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Umax is Not on Macs.


Frustrated trying to find a low cost digital camera, excitement overcame us when Umax debuted the Astra Cam. Weighing in at just 4oz., a retail price of US$199 and offering resolution at 640 by 480, The Astra Cam would be the perfect touch for the amateur digital photographer.

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The camera includes a USB cradle with built in charger (similar to the Palm), 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries and the ability to record 20 seconds of sound to each picture taken.Umax’s product page states however that availability is limited to Windows 98 only. After contacting both Umax’s sales and technical support, we found out that no Macintosh support is planned. One very uninformed sales rep told us that it “The Astra Cam was designed only to support Win98” further questioning regarding the compatibility and upcoming Mac support resulted in “Our engineers are not familiar with the USB drivers of the Macintosh”!

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The best deal we could find on a bargain basement digital camera was the Agfa EPHOTO 780C at Club Mac for US$229, sorry serial connection only. We will keep you updated if Umax reconsiders their support of the Astra Cam for the Mac.

By Jason O'Grady

Founded the PowerPage in 1995.