Keep In Touch, The High-Tech Way
Written: Jun 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to install & use; has many valuable features
Cons: Consider cost/effectiveness - will you be using it enough to make the purchase worth it?
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| nghiemr's Full Review: Intel PC Camera Pack |
Have you ever missed a friend or family member who lives far away, and wished that you could instantly see them, without having to catch the next plane out of town? Or talk to them hours on end without running up the phone bill? It can be very expensive and inconvenient to be with the ones you love, but the next best possible way to bridge the distance is with the Intel PC Camera Pack.
See that picture in my profile? It’s one out of many that I’ve created using the Intel PC Camera, which I bought a few months ago for myself and a friend who lives somewhat far away. The pair cost $140, not including a mail-in rebate of $30 from Intel for purchasing two. A small price to pay, considering how invaluable it is to be able to communicate with loved ones who are far away.
Easy Installation
To start off, make sure your computer has a USB port, a modem, and a microphone. The faster your computer, the better, since this program consumes a lot of memory. My computer, with 128 MB of memory and a 56K modem, runs this program just fine through AOL -- even with other applications open. I recommend closing other programs, though, to get as much juice as possible.
The camera itself is about the size of a shrunken mouse, and is just as easy to install. Before you install the software, just mount the camera on the top of your monitor, and plug the attached USB cable into the USB port on the back of your computer.
Then insert the installation CD, which will guide you through a step-by-step installation and testing process. This camera does not come with a user’s guide in book form, but you can install the online/on-computer version from the CD. I’m not a big fan of online/on-computer user’s guides, so a thumbs down about that…but this camera is user-friendly enough that you can use it’s main features easily without referring to the guide.
Features of the Intel PC Camera: Snapshot
The two main features I use are Snapshot and Video Phone. Use Snapshot to take instant pictures of yourself, or anything within the camera’s reach. The camera does come off the stand mounted on your monitor, and so you’re not limited to whatever is within your monitor’s vantage point. You can take these snapshots whether or not you are connected to the internet, but if you are connected, you can instantly send the snapshots to other Video Phone users, or as attachments to normal emails. You can also save snapshots in various forms (i.e. .jpg, bmp, etc) in your Photo Album for future use.
Features of the Intel PC Camera: Video Phone
Use Video Phone as a telecommunications device between you and any one else who has web camera capabilities. The Video Phone software is as easy to use as a click of a few buttons, once you’ve set up your address book and determine which directories you want to use and be listed on (like the directory assistance you have with your phone company). I’ve opted to not list my information in any public directories, and only allow people who know my email address, and/or name to be able to contact me. You can connect to the Video Phone using your telephone line, or your modem. I recommend using your modem line, since you won’t have to pay any long distance charges -- only the cost of what you already pay for your internet service provider. However, it may be possible that a direct connection through the telephone line might result in better sound and video, since you won’t have to go through another medium -- your ISP.
Intel Video Phone Software vs. Microsoft Netmeeting
After using the video phone option with two types of video conferencing software…Intel Video Phone and Microsoft Netmeeting 3.0…I’d recommend sticking with Video Phone. Video quality is much more clear, and you can chose between several picture displays…small, medium, large, full screen, and even picture-in-picture. Netmeeting does not have the picture-in-picture display, which allows you to see yourself on a small screen within the larger screen where you see your caller. In Video Phone, the pictures are less likely to break up in ugly, digitized squares before they become a full image.
Sound quality is also much better in Video Phone than in Netmeeting. With both programs, you’ll experience lag time with your conversations, but Netmeeting will prove more frustrating. Video Phone is fast enough that the conversations almost sound like they would in real life, but with Netmeeting, you have to be super, super careful that you and your caller don’t speak over each other, or else neither of your words will get heard. While using Netmeeting, I lost my patience, got really frustrated, and ended up taking it out on my friend. So…beware.
Other Features & Applications of the Intel PC Camera
You can also use your Snapshot images to create Email Postcards with a handful of templates that are included. You can even create *.wav sound files to attach to these postcards. I’ve played with this feature, and it can be fun, but I haven’t had the time to create a really nice postcard that I would actually send to someone.
I’ve also toyed with the few games included, which seem to use motion detection. One is a basketball game where you can use your hand, your head…or whatever you want…to bounce basketballs into a net. In another game, you can wave your hand, or clap your hands, to pop bubbles that appear on the screen. Pretty simple, boring games, but I’m still impressed. After all, when was the last time you were able to do something like that in the comfort of your own home? Technology’s great, huh?
Advice & Recommendation
If you’re considering the purchase of a web cam, take a serious look at the Intel PC Camera Pack. The camera itself is sturdy, and the program is solid. Just make sure your computer’s configuration is geared to handle every thing that this camera has to offer. If you're even more hardcore, the Pro Camera Pack is also available, with more advanced features.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nghiemr
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 65
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