News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

June 17, 2008

speculation

Is the iSight returning in HD?

Posted Jun. 17, ’08, 12:54 PM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | Apple » Speculation

iSight HD spottedOh Apple, how you love to tease us! MacRumors brings us word of the presence of a reference to “iSight HD” in QuickTime’s localizable.strings file. If you don’t believe us, and why would you, you can see it for yourself by navigating to the following folder and opening it up in TextEdit:

/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component/Contents/Resources/English.lproj

As you can no doubt see, not only does it mention iSight HD, it explicitly labels it as the “Next Generation USB iSight”, which might mean that Apple is planning a reincarnation of the late USB FireWire iSight camera. You didn’t really think we would lie to you, did you?

More than a year after the discontinuation of the standalone iSight camera, people still haven’t given up hope for an improved version of the camera to resurface or at least get integrated into revamped Apple Cinema Displays (which is another longstanding desire of many a Mac user, including yours truly).

As much as I would like to believe that the iSight HD is real, however, I find it strange that a company as neurotically secrecy obsessed as Apple would make such an anvil sized hint readily available for all to see, and therefore do not believe that it’s actually in the offing. We’d love to hear what you have to say.

[Via TUAW]


5 Comments

Dave-O said:

This isn't that big a slip. Remember when Apple let slip iTunes movie rentals in their comment form? I'd say this is pretty solid.

Now we just need some really gorgeous high-density OLED displays with these cameras built in!

June 17, 2008 2:25 PM
LandMineHare said:

The original iSight was firewire. At least the one I had was.

June 17, 2008 3:16 PM
Goobi said:

Although, in recent times Apple hasn't been so secretive about their products. Or maybe people have become really good at snooping around. Take a look at the last few keynotes. Almost all the stuff has been predicted (save for mythical things like iTablet and the updated Cinema displays). I'm pretty sure the iSight HD will be here soon...

June 17, 2008 4:00 PM
HD_Addict said:

Since Aiptek HD video camera is available at $200 price range, I think it is real that the new iSight HD will become reality.

Video conferencing in HD...wow....that will be exciting and a nightmare for ISPs due to heavier traffic.

June 18, 2008 8:02 AM
LaMont said:

I am a total MAC convert. My life has been a living hell since the discontinuation of the isight. I own just one, and have 2 mini's and an imac. I am constantly moving the camera between the two mini's. If my camera fails, I don't know what I'll do. Using macam and inferior webcams is beneath me. If only as a limited edition this holiday season, I'd buy 5 isights unimproved for piece of mind. Relaunch the isight!!!

June 18, 2008 8:07 AM

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