Logitech Quickcam For Notebooks

...Web Cam Software, Microsoft NetMeeting, Logitech Smart Internet Updater
·Power: Powered through USB
·Weight: .5 pounds
·Warranty, parts: 2 years (hardware)
·Warranty, labor: 2 years (hardware)

</Geeky Bit>

Looks

What attracted me to this particular web cam was mainly the look of it, I’m actually ashamed to admit this being a geekess its normally one of the last things ...
...will make the same mistake again. It looks good and stands out from the crowd slightly; the navy/black colour is much nicer than boring white or grey.

There is a clip mount bit on it so you can clip this to your laptop (again I am using this on my tablet but it also clipped on to this great if the tablet is on a stand rather than on my arm. But not overly stable would not take much for this to fall off and I do wonder how sturdy the ... more

What is it?

This is a Web Cam for TFT monitor, Laptops, Notebooks and Tablet PC’s. A web cam is basically a device that takes pictures or video footage. A web cam was originally used (I think) to take pictures of something and upload them to a web site. Nowadays there are loads of different uses

One of the early uses of this I remember is a university that had a web cam on their Coffee Pot, so everyone around the building could see if it was full or empty. Where I live one of the pubs has a web cam set up streaming to there website so you can log on from home and see who is in the bar and if you want buy them a pint! I have heard of hair dresses doing the same so you can see if it’s worth popping for a cut if they don’t look busy. There has been some famous ones like a student who left hers running all term from her dorm, or the mother who had her labour broadcast live worldwide

Famous attractions and towns all over the world have web cams set up, there is even one on the summit of Ben Nevis (although its normally too cloudy to see much). People use them for security, watching there home while away; some cams have motion detection and can follow movement or record and are controlled remotely. Keep an eye on the babysitter while at work make sure hubby is in fact doing housework.

But the newest revolution has been with Video conferencing, this is where two people (or places) have a web cam set up and microphones either in built or separate to allow each person to see each other and talk, EXCELLENT. Thousands of people around the world use this on a daily basis to chat to cyber friends through ICQ, AOL Messenger, MSN Messenger, Yahoo IM to name just a few. And I guess I should mention it opens whole new doors for the erm more underground but popular practices of the net.

So now you can attend lectures without actually being there, doctors can watch operations and give advice without being in the room, no need for travelling half the length of the country for a two-hour meeting. Relatives and friends separated by distance can log on see and talk to each other much better than the phone, cheaper too.

So Why Do I Use One.

I brought the one I have on my home computer a couple of years back, I use it mainly to speak to my mom who does not keep well and lives a few hours away, I have two kids 7 and 4 who love to “see and speak” to nanny and granddad. They quite often sit down and show nanny a painting they have done or something they have made, when we got a puppy last year my youngest dragged him in front of the camera to show him off too. I also have friends who have moved to America and some not so far way and its great being able to see how they are, although a little unnerving at first watching them drink coffee and being aware they can see your every move.

Why do I need the new one?

Well this is to go with my tablet rather than my home pc so that I can use it at work (I work at a school) and we are thinking of setting up a link with other schools for lectures, meetings, or keeping an eye on the ICT suites. But also for when I am away from home overnight with work I will be able to log on and say good night to my kids.

Ok now you have the history back to the product.

<Geeky Bit>

·Image sensor: CIF 352 x 288 CMOS
·Lens: Fixed focus; camera rotates 360 degrees
·Still image-capture resolution: Up to 640 x 480 pixels
·Still image-capture format: JPEG
·Video-capture resolution: Up to 640 x 480 pixels (software-interpolated)
·Video-capture format: AVI
·Compression: Fixed data rate hardware intraframe
·Frame rate: Up to 30 frames per second
·Audio recording: No
·Lighting: Ambient indoor incandescent, fluorescent (50 or 60 Hz flicker-free), daylight
·Built-in flash: No
·Onboard memory: None
·Included memory cards: None
·Interface: USB
·Compatibility: PC only
·System requirements: Windows 98, 2000, Me, or XP with a Pentium II 400, Celeron, AMD Athlon processor or higher, 64 MB RAM, 75 MB free hard-drive space, CD-ROM drive, available USB port, 16-bit color display adapter; for SpotLife activities and to send or receive video email: Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher, an email application that supports file attachments (such as AOL 6.0, Microsoft Outlook Express, or Netscape Mail 4.x or earlier), a 28.8K modem and Internet connection with email account
·In the box: Camera, camera stand, USB cable (30 inches), user's manual, warranty information
·Software included: 1-click video email software, Webcam-enabled Yahoo! Messenger, SpotLife Personal Video Broadcasting, SpotLife Web Album Creator Software, SpotLife Web Cam Software, Microsoft NetMeeting, Logitech Smart Internet Updater
·Power: Powered through USB
·Weight: .5 pounds
·Warranty, parts: 2 years (hardware)
·Warranty, labor: 2 years (hardware)

</Geeky Bit>

Looks

What attracted me to this particular web cam was mainly the look of it, I’m actually ashamed to admit this being a geekess its normally one of the last things I think of, but after using this I doubt I will make the same mistake again. It looks good and stands out from the crowd slightly; the navy/black colour is much nicer than boring white or grey.

There is a clip mount bit on it so you can clip this to your laptop (again I am using this on my tablet but it also clipped on to this great if the tablet is on a stand rather than on my arm. But not overly stable would not take much for this to fall off and I do wonder how sturdy the clip is long term. The clip also can be turned to cover the lens nice touch.

Installation

This was easy, unpack from box, plug the cable in to your usb port and install the software following the instructions which are clear and easy to follow, you get a lot of nice software to enable you to start using your camera straight away most of them are easy to use with plenty of available help within the program from Logitech’s web site or on the net (google your new best friend)

Picture Quality,
Its poor no other way to put it, I was really disappointed there is very little difference between this and the first web cam I owned for my pc which is much older so I was expecting much more, the picture looked grainy and the colour was off I was either too bright, too orange, too blue, and no amount of fiddling with the software settings mainly the gain function would change this.

Although possibly in its defence I have read that it’s the software that is to blame more than the hard ware but either way I was not impressed. The focus was also pretty crap at close range but to be fair the picture being poor it wouldn’t make much difference it was good.

Summary

So there my review has to end, because no matter what else I could say about it at the end of the day if the picture quality is no good the cam is not any good to me, I’ve said nothing about taking stills with it for the same reason.

I am hoping there will be a software update that will help the problems I have found with it. Being orange on cam particularly scared my relatives and my kids looked like something out of Charlie and the chocolate factory.

Balance

On the other side the camera is not terrible or unusable by any means and it is cheap so for a first camera or light users I guess its ok, I’m starting to think though web cams as with digital camera’s its worth paying the extra few bob to get the quality you want.

I should also mention why looking for the tech spec for this review I did read about others who think this is a great camera and have no problems with it I find it personally hard to believe but thought I should include that to give a balanced op.

Price: £29.36 microwarehouse.co.uk

*************** Update**********Update*********
Thanks to a Ciao member ( who is just a dot at the moment so not sure who sorry) If you use this cam in the daytime near a window with extra lights on Im no longer orange and the picture is much better... so its more usable than I first thought haha as long as its day time!!)

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If you got this far thanks for reading, I am now off to read reviews before purchasing my next webcam.

Kezza 

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