OS X vs. Logitech Webcams

My Mac mini has become my everyday machine. I use it for everything except for my work (I'm a .Net developer). Even then, I run Windows on my Mac via Parallels virtualization.

Until the other day I'd never had problems getting peripherals to work. My printer (HP PhotoSmart 7760) was automagically detected and configured by OS X and I found OS X drivers for my scanner (Canon LiDE 30) on Canon's site. I have a Logitech Elite keyboard (w/Win & Mac keys) and trackball, both of which have excellent Mac driver support for their non-standard features.

Then I tried to get a Webcam going. I have a Logitech QuickCam Pro 5000 and QuickCam Pro for Notebooks. Both are modern devices. The 5000 is only a few months old. Both cameras work great with Windows, but lack OS X drivers. The QuickCam Pro for Notebooks does have a downloadable OS X driver, but it's circa 2003 and PPC-only.

iOXperts has been providing Webcam drivers for OS X for several years now, but they're all PPC-based and their site doesn't show any evidence of ongoing development. The macam project (freeware) looked promising, but they have the same PPC-only issue. In either case, the 5000 isn't supported and QCP for Notebooks support is questionable.

Needless to say, I'm pretty disappointed with Logitech. They've always seemed like a Mac-friendly vendor and I'm surprised that they haven't hired a person or two to write some OS X drivers for their Webcams. I respect that they're under no obligation to do so, as the cams in question have never claimed to feature Mac support, but c'mon. A year ago, my scanner didn't have a Mac driver and the good folks at Canon managed to create one. The Mac is a reality in the computing world, especially in the home. Customers will increasingly expect hardware to support it.

I'm sure that I can find a high-quality cross-platform Webcam out there somewhere, but there's no way that I can rationalize buying a THIRD unit. Parallels is promising virtualized Webcam support in its next release, so I'll just be patient. I don't expect 30 fps @ 640x480 performance under virtualization, but I'll take what I can get.

Comments

[Derica]

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