Somebody who is homesick?

[Gunnie]

I guess I got nothing to say when it comes to being homesick since I`m from Norway and have my mom on the westcoast. My husband on the otherhand doesn`t his familiy is in the states.

 

We both miss them alot time to time, but things have gotten a lot better after we got the web-camera up and running through Scype or MSN. Until reasently I thought of web-camera as an expencive complicatet thing, but I was very wrong. Webcamera and speakers are pretty cheep, so if you have internett acess 24 hours it`s actually kind of easy to get. I highly recomend it.

 

We got a niece and a nephew 5 and 7 years old. And it`s amazing how much closer you get when you get to see them weekly. Can`t wait til our own child is born and my mother in law, or my own mother for that matter can talk and see the kid as often as we want without spending extra money.

 

I`ll be happy to answeer questions about this if you want. Web-camera telephoning is absolutly great!

[AllisonHagen]

I'd love to know more about Web-camera telephoning! How much does the camera cost? Where can I buy one? Are the speakers on a laptop good enough? What kind of microphone do I need?

Thanks for your help!

Allison

[Gunnie]

How much does the camera cost?

We bought a good camera “creative” that had a head set with it for around 500 kr. You can find cheaper models online or in the store but remember you get what you pay for. I think a little extra to keep the family elsewhere close is a good thing.

 

Where can I buy one?

Most computer stores have some form of web cam or you can buy it online. Elkjøp also got cheep stuff.

 

Are the speakers on a laptop good enough?

That depends on the quality of laptop. If you can play music with the speakers I think its would be good enough.

 

What kind of microphone do I need?

This answer is about the same as the web cam. With one exeption, a good enough microphone doesn’t cost that much. I think we got our microphone for under 100kr, can’t remember exactly. I do sugest getting a microphone that is on a stick or elevated in some fashion, not one where the mic sits right on the desk.

 

Is it easy to install on the computer, any good tips on how to do it?

Most of the items are plug and play (that is plug it in and it works fine). You might need to install a driver for the web cam, but that is just putting in a disc and following the instructions.

 

There are many different video chat services that one can use. Each has its own special thing about it. My husband who mostly talk to his folks in US likes skype:www.skype.com. With skype you can also call to normal telephones in different countries cheaper. The easiest thing to do is talk it over with the ones you want to stay in contact with and see if any of them are already using something. For example, my husbands family uses skype and my familiy uses msn: www.hotmail.com (yes you can run more then one).

 

 

I hope this helps. If I left something out, or you need more help or the like please ask.