A Microsoft LifeCam or a Logitech Quickcam?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 16 November 2007 04:34

Opinion and Analysis

Microsoft has launched two new LifeCams for video conferencing – but as there’s no compatibility with Skype’s new high quality video, and as Windows Live Messenger doesn’t yet offer it, is it worth buying a Microsoft LifeCam?
Microsoft have a long and strong heritage in the hardware business, having recently celebrated 25 years in the hardware business and no doubt millions upon millions of sales.

Microsoft’s hardware division creates keyboards, mice, game controllers and webcams. Naturally Microsoft also make the Xbox 360, their most stunning piece of hardware yet, along with an iPod clone called the Zune, which is much less stunning (although slightly improved in their new versions), but whichever way you look at it, Microsoft is a major player in the categories of hardware they play in.

In the face of continual new product releases from competitors such as Creative, Logitech and cheap webcams from a raft of Chinese manufacturers, Microsoft have readied two new webcams just in time for the end-of-year Christmas shopping season, with good sounding specs.

The entry-level model is the Microsoft LifeCam NX-3000, retailing at AUD $99.95. Featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera and a swiveling lens, it has been designed to clip onto the top of your notebook screen.

The ‘desktop’ model is the LifeCam VX-7000 and retails at AUD $149.95. It comes equipped with a 2 megapixel camera, a 71-degree wide angle lens (to fit more of the people in your family sitting in front of the computer onto the screen at the same time).

Compared with Logitech’s three new high-end cameras, which all clock in with 2 megapixel camera resolution and work with desktops and notebooks (depending on the model you buy), Microsoft’s VX-7000 has the same 2 megapixel sensor at the same price, but it isn’t Skype high-quality video compatible, and the lens isn’t from Carl Zeiss (as it is with the Logitech models).

Windows Live Messenger has 240 million users, which is around 40 million users more than Skype claims, with plenty of tech savvy teenagers (and people of all ages) using Messenger every day, and plenty already taking advantage of Messenger’s video conferencing features.

The problem is that it’s easy to have more than one instant messaging program on your computer. Given that Skype now offers the highest quality video conferencing, if this is important to you, why would you make your video calls using Windows Live Messenger? Please read onto the conclusion on page 2 to find out!