Good affordable web cam that's Mac compatible, much cheaper than iSight?

Question

I have a Mac laptop (G5, I think).

Answer 1

Hello Karibuboo,

Well, first off, there is no such thing as a G5 Mac laptop. PowerBooks only got as far as G4s, and the newer ones, Intels. The thing about the Mac is that you are always best off buying a Mac compatible device. You will get better quality and less headaches.

Now getting back to your question. The ideal alternative to an iSight camera is a regular digital video camera that has a firewire connection. That way your expense will get you a regular digital video camera that you can use.

Stay away from the USB WebCams. They are just too slow and won't work with iChat AV. I got myself an IceCam by MacAlly,

http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/input_device/icecam.html

...and it does work with iChat if you use a 3rd party software (iChat USBCam by ecamm):

http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/

...that hacks into iChat AV so that it recognizes the WebCam. The IceCam also works pretty good with Yahoo! Instant Messaging and just making Quicktime videos. But even with that, USB is just too darned slow to work properly. It will blink off and on, like Mmmax Headroom. There's just too much data trying to go through that slow USB port.

I've heard about Fire-I digital camera, which is a Firewire camera.

http://www.in-media.de/subdomains/apfelgeruechte/cgi-bin/framed.cgi?url=http://www.in-media.de/subdomains/apfelgeruechte/pages/hw_unibrain_fire-i_webcam.shtml

I'm not sure how well that will work for you. The price is only slightly less than an actual iSight camera. Also, I've read where Apple has basically discontinued the older iSight cameras. They're not discontinuing the technology, but it might be updating.

I have been hearing some rumors of some possible newer iSight cameras that might come out, what with the new iMacs and MacBooks with their built-in iSights, there might be a newer, smaller and cheaper external iSight camera that might be coming soon.

Best of luck to you.

--Rick

Answer 2

Apple doesn't make G5 laptops. Look in Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info about your Mac.

Another affordable webcam that is compatible with a Mac.
http://www.ecamm.com/mac/imagewebcam/

Answer 3

i'm not likely specific what you advise by using a "Mac properly suited host". The host is the host, regardless of what shoppers are finding at it. Your host's server could be working something from Linux to MacOS to homestead windows, and any internet-enabled customer computing device ought to get right of entry to it fairly is public content cloth. What function precisely is it which you're searching for on your host to assist? It must be something on the form end, because of the fact the wide-unfold public end would not fairly care what working device you're employing.

Answer 4

I use this doodad and it works well: http://macally.com/spec/usb/input_device/icecam.html