JamCam Version 3.0

$99, Win 95, 98, Mac (CD-ROM)

Teaches: creativity, photography

CTR Review

Upgraded now for the third time, this durable digital camera takes better pictures than before (although they're still not the best quality). It also comes with some essential features such as an expandable memory slot that uses standard MMC cards, an automatic flash, and the ability to hook into either Mac or Windows computers by way of a single USB connection. Does it work? Yes. Even kids as young as five can use it, although the menus are a bit confusing, and it's easy to accidentally erase pictures. We would have liked the ability to take more photos... eight isn't really enough for a typical outing. Also missing is the ability to roll back the film, or preview the pictures. Obviously, these might be costly features, but they make a big difference for kids. The camera is powered by a single 9V Alkaline Battery (the square kind), which we found gets used up quickly if you use the flash. The process of transferring the photos to the computer is easy, plus the camera includes nicely designed software for editing and storing the images.