Accessories

MICROSOFT WEBCAM
THE WEBCAM WAS VERY EASY TO SET-UP. I HAD A LITTLE PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO GET IT TO SET ON TOP OF THE MONITOR BUT HAVE WORKED THAT OUT.

Ripoff with poor CCD and slow software
I paid $50 for this camera but it is probably worth $10. The Windows software is slow and "heavy" and the CCD is very noisy, equivalent to the low end models in the market. Stay away from this camera and go for a Logitech model (which I use at work and is very crisp and clean). Also, stay away from this if you use Linux (nobody would expect otherwise, I believe) - it doesn't work at all.

Crummy software, okay hardware
If you're going to read a review about the VX-6000, please note the date. The ones that praise it in 2006 aren't going to tell you what you need to know in the summer of 2008.

The problem is the software is incredibly annoying. Microsoft still ships this webcam with LifeCam v. 1.4, but you can't use the 1.4 drivers anymore. At least they didn't work on my machine, because the microphone didn't work. Because the microphone didn't work, I had to go to Microsoft's website and get the latest software, v. 2.0. Then I had to wait a long time for that piece of software to download and install (15 minutes -- and my machine is not slow).

If you haven't installed Microsoft Instant Messenger, the LifeCam wants you to. If you install it, you'll be waiting another 15-20 minutes.

The hardware seems to work well, once the drivers are working, and I like the design and stability of the webcam.

Still, this webcam will take a couple of hours of your day to set up. You have to go find new software on Microsoft's labyrinthine website. So you're probably better off with Logitech or another brand.

Good webcam if you get it on sale.
I've had the VX-6000 for about 2 weeks now and overall I've been very happy with it. Installation is very simple and straightforward. I bought one for myself and one for my parents and my mother was even able to get it installed and working. My only complaint is that when I tried using this webcam with Yahoo IM, the picture quality was not as high as when I used it with Windows Live and the video kept freezing. As long as I use it with Windows Live it works well and delivers a nice video quality. With that said, I think this webcam is a great deal for what Amazon was charging. Best Buy and Circuit City were selling it for about 20 dollars more and I don't know that it is worth that much.

Great - but small bug
Awesome camera, great clarity and resolution. Mic works really well. Only one issue is that there appears to be a small conflict with either my MS keyboard+mouse software or my Lenovo volume control....everytime i talk the volume bar flashes on the screen, doesnt change the volume, but it is really annoying.