Tiger webcam for a G4 Mac mini

iChat requires a FireWire video source (like an iSight or a DV video camera). It is possible to use a USB Webcam, but you'll have to buy some third party software to enable USB Webcams with iChat and the quality won't be as good. In the end, unless you already have a DV video camera, the iSight should be worth the money.

-Doug

Dolfin...

Doug and the driver gave me an idea. Why not do a reverse support look-up and do your own shopping from that? Now add about $20 ($US) to the price of a FW-Cam and compare.

Oh! Just check the ioxperts website below.

...Ron

http://www.ioxperts.com/devices/webcam.html

Once you have the Webcam and the $20 driver from IOExperts, then you just need the $10 iChatUSB software to use a non-FireWire video camera with iChat AV.

-Doug

HowdY Doug... 😉

Did you look closer to the website I linked to?

There is a few USB cams listed within that support list and I suspect not all of those listed are FW models either. It would have been nice for IOxperts to be a bit more descriptive or denote exactly what was what.

So the USB driver may not be needed after all?

...Ron

Message was edited by: Ron JACKLE

OOps! that is on another page.

http://www.ioxperts.com/devices_allcams.html

You will need a driver to use your USB or FireWire Webcam at all, with any software (iChat or another chat client). These drivers are not really built-in to Mac OS X, with the exception of the iSight. So, if the Webcam you choose does not have Mac drivers, you will need to use the IOXperts driver.

If you've selected a USB Webcam or a FireWire Webcam that does not use DV, then you will also need software to allow you to bypass iChat's requirements. You can do that with the iChatUSB software. The iChatUSB software is not a driver for the Webcam itself, you'll still need a specific driver from the manufacturer or the one from IOXperts.

-Doug

Doug...

Thanks for clearing up the 2 parter aspects of the issues here.

That makes it more clear that an iSight would be less of a headache after all.

...Ron