Will Apple "add" features to the iPad as we get closer to launch?

[Aeaea]

I remember how during the few weeks before the original iPhone's launch, Apple would let slip an unannounced feature or capability almost every day or so. It was an excellent marketing tactic that drove many (me for one) from the wait-and-see camp to the I-gotta-have-it-day-one camp.

Much of the iPhone naysaying had died down as time got closer to its launch because many people realized that the iPhone really was a state of the art smartphone that had incredible possibilities and appeal (and this was long before the app store was announced). I think we're seeing the same sort of softening of initial disappointment now turning to anticipation with the iPad. Next step, watch Apple turn up the "child-like wonder" knob!

So soon we may hear from Apple, "Oh yeah, there's a video camera in it too..." or "Handwriting recognition? Sure, it does that!" or "Multitasking? Well we have 'services' that work even better (without draining your battery)!"

I can't wait to see what will happen. I'm sure we'll get some pleasant surprises.

[shigzeo]

I will saw off a limb here and say that I think you are on to 'something', but I am not sure how substantial that something is. Yes, there will be features which didn't make the keynote not necessarily because Apple need to fork them out to keep users interested, but because a keynote is a quick(ish) media kick. They cannot effectively introduce new hardware in a 1,5 hour presentation. So, rather than a nuts 'n bolts exhaustive media meet, they throw out what is most expected, what is most poignant to the device.

I reckon that iPhone OS 3.2 isn't ready either, that it will have a lot of tweaks added in the coming weeks, but that OS 4.0 will really move the iPad (and iDevice) ahead again.

EDIT: Anyway, here is 'evidence' if you want to call it that, that a camera was already removed from the original design. If Apple wanted to 'add' features later, they'd be stupid to firstly remove them!

[Aeaea]

There is no reason to believe that the units passed around after the announcement were production units. <shrugs> But who knows....

[NineSwords]

Well I said it before, I hope for a front cam, but I don't think they will add this in the 1st gen model.

A camera is a key feature that would have been announced on the keynote. I don't remember a time when Apple added something to the hardware after the initial announcement. Sure, more information about the device emerged that weren't part of the initial presentation, but the hardware itself seemed always to be pretty final once they showed it to the drooling world.

[ChiffaN]

I don't see the camera being of any real use on the iPad and don't understand the people who are angry that Apple didn't include it. I don't whink at the current level people will actually use video calling, so it's more of fashion statement than anything else.

[NineSwords]

I don't see the camera being of any real use on the iPad and don't understand the people who are angry that Apple didn't include it. I don't whink at the current level people will actually use video calling, so it's more of fashion statement than anything else.

I use skype video on a regular basis to keep in touch with my kids during the week. I have to sit in front of my desktop or carry around my notebook during that. If I had a lightweight alternative like the iPad with wich I could actually move around freely it would be a selling point for me.

Just to clarify this. I don't think the iPad is something I would take out. I would only use it at home as a convenience item. It doesn't bring anything new to the table and if it doesn't make anything I can already do more convenient, I simply have no use for it. And videochat is one of the tasks that I feel my current quipment isn't convenient enough at the moment. Except ebooks, everything else is covered. And regarding ebooks I hope that the bookstore will be available for the iPhone too. having used stanza for quite some time now, I think that a bigger screen would be nice but it wouldn't be enough to warrant the price of an iPad as a single selling point.

Keep in mind, the useage behaviour differs from person to person. Grant statements like "it's more of fashion statement than anything else" doesn't really fit.

[ChiffaN]

I use skype video on a regular basis to keep in touch with my kids during the week. I have to sit in front of my desktop or carry around my notebook during that. If I had a lightweight alternative like the iPad with wich I could actually move around freely it would be a selling point for me.

Just to clarify this. I don't think the iPad is something I would take out. I would only use it at home as a convenience item. It doesn't bring anything new to the table and if it doesn't make anything I can already do more convenient, I simply have no use for it. And videochat is one of the tasks that I feel my current quipment isn't convenient enough at the moment. Except ebooks, everything else is covered. And regarding ebooks I hope that the bookstore will be available for the iPhone too. having used stanza for quite some time now, I think that a bigger screen would be nice but it wouldn't be enough to warrant the price of an iPad as a single selling point.

Keep in mind, the useage behaviour differs from person to person. Grant statements like "it's more of fashion statement than anything else" doesn't really fit.

I can easily see you doing this via the iPhone with front facing camera. But the iPad - it will simply be too difficult to correctly point and hold it to keep you in the view of the camera.

[NineSwords]

I can easily see you doing this via the iPhone with front facing camera. But the iPad - it will simply be too difficult to correctly point and hold it to keep you in the view of the camera.

Why? I'm facing the screen anyway directly. And where would it be different from pointing a iPhone front camera? Don't get me wrong. This isn't entirely new ground. Other phones and notebooks have this for years. It work's without problems. Actually I cannot see why this shouldn't work? See apart from some scenarios where you have it lying flat on your lap, or a table you would always be facing the screen more or less directly.

[ChiffaN]

Why? I'm facing the screen anyway directly. And where would it be different from pointing a iPhone front camera? Don't get me wrong. This isn't entirely new ground. Other phones and notebooks have this for years. It work's without problems. Actually I cannot see why this shouldn't work? See apart from some scenarios where you have it lying flat on your lap, or a table you would always be facing the screen more or less directly.

Well, not so much. First of all - remember that the camera will not be in the center of the screen, rather somewhere on the outskirts of the device. Not even talking about the ease with which you obscure it with a finger try imagining a laser pointer strapped on the outskirts of an A4 sheet of paper. How easy do you think it would be for you to pint it at your forehead holding the sheet by it's sides? And that's exactly the reason why it can easily work on the iPhone - since it's much smaller it will be much easier to control which way the camera is facing thanks to it being closer to the center of the screen.

[NineSwords]

Well, not so much. First of all - remember that the camera will not be in the center of the screen, rather somewhere on the outskirts of the device. Not even talking about the ease with which you obscure it with a finger try imagining a laser pointer strapped on the outskirts of an A4 sheet of paper. How easy do you think it would be for you to pint it at your forehead holding the sheet by it's sides? And that's exactly the reason why it can easily work on the iPhone - since it's much smaller it will be much easier to control which way the camera is facing thanks to it being closer to the center of the screen.

Sorry, but a laserpointer is a bad example since it has a single focus point. Sure it's not easy keeping a fixed point centered on a single spot, but cameras for videochat purpose have a very wide FOV (field of view) for that exact reason. When I'm using the camera in my laptop I have quite some leeway to still be in frame. The more narrow the FOV gets the harder it is to keep somethign in frame. Just compare it to a zoom lens on a camera. It's easy to keep something in view at 18mm but at 500mm you're pretty much done for without some seroius tracking skills and a tripod.

Obscuring the camera with your fingers wouldn't be a problem either. Just take a sheet of paper and hold it as if it were a iPad. If I try this the natural handposition would be at about 4 and 8 o'clock. On a small device like the iPhone I would obscure a cemera with my thumbs when in landscape mode. On the iPad a centered camera would have a clear view. A even better solution would be to incorporate two cameras for portrait and landscape mode. Since you don't need such a high quality cam for a videochat this wouln't cut too deeply into the profit margin (this is relative when every penny spent in production counts for a company. But as a key feature for the second generation model this wouldn't be too far off).