Web Cams

[sprayer]

as I have family living in both Italy and Hong Kong somebody suggested getting a web cam and calling them (in vision ) for free, as I am not computer minded I don't have a clue how this works, even less as to what web cam to buy, I just looked them up on eBay and cant believe how cheap they are anything from 99pence to about �30. any advice ? by the way this laptop has a program called Skype on it which I was told I would need

[organicair]

Hi,

Yes - Skype is one of the programs you can use. You just need to go through the registration process or creating a log in name for yourself ( your name would be fine).
Try doing that first and get your family to look for you from their side if they've used it before.

Once you're all connected and have managed to talk by typing to each other - THEN go and buy the camera. I'd rather buy from an online shop like play.com or amazon.co.uk. If you've not used eBay before it can be a tad confusing.

As for which camera - just make sure the camera info states that it supports Windows (XP or Vista - whichever you're using) I've got a Creative and it works fine.

One other thing - you will need a microphone (unless your laptop has one built in)

GOOD LUCK and happy chatting! It is a wonderful tool if you're far away from family.

[sprayer]

Thanks for your advice Organicair which is very welcome and I will take on board, what was confusing me is some have 3,6, or 8 LEDs some are 6,8 or 10 Mps some have auto focus most have built in mics, the list goes on still I suppose you only get what you pay for, so working on the theory that the more you pay the better it is.

[fo3nix]

That's true, but it depends on what you want to do.

Even the cheap (�5) webcams will provide more than enough quality for Skype. You can't get full HD on Skype if you're sending your image over a slow internet connection!

Logitech and Creative are both decent makes. Argos sells a decent range, at fairly competetive prices. I'd buy a cheap webcam from Argos (hopefully it'll state that it's compatible with your version of Windows --- Vista or XP).

Microphones: the only issue with having a microphone that's relatively far away from you (near the webcam, for example), is that it might get feedback from your speakers. Many people prefer buying a cheap headphone and microphone set (like you'd use in a call centre), for this reason.

[sprayer]

Thanks for your advice fo3nix a cheap one it will be for starters, but I must admit I never thought about the distance to the mic so think I may just go for the headset option.. Cheers ....