Computer Ads from the Past

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Connectix QuickCam

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Connectix QuickCam

The first webcam

John Paul Wohlscheid
Sep 10, 2022
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Connectix QuickCam

computeradsfromthepast.substack.com
From the May 1995 issue of MacWorld
From the May 1995 issue of MacWorld

This ad was requested by a reader. If you have an ad you’d like to see covered, mention it in the comments.

The Company

The Connectix Corporation was founded in October 1988 by Jon Garber, Bonnie Fought, and Roy McDonald. (Garber and Fought later married.) The company made both hardware and software for Macs and PCs. Connectix created several groundbreaking products over the years, but the company was not a financial success. Over the years, the company sold off some of its technology to Logitech, Sony, and Microsoft. As of August 2003, the company no longer exists.

Computer Ads from the Past is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The Product

Connectix released the QuickCam in 1994. Initially, it was only available for the Mac and connected via a RS-422 connector. The camera used 16 shades of gray to produce an image 320 x 240 pixels in size. It could record a video at 15 frames per second. It sold for $100.

This was the first time that many people had access to webcam. (This was before the webcam named had been coined.) Many used the camera to make little movies. For example, the Connectix team recorded a Christmas greeting for 1994 (below). In the above video, the 8-bit Guy shows how he used his QuickCam, including how he used filters to take color images.

Later versions of the QuickCam moved to a USB port, and it became available for PCs. Time magazine named the QuickCam one of its All-Time 100 Gadgets. For an interesting looking at using a QuickCam on today’s systems, check out this article on Tedium.

Logitech purchased QuickCam from Connectix in 1998 for $25 million.


What computer ads would you like to see in the future? Please comment below. If you enjoyed, please share with your friends and relatives. Thank you.

Computer Ads from the Past is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Connectix QuickCam

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1 Comment
Geoffrey Golden
Writes Adventure Snack
Sep 11, 2022

This made my day. Thank you! I shot music videos on my QuickCam and tried (unsuccessfully) to get the color filters to work.

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