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Review
Created: July, 2000
If you run a small office with a number
of employees who telecommute, free instant messaging technology
can help you all stay connected. If you'd like to add a more
personal touch with Web cams but don't think you can afford
buying multiple units, you might consider the Zora Cam from
Fong Kai Industrial Co.
At $79 US ($120 Canadian), the Zora Cam is inexpensive enough
that you could buy more than one and not break the budget. And
it comes bundled with a load of software that allows you to
get your money's worth out of your purchase. Unfortunately,
the Zora Cam's video quality keeps it from being a really great
buy.
The Zora Cam comes in two configurations -- USB (universal serial
bus), which is quick and easy to set up, and a parallel port
version which transmits at a slower pace but its port can be
found on almost any computer.
Unfortunately, the parallel port is usually occupied by a printer,
which presents a potential conflict. You can make a purchase
to free up an additional parallel port but the immediacy of
the USB version is more appealing.
The software that goes with the Zora Cam takes only a few minutes
to install. It requires just a reboot to get things started.
But you will pay for the cheap price with a little sweat equity.
Getting this camera off the ground takes a little patience.
During testing, several programs that were installed subsequently
displayed an error message. After troubleshooting with the manual
produced no results, new drivers had to be found on the Web.
The good news is that once the new drivers were found and installed
everything worked. But they weren't easy to find and it was
disappointing this product couldn't be used out of the box.
In the Zora Cam's defense, the software bundle is impressive.
Along with the usual Web cam software staples, the real bonus
is the inclusion of CUseeMe Pro which sells for $49 US ($75
Canadian) on its own. It's a sophisticated piece of software
that lets you chat and share video and also lets you share applications
with another user. It can be used to chat with a single friend
or with a group of people around the world.
The Zora Cam's sub-par video quality may be a deterrent if you
require great visual clarity. Even the on-screen preview window
is dark and murky before transmitting video over the Internet.
There are controls to adjust the image's quality, but the changes
won't necessarily make things look better, just different.
Even worse, some controls are available for some applications
but not others. A worthwhile automatic pan and zoom function
was one example of something you'd want to use all the time,
but can't.
The Zora Cam is a mixed bag. It provides a great software package,
something often overlooked with Web cams, but picture quality
reflects the price. Your chat partner will see it's you and
will be able to tell if you're smiling or frowning -- but not
much more.
The low price makes the Zora Cam a decent low-end camera for
someone who wants to add video chat to the office routine or
for talking to out-of-town family without investing in a top-of-the-line
model.
Reviewer's rating: 3 / 5
Comments: The Zora Cam from Fong Kai Industrial Co.
is inexpensive and provides a great software bundle. But you
get what you pay for: the low price buys low image quality.
This is a Web cam for budget-conscious consumers.
Platform: PC
System requirements: Pentium 100, 16 MB of RAM, 16 bit video
card, 100 MB of hard drive space.
More info: http://www.fongkai.com/zcam/capcard.htm
Price: $79 US, $120 Canadian
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Adding RAM is easy, 
