Smile! You Are On Intel's Camera!
Written: Feb 15 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent quality and clarity
Cons: a little expensive and a few glitches every once and awhile
The Bottom Line: too much to sum up in 30 words...but this is a great camera
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| pelirojo18's Full Review: Intel PC Camera Pack |
One of my most favorite computer toys to date is not Elves 2 (which I suggest everyone download) but my web camera by Intel. Now before I go on, there are two different Intel Camera Packs you can by. The first one my girlfriend has and the second one (and infinitely better one) I have. The only difference between the two is that on the more expensive one there is an input plug behind it. This means you can connect a VCR or camcorder to the camera and edit video through your computer. So what I will be discussing today is the higher and more expensive model that I have (not to confuse anyone).
My Cherie Amor, distant as the Milky Way…
First of all, Stevie Wonder rocks, but secondly and more importantly, a web camera is the perfect way to connect yourself to loved ones across the country and world. For about three months, this little camera was the only means of “face to face” communication between my girlfriend and myself. Talking on the phone long distance is expensive and in my opinion, damaging to a relationship because you can not always see facial expressions to determine whether or not the person is being sarcastic, joking around, truly sad, etc. Having a web cam does wonders for long distance relationships, or for those chat rooms- now you can really see if that girl or guy is everything they are cracked up to be.
After You Decide You Want a Web Cam…
So after that beautiful and touching paragraph you, dear reader, have decided to venture out and fight the weather to purchase a web cam. You get to the computer store and notice an array of dazzling cameras before your very eye and you get confused. After my confusion at the store, I promptly hopped back in my car and drove home. I needed more information on what I was getting and far be it from me to have some little 16 year old with too much acne and not enough brains to tell me that “such and such” is the best deal for me. (Keep in mind I knew this particular 16 year old and this person was not the brightest bunch in the batch) So I got online and did my research and found that the Intel Pro Camera Pack was the best deal for me. But keep in mind, the average person does not need all the stuff I wanted in a camera so make sure you do sufficient enough research before purchasing any type of web camera.
Things to look for in a camera…
Rebates, rebates, and more rebates: At the time I was purchasing this camera, there was a $30 rebate Intel was giving, dropping the incredibly high price (I paid around $125) down to a more reasonable one. Final notes on the rebate- um, mail it in… silly me decided to procrastinate until I forgot about it. Do not make the same mistake. This is why they offer mail-in rebates; they know morons like me get lazy and never send them in.
Software Features: Intel really knew what they were doing when they designed the software package for this camera. To put it simply: there are three main programs that are installed onto the computer.
Program #1: The first one is pretty much to take simple pictures in front of the computer. You simply click the box and it takes the picture. You can change the size, pixels, let it count down five seconds so you have an opportunity to not look posed, etc. The camera is very simple to use and it seems as though it is designed with a young child in mind. It does not do anything too fancy, so if you want cute little borders and be able to edit your pictures, you will have to venture into a separate program that is not in the main Intel Package.
Program #2: This program is designed to take the same type of pictures as the first, takes video, and edits video from the actual camera itself or any input you chose to plug into it. It can be fairly long (I honestly do not know the limit because I have always been able to make my 4 minute videos with no problem) and you can even put music to it. The only problem I have had so far with the music portion of the program is that you cannot play the whole song through all of the editing. You have to cut and paste the songs with the cutting and pasting of the actual footage. It is pretty basic and not for the potential Steven Speilberg in some people. It is though, for the person that just likes to think they could be Steven Speilberg (i.e. me).
Program #3 and its Problems: This final program is Intel’s attempt to create a program similar to Microsoft’s Net Meeting where you can videophone someone. Included in the box is the CD with all three programs to install on your computer then a CD to give to a friend so they can see you. Ahhhh, how sweet right? Sorry, it is a no go. The program that Intel gives the consumer is poorly designed, hard to work, and the picture lacks the quality of other programs like Net Meeting. The other person that is receiving has to have the same program and I am unsure if they also have to have the same camera.
Solution? Well, use Net Meeting. It is easy to use, most likely already on your computer, and you simply need MSN Messenger so it is free for you. MSN takes a minute to download on a poor connection and a lot of people have it already. You do not have to worry about people having the same camera and program as you do and it is easy!!!
Quality: The several people I have conversed with over the Internet who do not have the Intel camera but rather a cheaper quality one all say the same thing to me, “How much did you spend on that camera! It has such great quality!” I might have spent a little more then they did, but I am also a lot happier. The pictures I take look better then some digital cameras, and it has, relatively speaking, a slow delay sending video depending on the connection. The smaller connection you have the worse the quality will appear. Sound will be delayed and it might look as though you are not moving your mouth when you are speaking. Do not consider getting a camera at all if you have a 14.4 connection. I normally have a 28.8 and it kills me sometimes. If you have DSL, cable, or Ethernet then rest assured, you will have as high of quality as you can get with the Intel Camera Pack.
Final Notes That Make This a Good Buy: While Intel is relatively new to the consumer product portion of the computer market (they mainly focus on microprocessors) this does not mean that this particular product lacks in any way. It has been dropped, beat up, and still manages to go on strong. You can mount it on your screen, rotate, and you even have the option of taking it off the mount so you can record whatever is going on in your room. It has a nice long cord so it furthers the idea that this camera is not just meant to sit in front of the computer and talk to it. Sit on your couch, show others on the computer your loved ones, etc. Not all cameras come with such high quality bright ideas.
I hope I have been of some help to people in not only convincing them to purchase an Intel Camera Pack, but what to look for when purchasing a web camera as well. Have a great day.
Recommended:
Yes
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pelirojo18
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Member: Justin Balthrop
Location: Mesquite, Texas
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