Jamie's Random Musings
Various thoughts and adventures, including but not limited to Linux, Windows XP and Widows Vista, and assorted bits of hardware new and old.
Friday 22 August 2008, 8:42 AM
New Logitech QuickCam Software Release (11.8)
Of course the trend for a number of QuickCam software releases now has been to drop a few "older" cameras from each new release, but it still supports a good number of cameras, as can be seen from the supported cameras list posted by KachiWachi, the ever-present and always helpful Guru in the Logitech User Forum. Although the list is obviously getting shorter, it still goes back far enough to include my QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe (the good old "tombstone" camera), but if I go through the procedure on the Logitech support page, it offers me QuickCam 11.5... very strange.
In fact, there is another reason that it can be worthwhile for those with older cameras to download this new release. Even if their camera is not supported with drivers in this release, they may need or want the newer QuickCam Software application. One of the very (VERY) smart software engineers at Logitech worked out a procedure which got integrated in the 11.5 release which saves any older Logitech camera drivers that it finds on your system first, placing them in a software package called 'Logitech Legacy Drivers", and then installs the new software. So older cameras continue to run with whatever drivers support them, and can use the new QuickCam application.
Ok, so, here's the trick. If you can't get 11.8 from their FTP server, and it isn't offered to you by the webcam software download procedure, how are you supposed to get it? Not too difficult - but of course, do this at your own risk. I have downloaded and installed it for my Notebook Deluxe, and it works just fine. Your mileage may vary... Go to the Logitech Support Downloads page. Choose "Product Type" webcam, and then for "Prodcut Name" choose one of the newest webcams (the Pro 9000 is a good candidate). Then go through the next few questions, and if it ends up offering you QuickCam 11.8, you're in business. If it offers some older version, go back and pick another camera, and try again.
Remember, if you have an "older" QuickCam that is not supported with drivers in the 11.8 release, DO NOT uninstall your old camera drivers before installing this release. If you're not sure, check the supported camera list mentioned above.
jw 22/8/2008
PreviousComments on this post
To be honest, Logitech and their software has been a total joke. Personal experience and incredible hassles with audio driver. Read the forums. BSOD because of their webcam? Yes, sad but true. I was victim of this. What you've said here affirms what I thought. Logitech are clueless. This works with that but not this and this works with those but not these. They are all over the map. What I'm saying is, based on personal experience and the experience as many have posted on their support forums, you should not trust them. I'm not a logitech hater per se, but I will specifically look for alternate brand for a product. Sad but perhaps they have gotten a little too big for their capabilities. What computer product to they not make?
@gemaster - Thanks for reading and commenting.
I am still a fairly loyal Logitech customer, only in part because I live in Switzerland... But I have to agree, the number and severity of software problems they have had, and the amount of time they have taken to fix some of them, has been surprising and distressing. For webcams, I am currently very pleased with my Philips SPC900 and SPC1300, and I haven't purchased a Logitech webcam in quite a while now - over a year, now that I think about it. Maybe I'm not so loyal after all...
Anyway, thanks again.
jw 20/12/2008
I believe I was the first one to post about 11.8 last year but now version 11.9 is available.
