(no subject)

[sleepatsea.livejournal.com]

hey folks! i'm in need of some advice, and decided to turn to livejournal. i've been researching webcams for a few weeks, and i finally know what i want. the advice i need is which one to chose from the few i've found that sort of fit my specs. i need a webcam that is good enough quality to pick me up clearly while i'm playing my banjo.

i want: a mac compatible, 30fps minimum, laptop friendly webcam. i can't spend more than $120 (including shipping). here is what i've sort of chosen so far, and i am looking for your opinions on what the best may be. i'm looking for personal experience with these babies. also, please feel free to offer up your favorites.

icecam
hue hd
quickcam
iMage

help! thank you!



ETA: sorry, guys, i didn't read the community info clearly before adding and posting. i apologize! however, thank you for your replies!

Comments

[two-pi-r.livejournal.com]

You want to buy the original QuickCam, and a Macintosh Serial adapter. Newer webcams suffer from hyperquantum image tunneling, which will let other people view your webcam even if it's unplugged.

[10001110101.livejournal.com]

Seriously... serial's the way to go... since Macintosh is a Unix-based system, all the Linux hackers just let themselves right in on your image-tunneling ports... if you absolutely MUST use USB or a similarly insecure adapter, be absolutely sure you're connected to the internet through at least six or seven proxies, to be safe

[kyhwana.livejournal.com]

Serial is like a bus, though! You don't want to get hit by a bus, do you?
Parallel is faster!

[10001110101.livejournal.com]

Parallel? PARALLEL?! That's even worse than USB! I just saw something on YouTube the other day that showed step by step how a hacker can get into your system settings and reverse the polarity on the upstream flow, which since it can't handle the ohms, can cause it to catch on fire. That's why they stopped using them for printers.

[kyhwana.livejournal.com]

Oh WOW. I didn't know that!
I'd better switch back to IEEE488 connectors for all my printers then!

[phrogg.livejournal.com]

They actually reverse the polarity of the neutron flow. The Good Doctor didn't know he was giving out free hacking advice, though. >_>

[10001110101.livejournal.com]

damn haXXOring Time Lords...

[kyhwana.livejournal.com]

What you want is something with a parallel port. Don't buy any of these new fangled USB ones, since they can be hacked to wireless USB and let anyone view the webcam.

[mathsnerd]

Make sure your webcam is banjo-compatible. Banjos are one of those instruments that not all webcams can handle seeing. It would be shame if it were to implode upon sight.

[dreamatdrew]

Forget them, what you want is a SCSI webcam. 30FPS at minimum, and ohmygod the pretty of the pictures.

[dreadw0lf.livejournal.com]

No seriously if you want real security you must go with this one http://www.topmicrousa.com/ibmpcpawemab.html

Then a parallel to serial to ps2 to USB adapters all in line. This baby will catch everything you need and you'll be able to capture your own sexual adventures. (banjo playing) wink wink nudge nudge. No one will be the wiser!

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

buy a new mac! You'll love it! Fuck this webcam crap, get your isight action hooked up. I suppose we'll see your camwhore announcement soon?

[sleepatsea.livejournal.com]

i want one like nobody's business. but see, if $120 is my max for a webcam, i REALLY can't spend $1100 on a new computer. i wish i could. i really do.

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

MACS ARE THE BESTEST SAVE UR MONEZ

[brotherflounder]

1. RTFM? Never!

2. Good GOD, that is an ugly layout.

[mathsnerd]

Good GOD, that's not only an ugly layout but also seems to be the first step towards practicing pr0n. Some of those photos!

;)

[brotherflounder]

Obviously, they're being taken with those unsafe USB cameras. They need to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow to fix it.

[mathsnerd]

That's a good first step, but what about those parallel port cameras? I've heard the parallel port duplicates the information and sends one copy off randomly through the intarwebz to be stolen or sold!

[brotherflounder]

That's why you install a helmic regulator in your computer.

[mathsnerd]

Oh! I totally forgot! Thanks!!!!

*includes random sexy pic of someone who is not her*

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

My webcam is pretty good. It's an Argus DC1512. Worst part is it can be a bit hard to find the drivers, but otherwise it works great, and the images come out good. Not sure they make them anymore; try Ebay.

