The Logitech Quickcam Messenger is a webcam with a built-in microphone that offers outstanding quality.

Logitech

Logitech is number one for webcams, and a well known trusted brand for making PC peripherals such as keyboards, mice, speakers, gaming consoles, headphones, mp3 players and mobile phones. Founded in 1981, the headquarters is situated in Switzerland and the company sells products to continents all over the world.

Instructions and Installation

I received the QuickCam Messenger as a Christmas present from my aunty and began to set it up straight away. I took out the instruction manual and groaned at the size of it, but to my great relief it was only because it was written in sixteen different languages! In fact, the English section was literally only four pages long so I was in my element. It is so simple to follow and there isn't any confusing lingo either, and when you put in the installation CD it just does it all for you so it was up and running in a matter of minutes. There is also another CD called HP Photosmart Essential 1.9 which isn't really explained but when you insert the disc it tells you that it is basically for editing and managing photos, which was a nice touch. So overall, setting it up couldn't be simpler and doesn't waste loads of time. *****

Design

The camera is a cylinder in shape and comes in the colour grey. However, you are given two other coloured faces to attach in red and blue in case you don't like grey or if you just like to have a change every once in a while. I thought that this was an excellent feature and one that I certainly had never seen before, making the webcam pretty unique. It was quite hard trying to detach the old face to put on the new coloured one but my dad did it in the end, and now my webcam is red =). There is a clip at the back so that you can attach it to your monitor, but it is made so that it can be used on any type whether it is bulky or slim because it can fold or flatten out. The microphone is discreetly positioned at the top of the webcam making it hardly noticeable, and behind that there is a snapshot button allowing you to take photos. There is also an LED light just above the lens which turns green when the camera is in use, and a focus ring that enables you to adjust the image. The camera can pivot vertically or horizontally so that you can find the best position and so that not just half of your head is in view! *****

Toolbar

When you install the webcam you also install a toolbar so that you can change the settings, record videos and add video effects. The my favourite part of the toolbar has to be the effects that you can put on the webcam that make the image distorted, because they are really fun to use and make the webchat a lot more exciting. These effects are called filters and they can make your face negative, like a painting or even in four different squares. And obviously when you use it whilst speaking to somebody they can see the distorted image as well otherwise it would be pointless. It says on the box for the webcam that you can download more effects for free, and I have tried doing so but they don't seem to work which is a bit annoying - but I won't include that in my overall opinion because it isn't really anything to do with the actual webcam. On the toolbar there is another option called "Privacy shade" which is a bunch of random pictures of things like trees, flowers and buildings which can be put up when you want a bit of privacy for a minute so the other person can't see you. I can't say that I've used this option often but it is a clever idea. I have once had a webcam before but it didn't have any of the features that are offered with the QuickCam toolbar because it isn't really necessary, however it makes it really fun to use and I think it's brilliant. *****

Video

It says on the box that the video capture is 640x480 pixels and it captures up to 30 frames per second, which for me is excellent. With some webcams you will get a fuzzy image or one that looks like it is a load of coloured blocks rather than a person, but with this one the image is crystal clear. As I mentioned before there is a focus ring but I've never found the need to use it because the picture is fantastic. The colours it captures are excellent and it doesn't freeze up all the time either making the video capture one of the best I've ever seen. *****

Microphone

Having the microphone built into the webcam is a great idea and it means that the top of my monitor isn't cluttered with lots of different items. I love the way it is so discreet and isn't right up in your face, I wouldn't have even noticed that it was there if I hadn't seen it written on the box. It is quite strange hearing your own voice played back to you because it sounds different when you say it but it's a really entertaining feature to play around with. You can use the microphone by sending voice messages rather than worded ones, or in a webchat. I have tried doing a webchat with my cousin recently but because his microphone was playing up it didn't really work, although he could hear my voice so there was no problem on my part. It comes with 'Logitech RightSound echo cancellation technology' which gives you a crisp and clean sound by eliminating echoes which I thought was really cool. It picks up your voice from 3 feet away which is more than enough and the audio is brilliant. *****

Compatibility

It says that the webcam works with Skype Video, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM and Windows Live Messenger (which is what I use it for) but I'm sure that if you were to try it with others it would probably still work. It will run on Windows 2000, XP and Vista but it doesn't mention anything about Mac so I am assuming that it isn't compatible. My laptop runs on Vista and I was a bit worried that the webcam I was getting for Christmas may not work because Vista is fairly new but the webcam does and I was delighted. Other specifications that it says are that you need are simply a USB port and a CD-ROM drive which is what most PCs will have anyway. ****

Conclusion

Overall I think that the Logitech QuickCam is a fabulous computer accessory. Not only is it a webcam, it is also a microphone that comes with many features that can be further extended on the internet. I know it is made to last, because the first thing I done when I opened the case was to drop it on the floor and thankfully it has had no effect! I especially like the removable faceplates idea and the video effects because they just gave it that extra special touch. I had mine bought for me but you can get it from Argos for £19.99 which is a real bargain. I couldn't be happier with the quality of both the camera and the microphone, and I would recommend it to you any day.

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