Creative Live! Cam Optia AF user reviews

Pros has some good specs

Cons serious software and hardware issues

Summary I bought this cam to replace my aging intel webcam. My intel webcam worked great, and also functioned as a detacable ditigal camera, which I made good use of. Intel's software was simple, but easy to use. Unfortunately, intel no longer makes cameras, and no brand seems to make detachable webcameras anymore.
However, since my webcam was several years old now, I wanted to update it and creative's optia AF seemed to offer the best specs. The camera worked like crap right from the start. At the high resolution modes, the camera is very choppy. At the lower modes it smoothes out, but the picture gets extremely dark. Then the camera, after only one use, stopped working at all. I called creative and they quized me up and down. I asked them about the software issues and they told me they were unaware of any software issues with this product despite the fact,that their own website forum list numerous complaints about software bugs with this product. Because it was in the first 3 months they finally agreed that I could send it in. After over a month later, I get a call saying they can't fix it and don't have a replacement to send me. I told them I wanted a refund, and they told me that wasn't their policy, that I could exchange it for something else. At first they offered a lesser webcam, which was cheaper then what I had paid for and had worse specs. Then they offered me a mp3 player, but I had to pay them another 50 bucks cause it was more expensive, also I'm getting a refurbished model. That was their best offer. Don't buy from this company.