Steve Jobs’ iPad with iSight Camera?

Sharp-eyed observers have noticed what looks to be an iSight camera in the iPad Steve Jobs used in last week’s keynote.

Even though Jobs didn’t talk about a camera, and it’s not mentioned in Apple’s official tech specs, something that looks like an iSight camera can be seen when Jobs first holds the iPad up for everyone to see.

As he holds it up, the light catches the iPad’s surface, illuminating something underneath. That something looks like an iSight camera, similar to the ones built into MacBooks, under the screens.

In the official iPad podcast, it can be seen around the 1:23:40 mark.

It’s not conclusive, of course, but corroborates the prototype images published by Engadget in the run up to the event, which clearly show an iSight camera in the same position. And references to a camera have been found in both the iPad’s Address Book software and the iPad firmware.

The absence of a camera on the iPad has been one of the device’s most puzzling omissions. Although, as our own John Brownlee first noted, a camera in a tablet that’s sitting in your lap, staring up at you, doesn’t produce the most flattering camera angles.

UPDATE: A repair company called Mission Repair says the iPad’s frame clearly shows an empty spot for an iSight camera, and it is exactly the same size and shape as the iSight slot in a MacBook’s screen frame. (Mission Repair received a shipment of iPad parts on Monday, the company blog says).

Thanks NyxoLyno.

Posted by Leander Kahney

8 Reasons why Netbook better than iPad

TOI

Is iPad the new Netbook? Not really say analysts. Not that Apple positioned it as one, but with the device positioned between a laptop and smartphone, comparisons are natural.

However, according to Netbook lovers iPad is anything but a competition to Netbooks. Here's why.

Just like all other Apple products, battery of iPad is fixed and irreplacable. While there is no such hassle in Netbooks. All Netbooks allow you to change the battery. Not only this, you can also upgrade your three-cell battery to a six-cell battery or more.

While Steve Jobs promised 'the best Web experience' in iPad, it does have a few critical pieces missing. Brwoser-based apps and Flash are big part of Web experience and right now it's not even clear whether iPad can even run Hulu.

A physical keyboard is what some might be used to, as it eases typing and is a boon for those who have to do a lot of typing text - like while chatting or writing long business documents. Netbooks come with a physical keyboard, the touch-keypad of the iPad has left critics wondering how comfortable a user will feel when he needs to do some heavy-dose typing. Also, though iPad has a dock for a keyboard, but it also means additional expense.

Apple hasn't given the option or the flexibility for users to be able to install software from discs or even through USB-based flash drives. While Netbook users can download, install, applications from DVDs/CDs or USB drives even without an optical drive built in.

iPad's wireless and portable. However, Apple iPad has no USB ports. This means if you want to connect say a camera, printer or even a USB, you would need an adapter for it. In comparison, all Netbooks have a minimum of 2 USB ports as standard.

Even the most basic Netbook has a 160GB hard drive. However, iPad comes with a maximum of 64 GB memory. Cloud storage can assist with data, but it's still no replacement for onboard memory.

Analysts seem to be missing camera in iPad. No camera means no scope for Web chats or videoconferencing. In comparison, most Netbooks come with an in-built web camera.

Users can upgrade the RAM of Netbooks (though slightly). However, there is no such luxury in iPad, once you have picked your model -- 16, 32 or 64GB -- there's no going back.