FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2001
FIRST AND ONLY WEBCAM DRIVERS FOR MAC OS X INTRODUCED BY IOXPERTS
IOXperts Delivers on Apple’s Digital Hub Promise and Offers Mac Users More
Choice by Releasing the First WebCam Driver for Mac OS X
BEDFORD, NH, November 1, 2001 – IOXperts, Inc. announced today that version
1.0 of its universal Mac OS X video driver for FireWire WebCams has been
released for public beta testing. This is the first and only driver
available that gives Mac OS X users access to a wide array of low-cost
cameras, including the ADS PYRO WebCam, FireWire Direct DV WebCam, Orange
Micro iBOT=99, and iRez StealthFire=99.
The price during the beta period will be $14.95, a discount off the retail
price of $19.95.
“Many hardware vendors have been hesitant to enter the Mac OS X market due
to the cost of development and relatively small market. Because we’ve been
developing Mac OS drivers for years and can support multiple vendors’
hardware, we’ve decided to offer drivers directly to users who don’t want
to wait,” says IOXperts CTO and founder Steve Sisak.
“Besides the access problem, most people don’t realize that their external
gadgets like cameras or printers can only work as well as the drivers that
run them,” says IOXperts VP of Engineering, Dave Koziol. “That’s why we
strive to give users the benefit of all the features that have been
engineered into the hardware.”
Sisak and his team have been working with original equipment manufacturers
for years, but this is the first time the company has reached out directly
to consumers. This driver is the result of more than 9 months of working
with Apple as the FireWire support in Mac OS X matured. Finally, with the
release of Mac OS 10.1 it is possible to ship a commercial-quality driver
to consumers.
Ben Bird, author of the video viewer applications BTV and BTV Pro welcomes
the new driver, saying it “fills a great need in the rapidly growing Mac OS
X market and represents a significant achievement for Steve and his team.
It enables consumers to get the most out of their FireWire WebCam, and I
recommend it to all my users.”
The average computer user never installs a driver, or at least is never
aware that they’ve done so because drivers are typically bundled with the
operating system or with a new piece of equipment. IOXperts CEO Joerg Laves
says, “There’s a learning curve for customers about drivers, absolutely,
but we’re eager to get the word out. There’s a real opportunity for Mac
users here.”
System requirements
DCam-compliant FireWire camera (not DV)
Macintosh running Mac OS X 10.1 (or greater) and a FireWire port
Tested and supported cameras (in alphabetical order)
ADS 1394 PYRO WebCam
AME Vcam=99 IEEE 1394 (FireWire) PC Camera CF-2000
Aplux 1394 PC Camera – C102T, 1394 PC Camera – C104T
iREZ StealthFire=99 1394/FireWire Video Camera, iREZ KritterDigital FireWire
Camera
FireWireDirect DV WebCam
Orange Micro iBOT=99 FireWire Video Camera
Since FireWire and DCam are standards, there’s a good chance other FireWire
DCam cameras will also work.
Application software
The driver does not include a viewing application. IOXperts recommends
using BTV or BTV Pro (http://www.bensoftware.com).
Where to Download the Driver
The trial version of the IOXperts driver can be downloaded from
(http://www.ioxperts.com/dcam.html).
About IOXperts
IOXperts (http://www.ioxperts.com) is headquartered in Bedford, New
Hampshire. Steve Sisak, the founder and chief technology officer, has been
developing Macintosh applications and drivers since graduating from MIT
some 15 years ago.
The company was started to meet the unsatisfied and growing demand among
Macintosh users for more variety and choice among peripherals. Their
approach is to provide the drivers that will power hardware on the
Macintosh platform.
The company has worked with OEMs worldwide, and now is offering some
products directly to consumers.