Manage updates with the Download AppApple iSight
Manufacturer: Apple Part number: M8817LL/C
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With great image quality and integration, the Apple iSight is the best choice for Mac owners who use iChat, but it isn't ideal for users of other messaging clients.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Apple iSight price range: $120.00
- Reviewed by: Lara Luepke
- Edited by: Justin Jaffe
- Reviewed on: 08/24/2005
- Released on: 06/23/2003
The good: Stylish design; flawless integration with iChat and iMovie; minimal setup required; great image and color quality.
The bad: Image settings such as focus, color, brightness, and contrast aren't adjustable; doesn't work with all instant-messaging applications; pricey.
The bottom line: With great image quality and integration, the Apple iSight is the best choice for Mac owners who use iChat, but it isn't ideal for users of other messaging clients.
User reviews
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Looks cool, but is it really worth the money?
by xxxMDKxxx on June 1, 2006
Pros: Excellent design, Multiple stands included, Firewire
Cons: Pricey, Cant't adjust brightness/contrast ect., Works with apple software only.
Summary: I feel like I lost my money with the eyesight. I couldn't use it with my favorite chat clients. The thing only works with Apple software. Not worth its ...
Summary: I feel like I lost my money with the eyesight. I couldn't use it with my favorite chat clients. The thing only works with Apple software. Not worth its price tag.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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like everything apple makes the isight just plain works
by gavin_japan on April 5, 2005
Pros: easy to set up, easy to use, easy to mount, works like most apple products
Cons: cost is higher than other web cams but there is no doubt that it is worth most of the extra cost. build quality and looks can't be beat.
Summary: I love my apple. I hate computers and I just want them to work and do what I want them to. In the three years I have owned my apple ...
Summary: I love my apple. I hate computers and I just want them to work and do what I want them to. In the three years I have owned my apple I have spent a total of three hours on the phone with tech support. The six months my wife has had her Dell she has spent 37hours talking to new friends in the philipines and india.
The camera does exactly what it is suposed to. the only thing that I can complain about is like most cameras you need adaquate light to get a great picture. it took a little playing with the angle of my desk lamp to get the shadows and color right. Audio is great and picture quality is good if your internet is fast enough.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent image!
by scienet on August 13, 2006
Pros: Reacts well. Very good imaging.
Cons: Kinda useless considering Microsoft are too cheap to develop MSN Messenger for Mac!
Summary: This cam really works better than the 2 previous I owned. The image is spectacular compare to the other two I owned. Like I said in the "Cons", what slurps ...
Summary: This cam really works better than the 2 previous I owned. The image is spectacular compare to the other two I owned. Like I said in the "Cons", what slurps is that very few people actually use iChat so I can rarely use my cam. Of course there are way around it, don't write to tell me just that. It's simply that it'd be much more simple if Microsoft develop MSN for Messenger for Mac even 50% as fast as they develop the PC version! lol MSN Messenger is archaic... Anyway... I won't start about Microsoft! This camera is simply excellent but I believe it can only be used with a MAC. That's the other majob downside. And now, with my iMac, I no longer need it so... Oh well... It's good nonetheless!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great quality camera compared to other web cams out there
by lakingsfn2004 on May 16, 2006
Pros: video quality, size, firewire interface
Cons: small indicator light, no adjustable features
Summary: Just got the iSight camera for my birthday and it works amazingly well. I am having a little problem with getting it to work with iChat but I just have ...
Summary: Just got the iSight camera for my birthday and it works amazingly well. I am having a little problem with getting it to work with iChat but I just have to find the right settings. Highly recommended purchase despite the price.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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an amazing sleek webcamera
by bronxbomers5 on January 12, 2006
Pros: its great came with attachments for a desk and a laptop it sit right on top of my powerbook and all my windows friends wish they has one, its all so cool to look at and the mic inside is 10 great
Cons: not too many, no cons actually every thing was thought out well
Summary: i give the isight a ten because it is a perfect product, its good looking, provides high proformance and ease of use, every thing just works with apple. btw a ...
Summary: i give the isight a ten because it is a perfect product, its good looking, provides high proformance and ease of use, every thing just works with apple. btw a nifty little motion sensor program can be found from security spy, just google it or some thing. have fun
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Auto-Focus makes the difference
by williebegoode on November 11, 2005
Pros: Easy to set up and use on Macs
Cons: Pricey & not too flexible & microphone not good
Summary: I've had my iSight sitting atop my goose-neck iMac for a few years now, and I use it all the time. I like the image quality and I like ...
Summary: I've had my iSight sitting atop my goose-neck iMac for a few years now, and I use it all the time. I like the image quality and I like the autofocus. However, the built-in mic is almost useless (especially compared to the Logitech 4000) and given the paste-on attachments Apple provides, it's not too flexible. (The new G5 iMacs have these babies built in a little hole in the screen, which reduces flexibility to zero.) For around $150, it's way over-priced -- more what I'd expect to pay for a really good wrieless Cam/Mic. For about 1/2 the price, you can get a Logitech 4000 Pro, have a better mic and all the quality you're likely to need for the Internet. (What good is 30 FPS with 640 x 480 resolution when the bandwidth and processor can only handle a fraction of that?--BTW, the Logitech has the same specs.)
