My sister got a Webcam with her new PC about two years ago and she promptly gave it to me, knowing my inner uber-geek would actually try and find a practical way to use it. It, too, was a Logitech, but an older model with grainy resolution and an annoying stand that made it difficult to aim at my face, my goldfish bowl, my fichus -- whatever I might have decided was worthy of being broadcast to a worldwide audience of, well, my eight-year-old cousin in England.
In short, my foray into the world of Webcams was brief and unmemorable. But just when I think I'm out, Logitech pulls me back in ...
Enter the QuickCam Pro for notebooks. What exactly makes this Webcam specific for notebooks? It begins and ends with the portability and shape of the camera -- not the technology itself. It connects to your notebook via a USB cable as easily as it would to a PC or Mac. Many round webcams on the market are designed to sit on a flat surface. This notebook model is flat and thin (it could fit easily into a half-empty cigarette pack). Two extendable plastic hooks allow it to sit on top of your laptop's screen, without impeding your view. Its stance reminded me somewhat of a Praying Mantis, but luckily the similarity to anything "buggy" ended there.
Based on its small size, sleek aluminum design, high-resolution (CCD VGA 640x480) sensor and built-in microphone, I have to surmise that this model of QuickCam is targeted at business people who travel frequently. A busy exec abroad could participate in a meeting, send video e-mail of a product to a client or simply say hello to loved ones if stuck in Paraguay on Christmas Day.
The software is easy to install, and is a 'suite to behold'. The functionality goes above and beyond simply snapping photos or taking 10-second video clips, although it does both very well with the included Logitech ImageStudio software. Pictures and movies are crystal clear by webcam standards (1.3 megapixels,) and the built-in microphone is a vast improvement over clumsy handhelds or those silly headsets that make you look like a fighter pilot.
Another bonus: QuickCam comes complete with it's own brand of domestic spyware -- the motion detector! Point the camera at the object of your espionage and leave your PC running. The QuickCam will detect any movement and provide you with photographic evidence.
The QuickCam integrates well with a number of video messaging mediums. If you're using Windows XP, MSN messenger can provide you with two-way video messaging, as can NetMeeting -- but the learning curve can be a bit steep. Integration into MSN or AOL Instant Messenger is possible, but you will have to purchase third-party software.
Your best bet for a quick and easy video messaging fix is Yahoo messenger. The newest version, a free download from www.yahoo.com, detected my QuickCam without incident and I was off to the races. The video window was larger than I was used to and after clicking on the chat icon, I had a wealth of rooms to pick from. Several people I chatted with remarked, unprovoked, that my cam feed had the clearest picture they had ever seen.
If you're on the market for a webcam, this is the one to go with. If the price is a little high for your tastes, Logitech has just released a standard model, the QuickCam for Notebooks, which retails for about $50 less.
