All of this is being made possible by the advancements and refinements in technology over the past several years. Most of this is not really new; laptops, webcams and broadband internet have all been around for several years. But only recently has the quality (webcams), size (laptops) and accessibility (broadband) of each of these items made such a venture practical.
Whether you are interested in lifecasting, video conferencing or simply chatting online with friends or family on the other side of the planet, it all starts with a webcam. I tried using a webcam several years back and quickly gave up because the quality was horrible. It was like watching a photo slideshow in slow motion. Things have certainly come a long way since then and I am excited to try a "newer" webcam to see just how much improvement has been made over the years. That "newer" webcam is the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000.
The Pro 9000 camera arrived in Logitech's typical retail packaging format. The front upper area of the box is clear and shows the webcam sitting inside. On the side of the box, we are give a list of features, similar to that on the bottom of the box. The back of the package describes some of the camera's features in further detail. A complete list of features and specs can be seen below, borrowed from Logitech's website.
The specs on this webcam are very impressive, especially the Carl Zeiss lens. I am big photography buff, and Logitech's statement about Carl Zeiss being a global leader in camera optics is dead-on. Also impressive on the specs list is HD video. Many webcams only offer resolutions up to 640x480. It will be fun to see exactly how well the RightLight 2 Technology and RightSound Technology actually work.
Continue ahead as we take our first look at the QuickCam Pro 9000...
