Logitech’s strategy to rip you off with Windows Vista
Posted in Footprints + Diary, IT | By tarotoast | Tags: driver, howto, logitech, opinion, vista, webcam
So, I have this Logitech QuickCam® Messenger™ that I bought last summer, it’s a dual pack combo so I can put the other back at home. I recently upgraded my computer to Vista and guess what I find out:
This Camera will not work with Windows Vista. Please see our list of newer Vista compatible cameras.
This is the exact phrase I see when I tried to download driver from Logitech’s . So my first thought is that, ok, maybe it wasn’t working properly so they’d call it “will not work”. I decided to download its driver for XP and see if it will install. Following the instruction of the (32.2MB) installer, I need to restart my computer for it to finish the installation. Sure, will do. After restart, hmm, Windows still can’t find the drivers it wants, ok maybe Logitech is right, this is not working for Vista.
My laptop is running Windows XP so I don’t really bother trying to get the webcam working on Vista. The (32.2MB) file just sits there and do nothing. I later installed WinRAR because I wanted to open some supposed to be lame video a friend sent me. Guess what, since now that I have WinRAR installed, I can right click on the driver installer (qc848enu.exe) and choose to extract to folder. I don’t need a stupid little icon on my taskbar just to make sure I am aware that a webcam is installed anyway.
Now that I have WinRAR installed (I really didn’t want to install it actually), files extracted, I can try installing drivers manually. Windows Vista has more steps than XP to get to the browse-for-your-driver page. After I am there, I point the Wizard to look under the Drivers folder within the extracted files of the installer (qc848enu.exe). Guess what, Vista found all the drivers it needs and this webcam is working now.
Yeah, it should right? You can pretty much use XP’s (32bit) driver in Vista (x86) anyway. My FastTrak 376/378 driver is for 2000/XP/2003 and it’s working like what it should under Vista. Now it makes me wonder why Logitech says it won’t work?
- Geeksquad can show the message to an old granpa or grandma and charge them part and labor for getting a new webcam.
- Some know-where-to-download-driver computer newbie sees that message and will decide to get a new webcam.
- It’s technically way too difficult to have a properly written installer for this particular webcam.
Maybe, but I think this makes the most sense:
- Just say it won’t work and don’t even bother upgrading the installer so people who can’t install it will have to buy a new webcam. Yeah, go get that $120 Logitech QuickCam Orbit MP, it not only tracks your move, you also get a Vista driver installer (85MB)!!!
Well, I guess this is how you push forward to “encourage” upgrade, maybe?
Update (5/17) : Thanks for Shawn to point out that there is now a Vista ready driver that was in question.
May 16th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
I’m not really sure how to respond to your post, I understand the problem with hardware compatibility and a new OS (trust me this is nowhere near as big of a headache as just 95 to 98 was,) however, if you look there is a “vista” driver pack there. I have a camera slightly up from your model, QuickCam IM (Cheapo Wal-Mart with a laptop compatible base) and I’ve used Vista since Beta 2, there have been problems with the actual software for Vista, for example mine keeps crashing, but the drivers for almost all their cameras have worked since beta 2 of Vista. The message is probably in regards to the actual software you were installing, but furthermore, keep in mind that once a camera, or any piece of hardware, passes it’s end of life (when support stops) most companies wont update the drivers for future os’s, and that’s not just limited to logitech. Luckily the HAL and the driver base are close enough to xp to where most drivers should work. You have to also understand that the installer Logitech offers is like ATi’s and nVidia’s in the fact that it handles multiple pieces of hardware in a series, so while your specific camera may not be supported, other cameras in the same family are. I hope some of my ranting made sense, good luck.
May 17th, 2007 at 1:12 am
You are right. There is indeed a Vista driver package now. Thanks for the update and your through explanation
I probably should took a screen shot back then. Like you said, the software bundle is the one that is probably broken under Vista, while the actual driver should work. However, when I choose Vista driver (before I post this article), it tells me this specific webcam is not compatible with Vista and encourage me to buy one of their compatible webcams. I feel that this is very misleading to a lot of users. I can totally see people buying new webcams after seeing that error message, and I think that is absolutely wrong. If they were to say they are working on a Vista-ready installer, that will be a different story.
September 24th, 2007 at 11:47 am
tarotoast, thanks for your help! I followed your instructions and now my QuickCam MEssenger is now working on Vista!! I was going to buy a new cam but now there is no need to. Thanks!!!
September 14th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Thanks a lot for this help : my Quickcam Messenger is alive again !
But incredible : so many people must have bought new cams due to this unfair behaviour of Logitech.
I will stop buying Logitech products