Hey, have to be helpful sometimes.

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

no.

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

Huh, what are you talking about? My webcam's the shit! Ever used a webcam before?

Or are you suggesting I shouldn't ever be helpful! That's my purpose in life and should be yours too! :)

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

MY MAC HAZ A WEBCAM ITZ AWESOME OMG.

Yeah, being helpful is over rated.

[mathsnerd]

Crap. Why do we have to get all the OTers who take it so gracefully after only *counts* 23 comments? I could have used a thorough flouncing failboat caturday to take my mind off the fact that I'm going to fail my final exam tomorrow morning.

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was personally hoping for some argument from the OP so we could turn up the gas in here. Nobody had really even roasted hir yet.

[mathsnerd]

*sulks*

I never get to have a caturday when I need it. It's not fair.

*flounces off to her LJ to sulk in emo peace*

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

Write some emoetry for us? Or hell, call the WAAAAAAAAAAHHHMbulance! ;)

[sleepatsea.livejournal.com]

haha, well, i didn't want to be rude. i hate when people are rude. i do appreciate no one getting on my case for not understanding what the community was for. it's a misleading name!

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

Ok, the real deal from me.

The reason people flame in this community is that this is a place for people who work in the field to relax and vent (as you now know). We don't like that space invaded, no more than I imagine you'd like customers in your break room, for whatever it is you do. I'll be the first to admit it gets rough in here, and I still get annoyed when people get referred to in here as douchenozzles or similar charming names. But I understand the sentiment.

Some of us have also worked emergency medical and have quite a lot of black humor to tell from it. Might be different with dead people than dead computers, but the concept here is the same - sometimes it takes a really dark and nasty outlook to survive the work, while doing it professionally in front of those it matters to.

[sleepatsea.livejournal.com]

i absolutely understand. i'm like that in "real life," having worked in retail for a very long time. i just know that online it's hard to tell what the intended tone of a comment could be, so i try my best to not be snarky when it's unnecessary. which is why i appreciated that no one got all over me by making that mistake, even though i'm sure it happens all the time.

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

It does, and there have been a great many flamings in this community, especially when people argue back at us. I sometimes wonder about my peers that get really involved into that sort of degrading talk, but hey, I've done it myself a few times. The person that comes in here without having read the sign on the door represents everything we can't stand about the business and they often get it.

Good luck finding what you need.

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

usually it's a big ol flame fest. Tons of fun.

[kyidyl.livejournal.com]

You sound like an OK user. The kind that has some smarts, doesn't bitch at us, and follows directions. After all, you're writing in coherent English. =D

We loves you.

Please be making more of you! ;)

[dreamatdrew]

Ya know, I'll give you points for this comm not being exactly what it says on the tin. And for the "Oops, I goofed" bit thrown to the masses. *Hands over the points*

That being said, honest opinions time: from that list, ecamm looks like your best bet.

[greeklady.livejournal.com]

It is a misleading name for people who don't READ!!

[jecook]

Shit, I missed the fun again. Damn relatives and their cancers... *pouts*

[ohmyhead.livejournal.com]

But the "fun" never came to fruition! Yay! I used "fruition" in a sentence! That was one of my daily goals. I was also going to recommend the webcam that was actually a gun. But I saw that everyone was being totally nice. D'oh!

[mathsnerd]

It's all your fault I didn't get my RDA of wank! If you'd been here, the OP would've gotten all huffy and I would've been satisfied. I demand compensation from you!

[jecook]

Amusing. Almost.

[mathsnerd]

;D

[toxico.livejournal.com]

Regarding an action taken above: Won't happen again.

[jecook]

Moo?

[toxico.livejournal.com]

My post was deleted, either for spilling the beans or linking to that horrid horrid community. Perhaps I'm addressing the wrong moderator, but I wanted to throw that out there anyhow.

[jecook]

It was not me. I've been dealing with something that amounts to a family emergency for most of the week.

and message me privately with the community, if nothing else, for a laugh. I could sure use one.

[irishmasms.livejournal.com]

To help us help you, you might want to look over How To Ask Questions The Smart Way by ESR:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
and also How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=555375