User profile for user: Knotcrazy
Knotcrazy Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

IPad teleconferencing - PLEASE FIX THIS, PLEASE PLEASE and tell me Why…

Question: why why why? Please give me a reason so I’ll stop being so angry at my IPad.


I recently bought a new IPad Pro 12.9” with every option, the Magic Keyboard, pen (I.e. the works) as I’m an avid Apple fan. The plan was to dump my laptop and PC as most of my work is teleconferencing, watching others present work and doing some small editing to documents. The mobility, regular icons and lack of booting up of the IPad made it a perfect laptop replacement until….


I NOW HATE MY IPAD for one huge simple reason - the camera is on the left side rater than the middle of the screen when I do teleconferencing the same way as 110% of the planet does it, in landscape mode, plus, whenever I use the Magic Keyboard, plus whenever whenever. Everyone now sees me as if I’m not looking directly back at them and everyone else with a PC or laptop is properly looking directly into the group. I feel rude, silly, etc. Every time I have a conference call, I’m reminded of the flaw, it’s continually irritating to me and almost angers me for the stupidity of it as I can’t imaging what Apple was thinking.


Then, to make matters 120% worse, I’m left handed and if, during a teleconference, I reach toward the screen with my Apple Pen or finger to scroll, expand the screen, multitask, etc., everyone sees my huge full screen hairy hand in the camera on the left side. It’s become an internal joke at our company. If the camera was on the top like every other device, my hand would be below the camera, my face would be looking forward and my new $1800+ IPad would be perfect.


I do love all my Apple products, defend them against all PC fanatics, but this is a flaw, and a bad one at that. I can only think of one reason Apple left this the way it is - cheap. Any explanation would help calm my angst.


Then again, I f you’ll please, please, please fix this I’ll gladly buy another IPad just to replace my 2021 brand new hugely expensive current version that ****** me off every time I use it. Until then, I am now forced to carry a laptop any time a teleconference involves a presentation that matters (I.e. clients, etc.). Apple, you screwed this one up. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE fix this in the next release.

iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 3rd Gen, Wi-Fi, Cell

Posted on Jul 9, 2021 11:28 AM

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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
User level: Level 10
302,294 points

Posted on Jul 9, 2021 4:59 PM

You have several usability issues.


You first need to recognise that the iPad has its front-facing camera array positioned at the top-centre of the iPad display - when the iPad is oriented in its “natural” portrait view. When positioned in its landscape orientation, the camera will be positioned to one side or other - as determined by the position in which it is placed.


Your iPad camera positioning is therefore a mechanical compromise - in particular when you consider that laptop/desktop computers tend to have their camera positioned centrally on the top/long edge of a landscape screen. With a camera located to the side, your gaze when looking directly at the screen (and not the camera) will always appear to be directed to the side - whereas a centrally located camera will have your attention seemingly focused below the camera. A centrally camera located centrally on the long edge, when the screen is in landscape orientation, will always minimise the apparent offset of your gaze as the camera will be position closer to the physical centre of the screen.


When using a Magic Keyboard with iPad, the Smart Connector interface, that connects keyboard to iPad, positions the iPad in landscape orientation - with the camera array positioned to the left. For right-handed users (which statistically represents a greater proportion of the population), orientating the camera array to the left of the screen reduces issues of your hand obscuring the camera view. This is clearly less than ideal for left-handed users.


The best workaround that can be offered is to flip the iPad 180° when using the iPad in landscape - to position the camera to the right side of the screen. Clearly, this makes use of a Magic Keyboard impossible. As such, if using an external keyboard/trackpad, you will need to substitute your existing Magic Keyboard for a Bluetooth keyboard (for example, a Logitech K380 - or Apple Magic Keyboard for Mac).


Whilst recognising that this may be less than ideal, removing the ability to use your existing Magic Keyboard, it may represent a technically acceptable workaround for the fundamental limitations of a tablet computer.

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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
User level: Level 10
302,294 points

Jul 9, 2021 4:59 PM in response to Knotcrazy

You have several usability issues.


You first need to recognise that the iPad has its front-facing camera array positioned at the top-centre of the iPad display - when the iPad is oriented in its “natural” portrait view. When positioned in its landscape orientation, the camera will be positioned to one side or other - as determined by the position in which it is placed.


Your iPad camera positioning is therefore a mechanical compromise - in particular when you consider that laptop/desktop computers tend to have their camera positioned centrally on the top/long edge of a landscape screen. With a camera located to the side, your gaze when looking directly at the screen (and not the camera) will always appear to be directed to the side - whereas a centrally located camera will have your attention seemingly focused below the camera. A centrally camera located centrally on the long edge, when the screen is in landscape orientation, will always minimise the apparent offset of your gaze as the camera will be position closer to the physical centre of the screen.


When using a Magic Keyboard with iPad, the Smart Connector interface, that connects keyboard to iPad, positions the iPad in landscape orientation - with the camera array positioned to the left. For right-handed users (which statistically represents a greater proportion of the population), orientating the camera array to the left of the screen reduces issues of your hand obscuring the camera view. This is clearly less than ideal for left-handed users.


The best workaround that can be offered is to flip the iPad 180° when using the iPad in landscape - to position the camera to the right side of the screen. Clearly, this makes use of a Magic Keyboard impossible. As such, if using an external keyboard/trackpad, you will need to substitute your existing Magic Keyboard for a Bluetooth keyboard (for example, a Logitech K380 - or Apple Magic Keyboard for Mac).


Whilst recognising that this may be less than ideal, removing the ability to use your existing Magic Keyboard, it may represent a technically acceptable workaround for the fundamental limitations of a tablet computer.

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IPad teleconferencing - PLEASE FIX THIS, PLEASE PLEASE and tell me Why…

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