Creative PC-Cam 300

A webcam that looks like a snail. Does it perform like one?

Creative is hoping for a sudden upsurge in the number of people using a home PC for videoconferencing and digital photography, and has launched one peripheral that can do both jobs.

Like its previous model, the Webcam Go Plus, Creative's PC-Cam 300 is both a webcam and a portable digital camera. It has 8Mb of memory built in, which allows up to 128 high-resolution images and more than 250 low-resolution ones. Compared with grown-up digital cameras though, even the highest 640 x 480 resolution is inadequate for the needs of most photographers. It can record short video and sound clips, but a lack of memory means they must be kept short.

While on the surface the camera looks simple enough, it is only once the box is opened that it becomes apparent you might be in for a rough ride. The first problem is the installation. Hooking up the USB cradle is no bother, but adding the software is more protracted. The drivers, PC-CAM Centre software and Ulead Photo Express 4 programs have to be installed separately.

Admittedly, being able only to install the programs you need is a nice option and saves clogging up your PC with programs you don't want, but it makes for a long-winded installation process.

Another, more major problem regards setting up the camera on a desk. While the camera does come with a very sturdy base, the amount of adjustment it offers is minimal. Getting it pointing at your head for videoconferencing can be a struggle. It's not so bad if it's going to sit on a monitor, but flat-screen monitor and notebook owners will need to prop the camera on something at about head height in order to get any use out of it.

Once the software is installed and the camera working, the results are pretty good. The software is easy to use and the camera performs as well as other webcams. It is, however, the thoughtless design that causes the most problems.

If you want a budget camera and webcam, it may warrant consideration, but realistically there are better-value options available.

Contact
Creative www.europe.creative.com

ALSO CONSIDER

Intel Pocket PC Camera
Good value for money, superior software bundle and a large amount of memory.
£130 ****
Computeractive, Issue 86.