Communicator Grey C100S USB Speakerphone for Skype

Other products by Polycom

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 6.2 x 2.8 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000GG0EFY
• Item model number: 2200-44040-001
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 26, 2006

Product Description

Product Description

Polycom Communicator C100S gives you the ultimate hands-free Skype experience. It enables crystal-clear, natural conversations when using Skype. Enjoy the freedom of not wearing your headset for hands-free Skype calls, or plug into the built-in stereo headphone port for private conversations.The Polycom Communicator delivers high-fidelity wideband voice quality that sounds like you are in the same room with the people you're calling. Two high-quality microphones provide excellent range for group conversations with up to four participants. Polycom's Acoustic Clarity Technology eliminates echoes and feedback, maximizing your Skype experience.Polycom Communicator connects and powers through an integrated USB cable for easy installation and use - no extra cables to carry or batteries to charge. Its small size and carrying case make it easy to take with you. Plus, the high-quality speaker doubles as a great portable solution for CD-quality music and presentation audio. Unrivaled ease of use and Skype integration allow you to launch the Skype application and pick up or hang up calls without using your mouse. Convenient buttons and indicators for volume control and mute are also built-in.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wildly great and awful all at the same time, February 1, 2008

By	Phillip Blanton "RadWarrior.com" (Colorado Springs, Co United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Everyone who gives the Polycom Communicator C100S a great rating is absolutely correct. Under Windows XP this device is awesome. The sound quality is great on both ends. It doesn't take you long to realize that you are carrying on a conversation in a much more natural manner without a headset on.

When you want to use this device on any operating system other than Windows XP, you'll find that the device is nothing more than a cheap speaker and desktop microphone. Of course it works with Skype on Linux, MacOS and Windows Vista, just like any other speaker and desktop microphone do. Crappily.

The magic of this device is in the software. The echo cancellation and sound quality are all products of the drivers that lie between Skype and the device. Wihout those drivers, the device is just an expensive USB speaker/microphone. Those who say that the device works with MacOS and Vista are only partially right. The Skype integration buttons do not work on anything but XP and I could live with that. But the audio processing in the driver is what makes this device usable with Skype. Without it, there is terrible echo from your side that makes the device unusable. You may as well use a cheap pair of speakers and a cheap desktop microphone. You'll get the same performance and it'll cost you a lot less.

Windows Vista has been available to the software developers at Polycom for over a year now and there is apparently no Vista driver in the works. This means that the Polycom Communicator C100S is useless for almost all new computer purchasers. (I did recently read that Dell is now offering Windows XP on some new PC purchases. I belive for enterprise level buyers only though.)

There is apparently now no plan to release a Mac driver, as if there was ever one in development. Which I highly doubt. So, according to my spidey senses, unless you use Windows XP exclusively, and don't have any plans for a new computer, purchasing this device now is a waste of money.

This is a terrible shame as the Polycom Communicator C100S is an awesome device and I was really looking forward to using it when I purchased it. So far I haven't been able to use it more than once, as they haven't released any Vista drivers. I did use it once with a VMWare virtual machine running Windows XP, just to make sure that my device wasn't broken, and it does work as advertised on Windows XP.

Vista drivers were supposed to be released mid 2007, but it's almost mid 2008 now and there are no hints that they have ever assigned a software guy the task of writing them. My advice is to wait until Polycom shows some interest in supporting this device with current operating systems before shelling out any money for it. :o(

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works with Vista - But Understand its Limitations, September 18, 2007

By	M. Hodby - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A number of people have claimed that this unit does not work with Vista. However, that is simply not correct. I have Vista Ultimate in Japanese, running an English language pack, and Skype which even more surprisingly is not yet fully compatible with Vista either.

First time you connect to your PC, it is possible that you will need to plug-in and out a few times before the drivers load - but they will load. Then you are on your way. Now, what does and does not work when using with Vista - on my PC:

1. Skype Button works fine.
2. Dial and hang-up button works fine
3. Volume (up and down) do NOT work
4. Mute button does NOT work
5. Speaker works fine
6. Microphone works fine

I use the unit for both Skype-Skype calls and Skype-out calls and the audio quality is good. I have asked and people at the other end have no problem hearing me, no echo and no distortion.

Overall a good product. When Polycom eventually release Vista drivers (and when Skype is fully compatible with Vista also) it will be a great product. In the meantime, understand its limitations but buy without fear that it will let you down.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Polycom Communicator on Mac OSX, December 22, 2006

By	Stephen Llano (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I thought I would write up this review for those Mac users who might be skeptical of the Polycom Communicator's compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4.

Although Polycom offers no Mac drivers or official Mac support, I find that it works extremely well out of the box.

I have used it 4 times (just got it 2 days ago) and it is an amazing speakerphone. I have used it with Skype for Skype and Land-line/mobile calls within the United States, and everyone believes me to be using my Logitech USB headset, unless they have video and can see me headset-free.

I have had a couple of instances of feedback, but these were cleared up once the person on the other end turned down their speaker volume or switched to headphones. In one case there was terrible feedback from my end, but it was because I opened ichat while on a skype call, and I think ichat opened the microphone, not allowing Skype or the Communicator to enact echo cancellation. Once I closed ichat, the call returned to echo-free quality.

I have used it on ichat, and it works as well as my internal laptop speakers and isight microphone, without the "cave-like" sound I usually get on the isight. On Gizmo Project, the sound quality is excellent with no echo or feedback whatsoever.

The buttons are the downside of this on the Mac - the "switch to skype" and "answer call" buttons do not function on the Communicator. The mute button functions, as does the LED, but the LED does not light up when there is an incoming call. The volume buttons work, but they do not control the master volume of the Mac. Both volume controls are independent of eachother. Although the Communicator does not indicate any response from touching the volume controls, they work fine.

The unit is very light, well made, and of high quality with a very nice carrying case.

Polycom says they will offer Mac support in early 2007, but I say why wait? This is well worth the money. I don't plan to use my headset again unless I need some privacy. Mac users, don't be put off by lack of Mac support - this unit functions extraordinarily well!