability of putting out Dolby Tru-HD. Why should I have to buy a half dozen devices to do all of that. Think I'll wait to get one until version 216.

edit: Now if DL does make an app specific for the iPad real estate, I'll get it to sync my collection to it also, same as I already do on my phone. But for a new purpose. Friends come over and want to take a look at my collection, the iPad is a great size device for that. No more need to hand them my notebook which most of them already think is pretty cool.

I don't.

Wow, I might need to copy and paste Bob's above message into other forums when people start the "those apple fanboys will buy anything with a fruit on it despite it lacking obviously important components like a camera" rant. A collective touché from us to all of you!!!!

Excellent post Bob. But there is this:
"Jack of all trades equals master of none".

the8thark said:

Excellent post Bob. But there is this:
"Jack of all trades equals master of none".

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Right, until Apple puts a camera on the next version and everybody is falling all over themselves saying "OMG Apple is so great, I knew they'd eventually put a camera on the iPad.. it's so needed ! " And why might it be "needed" ? Because when Apple decides that a camera is necessary at their convenience, everybody else will fall in line. Come on... stop pretending that an Ipad in general, is even necessary ! LOL.

tdll said:

As I already stated, I wouldn't use video chat and I can't see apple putting a built in camera on any future iteration of the iPad. I think they will use tech like that on the iPhones and other devices that focus on personal communication and not computing.

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Two points to hit on here. First, and you're not the first person who has made a comment like this but... just because YOU wouldn't use video chat on an iPad, does not mean that the millions of other people out there feel as you do, and Apple does not presume to think about marketing for only one type of demographic, it's not in their best interests. Think about it.. would a camera on the iPad hinder your experience on it in any way ? If it cost the same, what would your beef be ? It's all business... they have omitted the camera this time around not because people don't want it.. it's a business move.

Second point. You just said that an iPhone is a device which only focuses on personal communication, while the iPad focuses on "computing". How far does the "computing" experience on the iPad go ? What is the actual ratio of work that is done on the iPad that doesn't involve some type of personal communication in the form of social interactive media ?

Other than the iWorks app available, there really aren't any 'programs' you can run on the iPad in order to actually 'work'. Most of what the iPad is about, is social interaction in the form of a seamless multimedia experience on the web, whether it be in the 'cloud' or otherwise.

It is not marketed as a 'work' computer. It would never sell that way. And it wasn't meant to be as such... So I can not agree with you whatsoever. Anyway, just wait and you'll see. When an camera is finally included, it will be proclaimed as the 'best thing evAh' and an even further proof of Apple's wisdom and innovative nature in the industry.

Doug

Need to take a photo? Use my iPhone
Need to use a camera for a webcame? Use my Labtop

Problem solved. I dont miss it, why would you want to try and take pictures with something thats 1.5 pounds and need to hold with two hands to steady it.

Doug, I am not presuming that Apple tailor their devices to just my needs. If I thought this I wouldn't bother to ask the original question to begin with....I was curious if anyone missed the camera, the implication being self evident. By the way, I am still unsure what your answer is despite the verbose responses. You have told me i wouldn't want a camera but I didn't need that question answered. =) Secondly, I am going to stand by my initial prediction, Apple won't add a camera to the iPad, they want to give the consumer "especially those who do miss a camera on the iPad" an excuse to buy both an iPhone and iPad.

To Doug b:

A $600-$800 home built windows or linus box would do everything most people want. But Apple know we are lazy people who want the easiest and quickest way of doing things. And Apple tell us their products are the best at this. I feel we are not going out to purchase Apple products. Apple is goung out to make sure we buy their products. Like some cult religion you just have to buy Apple cause it's Apple.

The only good part of this happens to be Apple products are the best in their field in the world. So in short we don't need what Apple puts out. Apple in their ever mysterious ways makes us believe our lives are not forfilled untill we all have Apple products in our hands using them. Almost like a drug, once we are hooked on Apple there's no going back, you're addicted. And saying no to Apple for a while brings the onset of Apple withdrawl, which just makes people more frenzied for their next hit of Apple into their veins.

I heard of an app linking your iphone to your iPad to use for video chat (in case some one really wants one).

The next generation will include one for sure (if you look at the space it takes up compared to the size of the iPad...).

Anyway: @the8thark: I study industrial design (how you produce, market, sell, develop products etc.) and the first thing you learn is that there are several steps / plans exist which you can follow so that you can sell products which people don't need at all. But if you think about it: apple might (is) doing it... but every other company is doing the same thing. So I rather have a company that has great customer support for their products (even if that is part of the binding process towards apple products) then a company that doesn't care at all.

So yes it is true what you say, but the way I see it apple is an example for the other companies in the world due to its innovation towards user-friendliness.

@bobtomay and tatooedmac;
(I would also like to use this opportunity to apologize once again too bobtomay and tatooedmac for my ignorance in a previous post you will probably remember, I still feel sorry for that.)

I agree with you guys. I can't say I miss the camera on it, since I don't really know what there was there to begin with, or had anything similar to an iPad to compare to, so I don't really care about a back facing camera on the iPad, but what I would like is the front facing camera simply for the fact that I do a lot of skype video chatting with family from across the deep blue ocean. Imagining having the ability to just use the ipad with the front facing camera seems like such a luxury when I think about it. That's the only thing I really care about that I believe ABSOLUTELY HAS to be included in the next ipad version!

Lex said:

@bobtomay and tatooedmac;
(I would also like to use this opportunity to apologize once again too bobtomay and tatooedmac for my ignorance in a previous post you will probably remember, I still feel sorry for that.)

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Lex its all good mate. Forget about it and sleep well tonight

Lex said:

I heard of an app linking your iphone to your iPad to use for video chat (in case some one really wants one).

Click to expand...

I think this is what you might be talking about.
HOW TO: Take Photos with Your iPad (Sort of)
I would give it a try, but my iphone is just the regular 3G.

idrinorbarsaku said:

I think this is what you might be talking about.
HOW TO: Take Photos with Your iPad (Sort of)
I would give it a try, but my iphone is just the regular 3G.

Click to expand...

Jep thats the one. It sort of is a big hassle but good in case you really want it.;D