Need webcam advice for older Powerbook

Hi Michele,

I must admit I'm no expert in webcam solutions, but I remember reading about an application called EvoCam ( homepage) which seems to have everything you need to get started.

According to the documentation, it works with any QuickTime-compatible video camera - so anything which Apple recommends for your PowerBook should do. Also, it has an in-built web-server off which to host the webcam feed. This should, in theory, make browsing from any computer - Mac or PC - with an internet connection possible.

I hope that highlights things for you to think about at the very least.

Yang

Here are two fantastic resources for you.

1) Macam, which has a list of ALL compatible webcams with Mac OS X, via USB
[http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/cameras/index.php]

2) iChatUSB, which is a software/plug-in that also lets you use certain webcams
[http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/configs.html]

There's also this one:
[http://www.ioxperts.com/dcam.html]

Message was edited by: Pismo 900

The best one I've tried out so far, but returned because I didn't really need it after all (it was for a short-term project at work, and then after the project was shelved, I returned the webcam to the, er, shelves. Ha ha) is the Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Pro.

It has built-in support and you don't need third party extensions. The clarity is great! Crystal clear images, both video and stills. It has a Carl Zeiss lens, if I remember correctly. And it works right out of the box.

Just be careful to get the right model number. There is a note of this on those first two sites above. A note about an earlier version (part no.) but same box could mean the difference between it working and not working. Something about UVC compliance.

Dear Michelle,

I just had the very same issue. I have a PowerBook G4 I dusted off and wanted to use it to monitor my leather-scratching cats. I needed to find out who was the particular culprit. Now, I do have an iSight camera, but let me say that the software that runs the webcam is called Evocam. Go to evological.com and you will see how simple the instructions are to stream _any Quicktime capatible webcam_ with that very modestly priced software. You can try it out in full for 15 days. But listen, buy a firewire web camera and avoid the USB-adapting steps. Evocam's website and (if you have more questions, wonderful email-based tech support) sets you up easily and quickly to access the camera from the Internet and around your home network your husband's router distributes. I, too, have an Airport Extreme Base Station and had to set that up to allow incoming traffic to reach the camera. But with assistance from Evocam, it was a snap!