By Schwartz
After spending some time with this camera I really like it. I already had the Quickcam Pro for notebooks and this camera seems to be the same camera in a different housing because everything seems to work and function identically. The camera being able to focus makes a huge difference when compared to cameras I have had in the past; it just makes everything better. The camera also seems to deal decently with lower light levels. The other great thing is that in Windows it just works. I have tried it on XP, Vista 64-bit, and Win7 64-bit RC. I can just plug it in and windows update will get the drivers and it works. The camera works well with Windows Live Messenger and I usually use it with that.
When I got this camera to review for Vine they included a letter asking to specifically highlight the Vid software in the review. I have used the new Logitech Vid software and it is easy to use and works ok. You have to make an account and then login to the server. You then add your friends who have the software and an account or send requests to friends with links to download the software. Once everything is setup when a friend is available you click their icon/pic to call them. I think it would be better to coordinate with your friend through IM on when to run the program for a video conference if it is what you want to use rather than leaving it on all the time. You can leave the program running like a IM program but I personally wouldn't because it seems to be a memory hog. I see numbers ranging from 75MB to 81MB being used in Win 7 64-bit RC with it just sitting there idle in my notification area which seems a bit excessive for something just sitting there doing basically nothing other than saying I'm here and looking for connection requests. They may address this in future revisions of the software so it would be worth checking back in on it now and then.
So to summarize; the camera is worth the price for the hardware alone, the free Vid software works well and if you like it use it but I wouldn't leave it running at this point.
Technical Details
Brand Name: Logitech
Model: 960-000048
Item Package Quantity: 1
Hardware Platform: PC
Audio Input: Built-in microphone
Video Capture Resolution: Up to 1600 x 1200 pixels (HD quality) (HD Video 960 x 720 pixels)
Image types: JPEG
Image Capture Speed: 30 fps
Native Resolution: 1600x1200
Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Windows Vista / XP
Width: 2.5 inches
Depth: 7 inches
Height: 3.5 inches
Weight: 0.6 pounds
Warranty: 2 years warranty
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