BitCam 1.0.4

A blast from the past!

BitCam is a digital camera that takes you back to the days when mini pocket computers were all the rage in 1996. This app was created as a celebration of the Iconfactory's 20th anniversary of creating innovative pixel-based designs!

The design brief for BitCam was simple: "What would we design today if we were limited by the technology of the past?"

What we ended up with is a testament to how much technology has advanced since we first started developing software for Apple’s products.

We opted for a black and white interface to stay true to the limitations of the era. Color graphics support was unreliable back then, and acquiring a color graphics card upgrade for your mini pocket computer could set you back hundreds of dollars!

BitCam's user interface also lacks the flashy animations commonly found in today's apps. We used zoom rects for view transitions, scrolling in credits was choppy, and chunky controls were the norm. Implementing these features on modern devices, which rely on asynchronous layout and high-resolution drawing without an XOR operation, proved to be quite challenging!

Despite the limitations, one thing hasn't changed over the years: the importance of clarity and simplicity in a user interface. BitCam's graphics may be blockier, but they still embody many of the design principles we strive for in our current projects. (We must admit, though, we sometimes miss having borders on buttons.)

In 1996, terms like Retina displays, selfies, and social networks were not yet part of our vocabulary. Coming up with terminology for BitCam was a delightfully amusing task as we took wild guesses about what the future might hold! The only term we got right was "FatBits" because Bill Atkinson had already invented it. He was also the mastermind behind the dithering algorithm used in our app. :thumbsup:

Another significant difference is the prevalence of today's 64-bit processors, capable of effortlessly processing video signals at 30 frames per second. In BitCam, we intentionally throttled the speed to simulate the limitations of the original 16-bit processors found in mini pocket computers. Higher resolution settings are deliberately slower to maintain authenticity!

We even paid homage to the past while creating BitCam's promotional website. If you're a web developer, take a moment to view the source code at www.iconfactory.com/bc.html (even the URL has an old-school charm!). Native apps are not the only thing that has improved remarkably since our humble beginnings!

Lastly, let's talk about price. BitCam can be downloaded and tried for free, following the same shareware model we employed when we first started at the Iconfactory. The difference now is that BitCam's in-app purchase is only 1/10th of what we charged in 1996. Your generous support will ensure our continued success for another 20 years.

Finally, don't forget to check out the credits screen, where we pay tribute to those who have helped us achieve this level of success over the years.