isight PC drivers?

Welcome to Apple Discussions, bobbyscarp

Sorry, but I think you will be better off using a PC compatible webcam with your PC. Here are some ideas you can consider.

(1) iSight is NOT designed for use with PCs. I have not seen reports of anyone successfully using iSight except on Macs.

iSight, a Firewire web-cam, works GREAT with Macs and iChat AV. They are designed to work together. However, PCs, and the software that they use, seem to work easier with USB web-cams. Those using a PC will have less cost and less configuration effort if they select a PC web-cam compatible with the software they intend to use to drive it.

While it is possible to connect iSight to a Firewire equipped PC, PC users will likely find using a PC compatible USB web-cam more satisfactory. A few users have posted in Apple Discussions that they can get a video image from iSight on their PCs. However, you need a Mac and Mac software to use the full functionality of iSight audio and video.

I have never used iSight as a web-cam on a PC, so I cannot give specific assistance in how to do it. You may be able to find help in PC discussions forums or web searches to find required drivers and tips for successfully matching and configuring components.

(2) If you have an iNtel Mac, here are the known ways you can use iSight with Windows, but not on a PC. (If you do NOT have an iNtel Mac, buying a PC compatible webcam for your PC will be easiest.)

You can use your iSight when you run Windows on any iNtel Mac with Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) by using Leopard's Boot Camp to run Windows on the iNtel Mac. iSight drivers compatible with Windows are included on the Leopard installation DVD.

Alternatively, you may be able to run Windows in virtual machines on your iNtel Mac by buying additional emulator applications software such as Parallels or VMWare Fusion. It is possible to use Leopard's Windows iSight driver with these emulators.

Depending upon your intended application and whether you are trying to run 32 or 64 bit, some people say they have no problem using the iSight driver from Leopard. See Craig Brady's post here:



   http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5339987&#5339987





However, others say that it does not work for them. See David in AZ's post here for an example:



   http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5544154&#5544154





Perhaps it depends on the specifics of your intended application. The Parallels people have this to say:



   http://www.parallels.com/en/support/leopard/



They also offer FAQ and Knowledgebase support that might give you other ideas.



(3) I do not know whether the iSight drivers included on the Leopard installation DVD are useable directly in Windows on your PC. If you try it an have trouble and cannot find help in any PC user forums, searching in the Boot Camp Forum might give you some other ideas.




EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1)  External iSight

You're welcome, bobbyscarp

Can you recommend a PC chat room for me?

I don't use PC chat rooms, so I don't know exactly what you mean. Here is the Google Search for " PC chat rooms". Perhaps you will find something useful there.

is the ibook pro worth the price differential?

I don't think that Apple ever offered an "ibook pro". " iBook" was discontinued about two years ago, so you could likely only find used ones at this time. iBook was a good machine when it was made, but they will be slower than the fastest new PCs offered today. If you are only considering NEW laptops, iBook's replacement, the MacBook, would be a better comparison and would be covered by Apple's warranty. For an even faster Mac laptop with greater expansion and connectivity options, you can consider MacBook Pro.

Whether any Mac laptop is worth the price should be your decision. If you already have all the software you need for your PC, have no difficulty using and maintaining PCs, and do not need the capability and ease of use that a Mac's OS and applications offer, you do not need a Mac.

Please let us know if you need any other info before you can mark your question "Answered".

EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1)  External iSight