About a week ago, I needed to get a webcam to try to chat with a friend over Skype.  I went online, in a hurry, and ordered the first “high def” camera I could find on eBay.  I think I should have looked the ad over more carefully.

The camera arrived, and it looks great.

When I plugged it into my computer, the first thing I noticed was that the computer didn’t “auto detect” it.  So, I put in the mini-CD that came with it to look over the install instructions.

The instructions are incoherent.  Or, looking at the outside of the box it came in, I should say (more accurately) that the instructions are badly translated from Chinese.  I don’t think I’m going to be able to make this webcam work.  It was a total waste of money, time and effort; except if you look at it as a learning experience.  There is a lot of wisdom in some of those old country sayings.

This webcam cost me $7 – and now that I’m looking on NewEgg at the prices of Logitech webcams, I’m seeing that the price of a quality product with a good reputation is between $40 and $100.  I should have known better.