December 1998

Price: USB version: $149; PCI version: $199. (Rebates: $25 for one camera; $70 for two. Rebates granted through January 1999.)

RATINGS (0-5)
Installation: 4.5
Documentation: 4.5
Features: 4.0
Overall: A-

The Create & Share Camera Pack is so named because it bundles together a digital camera (available in both USB and PCI versions) and a diverse software package. The camera, which compares favorably with other cameras we've used recently (like 3Com's Big Picture and Kodak's DVC-323), is H.323-compatible and can boast compactness, easy installation, competitive pricing, good documentation, and good overall design. There are some features that could use improvement, such as the limited tilt and focus adjustments; however, we still liked the camera enough to grant it an Editors' Choice award.

INSTALLATION
We obtained the USB version of the camera, and we installed it on three PCs - one high-end, one mid-range, and one low-end. Predictably, the installations ranged from easy to tedious as we moved from the high-end machine to the mid-range machine and, finally, to the low-end machine. On a brand-new Pentium II 300 with 64 MB of RAM, installation took just 10 minutes. On an older Pentium, which had older USB ports and an older BIOS, installation took much longer.

On a "clean" PC, users just push the flat USB connector into either of the USB slots, wait for the auto-recognition process to finish, and run the CD's setup program (if it doesn't run automatically.) The setup program guides the user through configuring audio and video settings, and users choose whether Intel Video Phone becomes the default conferencing software.

We recommend choosing no for this option, and opting instead for Microsoft NetMeeting. This software, which is included with many versions of Windows, is still a de facto standard. And it is, in our opinion, a better product.

Basic system requirements are as follows: a 166-MHz Pentium, for the USB camera, or a 133-MHz machine, for the PCI camera; 16 MB of RAM, for Windows 95, or 32 MB of RAM, for Windows 98; 100 MB of available disk space; a CD-ROM drive; a sound card, speakers, and microphone (for video conferencing); local network and/or Internet access; and a copy of Internet Explorer (3.01 or better) or Netscape Navigator (3.1 or better). Finally, remember that the USB version is less expensive and easier to install, but only the PCI version includes Intel's video capture card.

DOCUMENTATION
The 43-page manual included with the Create & Share package is well organized and reasonably well illustrated. It includes an excellent troubleshooting section, warranty information, and a list of resources for obtaining technical support. In addition, it provides useful information about enabling a PC's USB ports, plus technical specifications and introductory information for all of the included software. The only thing the documentation lacked was a quick start guide, but there is plenty of extra help at the camera owner's Web site. In fact, we found as many answers at the camera owner's Web site and via the online help resource as we did in the manual itself.

FEATURES
Although the software that accompanies the camera seems more appropriate for consumers than for business users, the camera itself is a fine piece of hardware, suitable for use in the home or the office. The camera is, for example, exceedingly compact (length: 3.5 inches; height: 1.5 inches; width: 2.5 inches - including the base). The camera also demonstrates a reasonable range of motion (tilt: 22.5 degrees; rotation: 360 degrees; field of view: 44 degrees).

The camera's mechanical features include a simple slide adapter for removing the camera from the base; a slide-switch version of a lens cap that also has a light-shading position; a 2-meter cable; extra-large focus and shutter buttons; and double-sided tape for attaching the camera to a monitor or CPU. Finally, the camera provides up to 640 � 480 resolution and operates at up to 25 frames per second.

The camera is packaged with a variety of software, including software that builds Web sites, software that sends multimedia postcards, and software that builds digital movies. The most important software, however, is Intel's VideoPhone. For the business user, the postcard software and movie-building software are but interesting novelties. And the homepage builder lacks the power of a real editor like FrontPage, HotDog, or PageMill. The VideoPhone software, however, features H.323 and H.324 compatibility, snapshot and data sharing, a test call option, and a built-in dialer with speed dial.

That said, we still maintain that we would prefer to use NetMeeting. Yet the Create & Share software has its charms. There is, for example, a picture library, with 60 images, including landscapes, vehicles, etc. The pictures are all high resolution, and are suitable for use in any major Windows graphics or publishing program. There is also a good file management system for working with graphics. Regardless, it irked us that we couldn't resize the Create & Share window.

OPERATIONAL TESTING
In our tests, we were more impressed by the camera than its accompanying software. In fact, we weren't content to test the camera with the VideoPhone software. We also used the camera with NetMeeting. In either case, the camera produced images of very high quality, and the images we recorded remained sharp even as we increased the frame rate to full speed.

The camera seemed to be solidly constructed, more solid than some of the other cameras we've seen, and we appreciated the hardware's fine points, such as the long USB cable and the optional notebook computer mount. Also, since the camera is small, and has the same color as most PCs, it tends to blend into its surroundings. (We suppose PC cameras would insinuate themselves onto more desktops if they were as unobtrusive as the Intel camera.)

As for the VideoPhone software, it does present a stylish interface. However, functionally, VideoPhone isn't very powerful, despite its compliance with the H.323 standard. Moreover, we found that VideoPhone was difficult to configure, and slow, particularly with respect to its whiteboarding, file sharing, application sharing, and text chat capabilities.

More pedestrian functionality is accessible by way of buttons on the left side of the VideoPhone GUI. Here, users can dial, manipulate video settings, mute, and establish Internet connections. Using the drop-down menus, users select options like five-second snapshot increments, directory registration, picture-in-picture, and video size.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
There is little we would change about the Intel camera. An increased focusing range and increased vertical tilt would be nice, but we still like the camera as is. Some of the software that accompanies the camera, however, seems superfluous in an office setting. For example, we don't anticipate we would get much use out of the postcard maker and the homepage builder. Accordingly, we'd recommend that this software be offered in a deluxe version of the product, and that a stripped down version be made available at a lower price.

CONCLUSION
If we were to shop for a PC camera tomorrow, this one would be near the top of our list, along with products such as those from Vicam and Xirlink. We liked the documentation, we liked the mainstream availability, we liked the compactness, and we liked the simple installation. We feel that the Intel camera represents an excellent combination of price, usability, and performance, and that it would certainly complement several CTI and Internet telephony applications.