Expert: DebiN - 7/30/2009

Question
Writer/author here. Debi, you helped me tremendously recently so I'm backed with another cell ph question, hopefully simpler this time. Hopefully. It will make you laugh but it's true:  I've never owned a cell that had a camera; the camera never mattered to me Iguess. LOL. I cannot remember when I first started seeing friends/co-workers with cameras on their phones!
So in my novel, which is in year 2000, a villain breaks into the home of the main character, Jane. He ransacks it while she's away. Much later, she discovers it, the cops arrive to do the "CSI thing" and of course, the neighbors are gawking.
My question involves phones in 2000, no particular make, model or wireless carrier.   Could be analog phones, could be digital. Doesn't matter.
all I want to know is, in 2000, is it possible for any of the neighbors (gawkers) to be snapping pictures of the "excitement" with their cell phones?   (you know, hold the phone straight up in front of you....the way we see people do so in public "nowadays")     Thanks, Debi.

Answer
Nice to hear from you again, as always, Lydia. In the year 2000, cell phones did not have cameras, so the neighbors would not be snapping pictures with their cell phones, I'm afraid. It wasn't until digital phones that cameras on phones were even available (this isn't something that an analog phone can do) and the first digital phone with a camera didn't come to the US until 2002. Digital cameras didn't really make an appearance until then either. If the neighbors are taking pictures, it would have to be with their old cameras, not cell phones, I'm afraid. Perhaps they might use video cameras. In 2000, they were very big, but people had them (and expensive, around $1000). I hope this helps! Thanks and keep writing! I'm here to help if you need me again. DebiN