A webcam is a small camera that takes still or moving images and sends them to your PC through a USB cable. The quality of the image captured is determined by the webcam's lens, optical sensor and the frame rate the camera can transmit.

It would be a good idea to check the minimum requirements needed to run the webcam you choose, and whether your PC meets the requirements. The majority of webcams require at least Windows 98 to work properly. Minimum CPU requirements generally vary from 350MHz to 1000MHz but I would suggest a processor speed of at least 1200MHz. RAM requirements vary from 128MB to 512MB. Manufacturers of webcams will generally state a wide compatibility specification, however, a good rule of thumb would be to take the top specification mentioned for your webcam and use that as your minimum specification requirement.

The next thing to think about is the port your webcam will be connecting to your computer through. The majority of webcams manufactured plug in to a USB port.

Before you undertake any upgrade to be able to use your webcam, you need to compare your PC's specifications to the minimum requirements of the webcam you want to install.

A webcam's manufacturer will specify certain minimum requirements that your PC should meet if it is to work successfully with the device. These generally include the version of Windows on your PC, your processor's speed and the amount of RAM fitted. Upgrading to be able to use the webcam maybe as simple as installing extra components to your operating system or adding an extra stick of RAM.

Some webcams come with a built in microphone, some don't. The choice is yours depending on how much money you are prepared to pay. But as the saying goes “you get what you pay for”.