Are there laptops without webcams?

[Tapioca Dextrin]

Due to totally unecessary security stupidity, I'm going to be working somwhere that bans all cameras. Even crappy littlecams on laptops. But all modern laptops seem to have them. Is there anyone out there that still makes a laptop without a camera.

[GHO57]

Dell Vostro 1510?

[gotpasswords]

Look at "corporate" or "enterprise" models. There's no camera on my Dell Latitude, and I'd like to think that HP, Toshiba and whoever else is left in this market also have camera-free options.

[astro]

Thinkpad enterprise model "ThinkPad W701 laptop" with discrete graphics has a "no camera" option. Pricey unit though.

[corkboard]

I have an HP Compaq 6510b from a couple years ago; no webcam.

[moldybread]

My Alienware does not have a webcam. Im pretty sure you can still get them with out one.
They can be a little pricey though.

[Arkcon]

My Lenovo, which was already last years model when I bought it a year ago from a computer fair, doesn't have a webcam. You shouldn't have to pay more for one without a webcam, you just have to buy a really, really old model. I don't remember the model number for mine off hand 'tho. It was one of the earliest dual-core laptops -- but the reviews caution, the dual core doesn't really improve the processing, I'm guessing the architecture wasn't updated to support it.

[USCDiver]

The last several times I've customized a computer online, there was an option to NOT have a camera, although it is included by default.

[Skammer]

I bought an HP laptop 18 months ago without one, but I don't know if their current models all include them or not.

[aceplace57]

Why not cover the lens with paint or nail polish?

Pick a color that match the case. One dab of black nail polish eliminates the problem.

[Baracus]

Originally Posted by aceplace57

Why not cover the lens with paint or nail polish?

Pick a color that match the case. One dab of black nail polish eliminates the problem.

Because a dab of black nail polish can easily be removed thus defeating the purpose of not allowing cameras.

[longhair75]

my dell inspiron 1520 has no web cam

[SciFiSam]

There are loads of them! You're in the UK, aren't you? Look on somewhere like ebuyer - most of the laptops don't have webcams. Netbooks do, but there are even a few exceptions there.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by Arkcon

My Lenovo, which was already last years model when I bought it a year ago from a computer fair, doesn't have a webcam. You shouldn't have to pay more for one without a webcam, you just have to buy a really, really old model. I don't remember the model number for mine off hand 'tho. It was one of the earliest dual-core laptops -- but the reviews caution, the dual core doesn't really improve the processing, I'm guessing the architecture wasn't updated to support it.

Same here. Mine is a T61 ThinkPad.

[aceplace57]

my Dell Latitude D520 has no web cam either.

Any PC I own will not have a web cam.

Removing the camera shouldn't be difficult. It's probably a press fit. Should be able to pry it out carefully. If nothing else, a screwdriver through the lens will blind it.

There was something in the news a few months ago about a school incident. Web cams were activated on laptops given to students. The guy was caught with pictures of them in their dorm rooms.

There's no way in hell I'll allow a web cam on my pc. I've read Orwell too many times.

[robert_columbia]

Amusing anecdote about laptop webcams:

At the company I work for, all of us on the project are issued laptops. A manager came over to me and asked me if I knew if we had any webcams. I gave a serious emotional shock to the manager when I told them that all of our laptops had webcams built in.

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by aceplace57

Any PC I own will not have a web cam.

Why not? If your machine happens to have one, nobody can force you to use it - and they're add no significant weight, inconvenience or cost to the machine?

What I mean is... You appear to be expressing a strenuous objection here - I'm curious as to your rationale.

[aceplace57]

Web cams are already used by some security programs to retrieve stolen laptops.
http://www.hardwareguru.com/news/sto...ves-by-webcam/

That may seem like a good thing. But eventually the hacker community will find ways to activate the camera remotely too.

this CNET article raises several concerns. It's worth reading.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10457737-238.html

The Webcam spy case in the Lower Merion School District near Philadelphia has raised concern as to whether others with Webcams are vulnerable to remote spying. The school district admitted to activating the Webcams 42 times during a 14-month period, claiming that it did so only to track lost or stolen laptops.

