Hi all :)

Would someone be able to tell me if the popular webcams that are available at Futureshop or Bestbuy etc. will work with a Mac? I shall not be using iChat, I shall be using Skype and Yahoo Messenger

I cannot afford to buy an iSight, hence this cheapening out. However, just out of curiosity, would an iSight work on Skype or Yahoo Messenger etc.? Also, would an iSight work on a Windows PC too or is it only for a Mac?

Thanks and cheers

If it were me, I'd buy a used iSight before anything else. The QuickCam Messenger works quite well, relatively speaking, for the price, but anything by Logitech is that middle-of-the-road stuff that they're famous for. It'll work fine, just not amazingly.

The iSight works with everything, Yahoo included. I've used the iSight on a Windows machine and it picks up with no problems and no driver download, without the audio. I have not discovered any way to make the microphone on it work on the PC but someone else may have an answer for you on this one, since I didn't really try very hard.

Hope that helps.

Head to compusmart and get yourself a Macally icecam!
I think its about $30 and the drivers for iChat Usb Cam are like $8

I have a Logitech Quickcam Pro 4000 (paid $70 almost 2 years ago). It is not natively supported by Logitech, but 3rd party drivers are available (http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/). The picture quality is quite a bit better than the Messenger and cheaper Logitech cams, but not as good as the iSight. You get what you pay for...

The iSight is not supported under Windows.

Buy the iSight... it is money well spent.

I can't tell you how many times people call in to Carbon, who have just bought a logitech cam for 40-70$ and will bring it back to Future shop becuase they expected it to be the same frame count and as clear as the iSight...

Remember for most web cams it is USB 1.1, the iSight is Firewire thus a large bandwidth to produce from.

I agree with the advice to buy the iSight, but it's a lot of money for what is essentially a toy for some (most?) people. Some of the higher end Logitech cams are 640x480 @ 30fps, so the picture should at least be comparable.

A really cheap solution is to use a fireware camcorder if you already have one lurking about the house.

Cheers - Terry

Thanks everyone for your inputs.

The QuickcamPro 4000 is no longer available, only the 5000 is available and according to the Macam website, this is not supported in MacOSX.

I have to check out the Macally Icecam. I was in a Compusmart yesterday and I did not see this camera, they only had the Logitechs, various flavours of them.

I do not have a camcorder at home, all I have is a digital camera that has firewire. Would that suffice?

Used iSight, now that's a nice idea. Question: Why would anyone want to sell an iSight?

Another question on iSight: I have a Mac Mini which has no line in or mic in. If I plug the iSight, would the iSight's mic work on the Mini or do I have to ump through some hoops to get it to do that?

Last question on iSight, I promise :): If the mic on the iSight will not work on a Windows PC, would I still be able to use an external mic for audio?

Thanks again :)

Cheers

I have to check out the Macally Icecam. I was in a Compusmart yesterday and I did not see this camera, they only had the Logitechs, various flavours of them.

Don't expect miracles from the Macally Icecam. AFAIK, the resolution is 320x200 or 352x240. Not great by any stretch...

I do not have a camcorder at home, all I have is a digital camera that has firewire. Would that suffice?

I doubt it, but it's worth a shot. Does it get detected by the Mac when you plug it in?

Used iSight, now that's a nice idea. Question: Why would anyone want to sell an iSight?

'cause they're really expensive for a part-time use device? Used ones are out there.

Another question on iSight: I have a Mac Mini which has no line in or mic in. If I plug the iSight, would the iSight's mic work on the Mini or do I have to ump through some hoops to get it to do that?

Sound goes over the Firewire connection as it does with a camcorder.

Last question on iSight, I promise :): If the mic on the iSight will not work on a Windows PC, would I still be able to use an external mic for audio?

The iSight video doesn't work on Windows either...

Thanks Mikef.

Well, the digital camera does get recognised by the Mac, iPhoto automatically opens, but it does not seem to work as a webcam though :( Guess I have no option but to shell out some money!

Re. iSight video not working in Windows, some people say it does, that only audio does not work, some say that nothing will work. Well, I just realised that I do not have a firewire port in my PC, so the question is moot anyway!

Cheers

I use the Logitech QuickCam Orbit. It has pan and tilt capabilities. I have used it remotely using VNC to keep an eye on the house while in Europe. I don't see the value in excessive fps. It just uses up bandwidth. It has never given me problems. Maybe the iSight is some kind of amazing product, but my cheap Logitech gives a decent picture, just as if I hook up my $1000 JVC digital cam to the Mac. No big difference as far as I can tell.

I picked up an Orangemicro iBot - firewire cam - works great, got it second hand for around $50

The Macally icecam (try carbon computing) isn't spectacular but it does work and will do the trick for CHEAP. You can use Mercury messenger and video chat on MSN (it can be slow tho). I even got it to work with an obscure program like Max/MSP. One of those firewire iBots seems to work well too but at twice the price. Then iSight is twice the price of the iBot. The other thing is that the icecam is meant for laptops... I don't know if a usb extention cord will work either. Best make sure your usb is close to your screen. Having said all that... icecam is $40, iSight, well... isn't.

The iSight video doesn't work on Windows either...

Actually, if it's the firewire version of the iSight, then it will work on Windows with a Generic 1394 Driver. It's the USB2 versions that are built into the new Macs which don't have a Windows driver yet. However, the audio definitely doesn't work. You would need an external mic for this.

Never mind carbon computers... didn't realize you were in Edmonton... Westworld I think sells Macally products... there was another new apple dealer in Edmonton I think called "mymacdealer":
10441 - 80th Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
T6E 1V1
Phone: 780-702-MACS (6227)
This isn't a plug... I just found out about them on my last visit to Edmonton and they were really nice on the phone. Cheers.