Webcams

[Focault]

Really?

Not one single new function, not one single visible improvement to video/audio, but 140 megs of ... what??

A 30 minute user investment (assuming any savvy) to re-map every single setting for camera, storage folders, video apps, audio, start-up.... ?

Microphone still completely unusable for anything but whispering, still being sold as a "nice" microphone?  How many years now?

And the cherry on top is that now you have to open an almost full screen app to start the camera, you can't even use a right click short-cut.  This is the worst design from start to finish of anything I've ever seen from Logitech.  And that's including HD...  Go ahead and axe this, I certainly would, but you know it's true.  You got taken.  Kudos to the team or outsource company that sold this one to management.  Bet it was a long 15 hours knocking this one out.

[AntonC]

Thanks for your feedback Focault. We'll forward this to our video business unit. It is our goal to improve user experience with each new software version, and often UI design comes down to personal preference. The latest LWS software did go through user testing and came out favorably. Having said this, I understand your points and we definitely value all of our customer's opinions.

Regarding added features, here's a FAQ article that list all of the changes in more details:

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17022/kw/

Regards,

[Focault]

I did see the list, and thanks for the response.

I'm curious.  When they test "software upgrades" do you ensure that the testers spend time working with the software that is about to be completely changed?  Are they given the full experience of learning to do things one way, then having all setting erased and a totally new interface stuck on then told to, "Set everything back like it was?"  LOL.  I know that in most cases the answer is no.  That is why you commonly see big community issues with software that "tested well."  (eq Google/Youtube or NVIDIA or SOE)

Asking someone if they like something is pretty dependent on prior experience, or the lack of it.

In the end it's a moot point.  All software uninstalled.  Thanks but no thanks.

Very disappointing.

[AntonC]

Hi Focault,

To be honest, as the Community Manager I do not have a lot of visitbility into working details of our business unit's user testing programs. Your points are certainly valid, and I'll make sure this is forwarded to the right people here internally for consideration.

Regards,

[Spassvogel]

I also think that the new software is bad.  Hopefully I'll be able to downgrade.  The controls are awkward and hard to access.  They got rid of half the resolution choices. 

You can't resize the quick-capture window independent of webcam resolution.  (i.e., one should be able to make the quick-capture ANY size no matter what the resolution is).  Many of the image controls are gone.  The advanced controls popup is gigantic.  Why did you abandon the vertical toolbar?  It was compact and efficient.  The new one is too big to do anything with, especially since the quick-capture window cannot be resized.

And it's WORSE when you are using the video with Skype or Yahoo, because if you want advanced camera controls that tool screen is still gigantic.  I have a big monitor and that advanced tools popup takes up a THIRD of the width of my screen.  That's completely unacceptable.  I need real-time access to manual focus and there's no way to do that without opening up that horrible huge window.

This looks like Windows 95-style programming, big fat windows with a bunch of wasted space.  Why did you DEvolve?  This is a step back.