Ezonics: Where's the drivers?
Written: Jul 10 '00 (Updated Jul 21 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: No updated drivers, Pitiful tech support
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| d0l3m1t3's Full Review: Ezonics EZ-302 Web Cam |
I bought the Ezonics EZCam USB thinking it seemed like a nice, cheaper alternative to the higher priced Logitech and Creative cams. When I was running Windows 98, it worked like a charm, other than the noticable graininess ALL the time. Then I installed Windows 98 Second Edition, and the cam stopped working correctly. I found out that after a reboot, you must unplug and plug it back in for it to work. A hassle, so with no updated drivers, I e-mailed their tech support. Tech Support wrote back saying 'this is the way it has to be.' Nevermind the fact they still haven't developed Windows 2000 drivers for it, they haven't updated the Windows 98 drivers in 7+ months.
I installed Windows Millenium Edition RC1 last night, and was told by the Ezonics Driver Installer that my USB supplement was 'too old' and I need to contact my PC Vendor. Ezonics' website says that it's not responsible for ANY USB issues, and I'm sure that blanket statement covers THEIR installer also.
So, in a nutshell: Ezonics refuses to acknowledge driver problems, Ezonics doesn't care about their customers, and they DON'T support their own products.
Don't take my word for it, look at the Ezonics' troubleshooting guide (http://www.ezonics.com/support/camts.html) on their website for a glimpse of the problems they've had to address so far.
Addendum:
I received an e-mail from their tech support remarking that developing drivers for WinME RC1 and betas while it's not even on the shelves yet (release date in sept) would "cause more problems than solutions at this point." While I somewhat agree, I'm sure hardware and software developers have access to preview/final versions of Windows, so while it's not entirely false, it seems like another copout.
The rest, pasted from the e-mail I received:
"As for the driver for Win2000 for the EZcam we are still looking into the option of writing a full functional driver for it. The different components create a compatibility issue. We have released a new camera that is compatible with Win2000 it is a different type of camera."
Of course, they never addressed my questions about 98SE, releasing an interim setup with the usb version check turned off, or even requesting what files are in the setup.
(Note: I realize this probably isn't the best forum for detailing my experiences with their tech support, but if you've considered buying an Ezonics product, hopefully my 'review' will have made you think twice about your purchase.)
07-21-2000: i discovered (with no help through ezonics, of course) that
an older version of the drivers (1.56) doesn't include the USB version
check and subsequently installs fine on WinME. the older drivers
are still available on Ezonics website.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
d0l3m1t3
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 2 members
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