Top: iPad Center: Camera Bottom: MacBook
Mission Repair has posted images of what seems to be the iPad outer frame. Very similar pictures have been posted on other websites. Assuming these are actual iPad parts, it appears Apple did build in a space for a camera at the top of the device.
The photo above shows that the outer frame of the iPad has a spot perfectly sized for a iSight camera from a MacBook.
Apple decided not to ship the first generation iPad with a built-in-camera despite this evidence.
[...] one knows why Apple decided to leave out a camera in the iPad, but evidence in the iPad’s outer frame shows that there is space for a camera, meaning that Apple was planning to include a camera in the [...]
[...] to be a Camera tab in the brand new Photos app that was released in this SDK. We have seen many possibilities and references of camera support in the iPad, but Apple decided to leave it out of the [...]
[...] camera on what appears to be an iPad. Apple decided not to ship the iPad with a camera, but a picture showing the outer frame of the iPad seems to leave a place for the [...]