Customer Rating:  
Summary: Very Good Webcam
Comment: I love how small it is. I remember the old days when webcams were humongous and on tripods. And they had horrible audio/video. The video on this little Webcam is as good as I could hope for, it adjusts automatically depending upon how light or dark my room is. And my PC is next to an open window so it adjusts nicely for daytime or nighttime. The audio is good, I can clearly hear myself when recording. And I like that it can be used to record video. I teach classical guitar and might be able to use this little guy for some on-line lessons. The time lag appears to be minimal, which is why I have procrastinated so long in getting a webcam. I hate saying or doing something and a second or two later the action is delivered to the other person.
The only problem I have had with it was loading the Microsoft software it came with. Instead of using the disk that came with the Webcam, I went directly to the site and downloaded it from there but it still took well over 30 minutes to install. I am using Windows XP. Then my browser, (Firefox) kept locking up on me. "Live Messenger" windows kept popping up and my only recourse was to reboot the system and that only worked part of the time. I have since uninstalled all programs from Microsoft concerning this Webcam and have downloaded Skype which seems to work perfectly well with no problems to my web browser.
So far I am very pleased with this little wonder of technology!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Flexible Webcamera
Comment: I am very pleased with this product. The camera is small, has a good quality picture, and has a very flexible stand \ mount. It can be perched on top of your monitor, or on an appropriate spot on you desk (if unlike me, you have free space on your desk!). The unit comes with 3 interchangable face plates - a maroon red, white, and a blue face place. To switch them is rather easy.
A light shows on the webcam when it is in use, and it has a microphone built in. The install is quite easy - you just load the drivers via a supplied CD. There are some rather numerous downloads and updates that it grabs from the internet. MS Live is installed.
I set this up as my default device for Skype and MS Live, and it works admirably. This camera is small enough that it could easily be put on a laptop.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Works great with Skype, nice mounting & good microphone
Comment: This is a nice, small webcam that installed painlessly and works well. After installation, I launched Skype, which was able to access the webcam immediately. The microphone works better than some webcams, picking up my voice cleanly from the top of my monitor. The video was as good as any webcam I've seen. There's not much else to say about the basics. (tested on a Windows XP Pro laptop).
However, what I like about this one is the mechanical or product design. The swivel base is very cleverly designed to unfold like a paper clip and fit securely over the top of your laptop or flat screen monitor. It has grippy rubber and flat edges in all the right places to hold it in place. It will also fold down flat to work on a desk or on the top of a CRT-that's how the product photo shows it. Little details like these make this product a pleasure to use, rather than a drag. Watch out: Some other webcams have simple flat bases, that don't work at all on the thin top edge of laptops or flat screens.
When you are done, the whole thing collapses into a flat package with a cord coming out the back, which is easy to transport in a pocket. This is much nicer than the spherical webcams, which are awkward to carry that way. This is a minor point, but it shows the care that went into the product design of this model.
I have yet to find any webcam that creates as good a picture as a camcorder. I do realize that camcorders cost several times as much as webcams. If I ever get that image quality from a webcam, I will give it five stars. This one ranks four stars because it does everything else as well or better than other webcams I've tried. It actually deserves 4 and a half (but not quite 5!)
Customer Rating:
Summary: What a mistake buying the VX-5500
Comment: The reviews I read on the Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500 convinced me that it was far and away the webcam to buy. In fact I bought three of them. Two for family elsewhere. After a week of trying; loading and downloading; deleting and reloading 5 times, I have yet to see the parties on the other side. I hear them fine, just cannot get a picture of them. I followed all instructions to the "t" as well. I downloaded only using Internet Explorer. Kept getting error messages. What a disappointment. Worst thing is, I bought it through Amazon.com but did not receive any return documentation, so I'm stuck with the thing. Would not recommend this webcam! And my family receiving them as gifts must be upset with me by now.
Customer Rating:
Summary: vx-5500 good for the money
Comment: I got the Microsoft VX-5500 LifeCam webcam. First webcam I have ever owned. Easy installation on a Windows XP laptop. Using it with Skype--I use it when playing Chinese Checkers with nephew. It delivers quality video and sound. Also has echo cancellation feature and does well in low light. Has rubber skids on bottom if you sit it on a flat surface and three color face plates--the white looks very sharp. It is square, not round and eye shaped like so many other web cams. Does not attach well to a laptop, but can be done. Has 3 year limited warranty. Made in China -- of course. I paid $37 from a third party on Amazon, Amazon itself did not have it in stock. Later found it listed at $27.00 so shop around for the best price and wait if you are not in a hurry. All in all, for the money it is a quality webcam if you are not needing the highest quality video. I was a little worried that a Microsoft product would try to take over, but I was easily able to make Skype my default rather than Windows Live Call.
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