Today I've seen two posts, one envisioning great potential for the tablet camera, one asking for it to be removed altogether. I've seen both points of view raised before, and I'm curious about how others feel about it.

The poll allows multiple selections.

Well I like the idea, not the implementation. seeing how they are using some old hardware that would not be good enough for a phone, and the video messaging software has never worked for me.


So all that said, yes, just make it work!! and give me at least 1.2MP

yes, 640k front and 3.2 Mp back

Keep it! Improve it with better camera and create more software to support it. It's not like removing it would save a ton of space or cost. I'm all for it. I wasn't expecting it to replace a DSLR or even the camera on my phone, I just wanted a way to do a quick video call back home while traveling.

I just don't see a good camera ever being included without raising the price point considerably. The very low-end camera currently provided in the n800/810 is more of a gimmick to me, particularly since the poor LCD video performance (slow frame rate) and bad low-light sensitivity mean it can never used as a legitimate webcam at a desk or inside without a lot of extra lighting. It just seems like it demands too much for too little in the way of day-to-day usage. I'd prefer more battery life, internal flash memory, a line-in connection, a dedicated USB host port, or a dozen other small, valuable ideas.
Finally, there are the workplace issues with having a camera which are considerable for enough people that it outweighs any merit.

Larry

I think it should be left out but not forgotten. The same with GPS. Both could be usefull or useless. If photos or GPS are important to you, you probably already have a better camera/gps that fits your needs. If you used some standardized port (PCMIA, CF, SD, SIM, or at least USB). Then you could add on about anything that's marketable.* That was the best part of the USB host mode for me.

*examples, GPS (as seen built into SD and Sim cards), 'vga' webcam (usb cams), X megapixel photo quality camera (the flip), solid state hard drive, theater stereo systems (as seen for PSP), radio transmitter (as seen for ipod), future G3/wimax recievers, licenced game cartridges (like gameboy?), perhaps just some other USB or Flash card reader slots (as seen in PCMIA cards).
** and perhaps some real commercial/nitch/geek potential, like serial/parallel ports, barcode scanners, RFID scanners (steal that passport info from nearby people at the airports), I/R transmitters.

Ideally, this should be one of those existing formats that already has these devices.

Edit: Good point below, Benson. I forgot about the bluetooth. There are also now wi-fi peripherals like external drives and printers. The Mini-B to USB-A female accomplishes whatever the bluetooth can't. Somewhere, someone mentioned a second Mini-B port, I'd be content with that. The expansion slot idea is outdated.

Well, BT allows some of the connectivity you discuss already, including RS232 (and therefore barcode scanners, I/R transmitters, and much more), radio transmitter, GPS, 3G/WiMax. And, by and large, I'd rather have devices connect via BT than USB, because most such devices don't need hooked to the device, and become port-smashing liabilities when they are so hooked. A camera for video-chat seems the main one for this, and on that justification might best be left built-in, as on the N800; all else should be wireless when possible. Still, with the times changing, any built-in camera should be 1024x768 or bigger, and better image quality/lower light requirements.

And, yes, I'm willing to tack on $20ish on most of these gadgets to buy wirelessness; but that cost is there, so comes into any decision-making.

I'd say keep it but bump it up to around at least 2mp. A lot of us are nerds here, and a lot of us are nerds who cannot comprehend seeing anyone else's point of view. I've warmed up to the idea of a camera, but when I think of the average user (ie my drunken friends taking dumb pics in a bar) I'm all for it. Mass appeal, right?

I could love to see it come with the 5mp camera thats on the N95 even if the price goes up another 100.00 bucks.

I seem to miss the option:

"Yes, but only if I can do something frakking useful with it!"

I don't care what camera Nokia puts in a future Itablet, just as long as they have a figment of an idea of what to use that camera for:

- A VGA webcam is okay -- provided it can be used for webcamming, goddammit!!!

- and a 12 megapixel beast ain't too bad either -- if there's an app to do something with those pictures! At least Gimp should be on the Itablet in that case, with enough RAM for it to be actually useful.

Just cramming a camera in a device and hoping somehow software and services for it will automagically turn up, is kinda *****ic. Not to mention quite Microsoftie as well...