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent for Mac
by scottso on September 13, 2005
Pros: Great Image
Cons: Only available with FireWire
Summary: Great Webcam for the Mac but only the Mac
Summary: Great Webcam for the Mac but only the Mac
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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editorial error: ichat _does_ support jabber (where are the fact-checkers at cnet?!)
by zahadum on August 27, 2005
Pros: firewire delivers crystal clear quality
Cons: apple still has not yet deployed wireless video - even though they pushed for the firewire-over-wifi av spec!
Summary: the other flaw is that in order to do heavy-duty multi-user conferencing in ichat AV, huge amounts of CPU power are required from the hub - basically only a dual ...
Summary: the other flaw is that in order to do heavy-duty multi-user conferencing in ichat AV, huge amounts of CPU power are required from the hub - basically only a dual G5 will carry the load.
apple desparately needs an AV platform - using the like the mini to include custom hardware for DVR, conferencing, and multi-channel household streaming (like that airport express does).
as usual with apple, they start off with a big bang, but then there is no follow-through to capture the opportunity they created.
sad sad sad.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A perfect webcam that happens to be a piece of art.
by ispsec on June 26, 2005
Pros: Auto-Focus, Privacy Cover, A Work of Art. Works better then any other webcam out there - And I know that for a fact!
Cons: Only Firewire and works only on MAC (unless you get a lot of aspirin and try to install it on XP.)
Summary: I have been playing around with webcams since the first one came out years ago. The little black and white wonders that took over video conferencing from home computers back ...
Summary: I have been playing around with webcams since the first one came out years ago. The little black and white wonders that took over video conferencing from home computers back in the day. But now, Apple has brought out a piece of art that works, and works well.
Not only does it scream plug me in and use me, but when you unpack it you quickly realize Apple produced a well packaged device with a lot of cool attachments. The first thing that came to my mind was, "I wonder if this thing could work on my Dell Inspiron 8500 laptop?" I think the quick answer was no!
I unpacked the iSight and plugged it in to the Mac Mini's firewire port. BAM! it was up and working. The drawback to the firewire design is that the Mac Mini only has one firewire port. It would have been nice to have the option of a USB 2 iSight. The Mac Mini has two USB 2 ports.
A friend of mine asked me to get two Mac Mini's and set them up so they could video conference to and from Europe and the United States. So approx. $2000 later they had two computers, two iSights, OS X 10.4 (Tiger), and my first glance at what the Mac really has to offer. These are the coolest and easiest webcams in the world.
The installation along with iChat that is already installed in OS X was a snap. We were up and running one way, two way, and audio only chat sessions in minutes.
When your finished with the iSight you just shut down the chat program and turn the lens ring on the iSight to close this space like internal door. It covers the whole lens for privacy and tells everyone that you are unavailable for video chats. Pretty cool.
The other privacy feature I liked was a little pin head like green light at the very top of the iSight. When the camera is active the little light glows green. When the camera is off the light is dark.
Mac OS X (Tiger) along with the iSight will allow multi-user chats. But, I think one of the best features is the built in mike. The audio sounds perfect.
The clarity, color balance, auto focus, and style is unmatched. Period!
The iSight is a bit pricy at $149 retail but well worth the money. If you are a teacher check the discount price on Apples site.
I cannot wait until I get OS X for my dell in late 2006, early 2007. I will get OS X just to use this webcam.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Mac OS X users looking for a stylish webcam.
by Leo Watson on May 14, 2005
Pros: Great ergonomics; autofocus; high quality; 1/4 inch CCD.
Cons: Very Expensive; only works with iChat; no Windows compatiability.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Part number: M8817LL/C
- Description: Introducing a revolutionary new way to say hello. iSight delivers picture perfect video, crystal clear audio and an innovative design that makes video conferencing over the Internet as natural as face-to-face conversation. Families can stay in touch from thousands of miles away. Students can hang out and talk with their friends like they were in the same room. And business travelers can tuck their kids in to bed from the other side of the world. It's the next best thing to being there.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Device Type Web camera
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Optical sensor size 1/4"
- Optical sensor type CCD
- Features Digital noise reduction
Camera
- Type Color
- Max Digital Video Resolution 640 x 480
- Audio Support Yes
Image Sensor
- Type CCD 1/4"
Lens Construction
- Lens Iris F/2.8
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Min Focus Range 2 in
Interfaces
- Computer Interface IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 6 pin FireWire
- Compatible Slots None
- Cables included IEEE 1394 adapter,
1 x IEEE 1394 cable - 6 ft Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Stand,
Carrying case - Cables Included IEEE 1394 adapter,
1 x IEEE 1394 cable - 6 ft Power
- Power Device None
Software / System Requirements
- OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.2.5 or later
- Peripheral / Interface Devices Internet connection
- System Requirements Details MacOS X 10.2.5 or later - PowerPC G3 - 600 MHz
Physical Characteristics
- Weight 2.3 oz
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Apple products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Apple
- Address:
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014 - Phone: 1-408-996-1010
