Aiptek Pocket DV Digital Camera, Voice Recorder, and Web Cam

Got my daughter one of these for Christmas 2005. Paid around $32 at a local drugstore. Worked fine the first time I turned it on. Took pictures, a 30sec video (NO SOUND!). Was thinking I got a bargain!

PROBLEMS START: Laptop wouldn't read CD, so I had to use my desktop to copy drivers over to a thumbdrive. Drivers installed easily after that on my WinXP-Home Laptop. Using included software, device works GREAT as a webcam. Then I disconnected it from the USB cable and it has NOT WORKED SINCE as a standalone camera. Will NOT TURN ON. Changed batteries, everything. Thought maybe a button was stuck...nope. But it STILL WORKS AS A WEBCAM when I reconnect it to the computer via USB cable.

PROS: Cute little camera (if it still worked). Takes videos (up to 200 seconds with built-in 16MB memory- not expandable!)

CONS: Videos DO NOT have sound...this is a BIG downer for a kid thinking she would be able to make videos of her & her friends.
If you read the FAQ at aiptek.com they say it doesn't record audio w/video. This device will record audio (sound), but as a voice recorder, not as part of a video (seperate functions).

DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA if you think it would be a cheap way of getting a digital camera in the hands of your kid. Many people have had problems with AIPTEK products. You get what you pay for (in my case, I got less).

I works fine on my computer, and the colors are also fine!
If you see some redish or blueish color-shift, you possibly
need a differentlighting as I did, say a white-light
illumination.

I just bought this camera last week and I can't get my computer to recognize it? I have windows me. so if you know what is wrong please help!
other then that i like the camera so far.
please help! season7780@yahoo.com
Thank You~!

I bought this product a year ago, and it really is good while taking still photographs and it worked quite well with online chat with windows 98. But lately i have downloaded the windows xp o/s ignoring the warns, And when I connected this product again to my computer, the computer fails to recognize the product. I am sending this review to give me solution and not just to print it to your customers review column. This product is quite impressive but after this problem I have degraded it.

I love this little camera, to a point. You can take pictures, videotape ect.. "As long as you have the EXTRA STORAGE", I can record voices (not like a tape recorder but good enough) but I can only download my pictures and such I can not use any of the programs with it, my computer is VERY NEW and it will not except the camera (I have another one INTEL "I use it as a web cam, that shows up on my computer but I cannot get the Pocket DV 3100 to load) Web cam??? Forget that; Don't bother with writing the company via E-MAIL, they won't respond! We have been trying for weeks now and still we are waiting to hear back! We have three different cameras by them and none work as a web cam! Good luck if you purchase this product.