Tag Archives: toys

Webcam

I’m not entirely sure what I was thinking. In about 2005 I bought an iSight, Apple’s relatively short-lived external webcam. It was a beautiful device. Sleek, easy to use and functional.

At least, I think it was functional.

For a device that cost me well over £100 I didn’t really think it through. No one else I knew at the time had a Mac with iChat. Or a webcam.

Before I finally gave in and sold it on eBay I did use it a few times with my then girlfriend (now wife). And it was really nice; like the future. Having grown up with old, slow computers the idea of playing video on them is still slightly magical to me. To have a computer simultaneously record, compress, transmit, receive, decode and display high resolution videos still strikes me as pretty amazing.

Even now, web chatting once a week, I think it’s neat. My son, before he was two, thought nothing of having long, detailed “conversations” with his grandparents. What’s high-tech to me is entirely normal to him.

And all this leads me to my latest technology purchase: a webcam. I got it for two reasons: firstly, I’ve been using my laptop with the lid closed a lot, which means I can’t use its builtin webcam. The second reason: it only cost £5.

I’ve probably already used it more than I ever used the iSight.

Is it as pretty as the iSight? Is it as well made? No and no. But it’s amazing what £5 can get you these days. I added the following as a review:

Considering the cost it’s remarkably well put together, comes with a decent length USB cable, has a flexible stand and works straight out of the box. The LEDs are a bit of a gimmick and the picture quality is a little muddy compared with the built-in camera on my MacBook, but it’s totally usable and easily forgiven given the price.

Webcams have moved from an expensive toy that I wanted to like but couldn’t actually use to a practically disposable tool — I’m sure there are drinks in your favourite coffee chain that cost more — that I use almost daily in less than ten years. I don’t mind being a foolish early adopter if it helps get genuinely useful technology into the hands of more people. If only all my other toys prove to be quite to useful.

My delicious.com bookmarks for August 25th through September 1st

My del.icio.us bookmarks for January 21st through January 28th