After a couple of days searching, including a late-night call to Apple tech support, I have stumbled upon a knowledge base article that refers to something with which I was afflicted, and assumed was a bug. It is not. From Using your built-in iSight camera –

The iMac G5 (iSight) comes with a built-in iSight camera that you can use for several purposes, including participating in video chat sessions over the Internet with a broadband Internet connection. You can’t use the iSight to capture video with iMovie HD, but here are some ways you can use your built-in iSight camera and the images it produces.

I wonder why this is. I imagine it has something to do with the fact that the built-in iSight does not connect via FireWire to wherever it connects, but that’s the limit of my understanding of computer internals. Granted, I wasn’t planning on doing anything serious with it, and this is probably what Apple thinks, too – although I can see creaters of video podcasts finding such a limitation aggravating. But then again, maybe this is Apple trying to save them from themselves.

I awoke to find these three pictures on my otherwise pristine desktop. You can click them to get a closer look.

I must say, I’m taken aback by it’s rather agressive stance toward any other computers I have lying around (I’m not looking forward to what happens when it sees my Gateway Solo in the closet, but hopefully that won’t happen.) Still, bonus points for vigor.

Oh, and to the doubters, PhotoBooth is much more fun and addictive that something so useless should be.

So, can I drop by and take it off your hands, FedEx? You don’t have to drop it off – I’ll save you the trip. C’mon – be a pal!

My lowly PowerMac G4 (Yikes! variety) is green with envy, as this peppy little number will soon be entering the Embler household.

I’m not sure what sold me – the 20 inch screen, the very capable G5, the student discount, or the (frivolous?) extras like Front Row or the built-in iSight, but we did it: one of these is being prepped for me (with an extra 512 megs of RAM, of course.)

I can’t wait. Soon, I’ll be able to blog with a greater intensity, as I will no longer be encumbered by this antiquated 400mhz processor. I imagine that gratuitous webcam shots will follow.