Malware can turn on Webcam
There are also Trojan horses and other malware programs that can be used to take remote control of a computer. According to Mike Geide, senior security researcher at cloud security company Zscaler, "there are several exploit kits out there that include rootkit functionality that allow (people) to interact with the operating system however they want, and that includes turning on specific services or running applications in the background that would include applications to report Webcams, record audio, or turn on a built-in internal microphone."

[Acsenray]

Originally Posted by Mangetout

Why not? If your machine happens to have one, nobody can force you to use it - and they're add no significant weight, inconvenience or cost to the machine?

What I mean is... You appear to be expressing a strenuous objection here - I'm curious as to your rationale.

What if they're remotely activated, like in that high school incident? What if your mom keeps bugging you to turn it on -- "Why won't you turn it on? What are you hiding?"

[pulykamell]

Then put a piece of tape over it, if you're paranoid, and at least you have a webcam you can use when you need it.

[Acsenray]

"Why won't you pull that piece of tape off your webcam? What are you hiding?"

If people know you have something, they start pressuring you to use it.

[kenobi 65]

When I bought my Dell Inspiron two years ago, I had the option of not having a webcam installed. A quick look at their web site suggests that it's still optional.

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by acsenray

"Why won't you pull that piece of tape off your webcam? What are you hiding?"

If people know you have something, they start pressuring you to use it.

Are you serious? I have a webcam on my laptop. I think I used it a total of two times in the last four years. I've never been pressured to use one (seriously, who does that?) Second, how many people are ever going to get the chance to even see my computer to make that observation?

edit: I should make it clear that I'm responding to the general aversion of webcams, not the security issue in the OP. In that case, no, tape would not be a solution.

[Mangetout]

Easy enough to disable the webcam in the device manager in Windows, or probably in the CMOS settings on some computers, or, as others have suggested, stick a bit of tape over it - because insisting on no webcam is at the moment on the borderline of inconveniencing yourself by limiting the choice of devices in your market - in the near future, searching for a laptop with no webcam will be like searching for one with a built in floppy drive.

Just seems a weirdly specific thing to be paranoid about.

(to the aversion of webcams issue - not the OP - understood that there is some absolute requirement for a non-camera device here)

[Fastidiots]

If a hacker did remotely activate my webcam, I'd be much more concerned at all the financial records and passwords that they'd also have access to. My webcam? If you insist on seeing my hairy ass change in the morning I suppose that's your prerogative.

[YogSosoth]

Can't you smash the webcam?

[DogRatCat]

It is an option for most Dell laptops, not a requirement. SOME offers only allow a few, if any, customizations and may not allow the removal of a webcam; you can just look for a different offer or start with a base config and customize it.

At the risk of inflaming screaming fanboi's, I have no idea if Apple forces you to have what Apple wants you to have when it comes to Mac laptops, meaning are webcams options or not on Macs? It's just the sort of thing Apple would do, however -- tell you what you want rather than ask. And make you glad you paid for it too!

[Tapioca Dextrin]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I hadn't thought to look at corporate models. I had been looking to replace my Sony Vaio, but it seems that Sony force a webcam on you. Not everyone is so Orwellian.

I'd looked at some Dells and the ones I looked at all had a non-optional camera. Guess I didn't try hard enough

The covering the lens with tape option might work, but the security goons have guns

[Tapioca Dextrin]

Originally Posted by scifisam2009

You're in the UK, aren't you?

I'm in the UK today. Second time I've been here this year!

[Myglaren]

None of these Toshiba laptops have an integrated webcam but all of the business laptops have

[Tapioca Dextrin]

In the US at least, the only choice was Dell or HP. I ended up choosing an HP EliteBook 8540w because it had slightly more features. I mean come on - USB 3 ports? All I nned now is some USB 3 devices to plug into them. But I'm a boy and I have my toy.