QuickCam doesn't leap any technological hurdles, but the low-res black-and-white Mac video recorder sure is fun to play with. Even better, this golf-ball-sized peripheral is cheap - I got mine for about US$100.
Installation is a breeze. Just plug it into your computer and you're ready to start shooting still pictures, time-lapse montages, or QuickTime videos. A built-in microphone records surrounding sounds.
Live digital pictures and jerky videos play on your screen as they are recorded. QuickCam's bundled software lets you edit the video and create photo collages using a variety of digital-frame materials, colored and textured mattes, and layout designs.
OK, so what's the bad news? This is a greedy sucker: a 10-second video clip will take about 1 Mbyte on your hard drive, and still-image PICT files eat up 40 to 50 Kbytes.
Also, QuickCam is tethered to your computer. This means that unless you want to hook it up to a PowerBook, your video domain is limited to groovy shots of your office and the folks you work with. Then again, perhaps you could earn some change by selling incriminating pictures of your slumbering co-workers.
QuickCam for Mac: US$149.95 suggested retail. Connectix Corporation: (800) 950 5880, +1 (415) 571 5100, e-mail support@connectix.com.
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