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Intel Play QX3 Microscope $25.xx at TRU B&M

T

ttown

Platinum Member
Was at Toys R Us today and saw the Intel Play QX3 Microscope at a price of $25.xx

It once sold for $99 -- but has been around for a few years at $60 -- and occasionally on sale for $40.
$25 is the lowest I've ever seen it.

I have had one for a couple years and I think it would be a great gift for semi-responsible kids (ages 8+ ?)
or even a high-school science student.

HERE is Intel's page, NOT a link to buy.
It looks to be a discontinued product -- but I've seen them at every TRU B&M in my area (western WA)

4 1/2 star average review at amazon

You can lift the "scope" part out of the traditional-looking holder to get to hard-to-reach things -- which is very handy. The description says "up to 200x magnification" -- but it really has 3 seperate magnifications: 10X, 60X and 200X. 200X is _extremely_ difficult to use because the depth of focus is _exremely_ short and focusing is not easy to fine-tune. 60X is much more usable. The software is "kid" oriented and easy to use. It even has a time-sequence video clip maker which is really interesting. We did an experiement with yeast+water+sugar and shot a time-lapse video clip of it -- and that alone was worth the cost of this "toy". All in all, a good "hands-on" gift for the scientifically interested.

ttown

edit: sample pics... although not my best work....
The pics below are of a gnat, probably about twice the size of the head of a pin.
In the 10X pic, the gnat is next to a single grain of long-grain brown rice -- trying to get a sense of scale.

gnat at 10x
gnat at 60x
gnat at 200x

oh... and the microscope is able to illuminate from the top OR bottom -- which I don't think is mentioned in the product description. My pics above are top-lit. Bottom lit would be good for the gnats wings, but you'd see nothing but a dark outline of the gnat itself.
 
I can't believe they are still being made. Intel stopped support 2+ years ago.

This is a great Christmas present.
 
These are pretty fun. We got one for my dad a couple years ago... like MANY years ago. A good gift for the geek in the family.
 
Originally posted by: TwiceOver
These are pretty fun. We got one for my dad a couple years ago... like MANY years ago. A good gift for the geek in the family.
Click to expand...
It was called a "toy" for ages 8-12. But I'm more than 3X that age, and I like it a lot.
 
It's not because they still make this, it's because they still can't get rid of the old inventories during past 2 years. No one buy them.

Originally posted by: juser
I can't believe they are still being made. Intel stopped support 2+ years ago.

This is a great Christmas present.
Click to expand...

 
I was looking around the 'net today for a different IntelPlay product -- and it appears that IntelPlay has been aquired by "Digital Blue".
I was also at TRU today and saw a QX5 (new version) that looks similar, in a similar box, except it is labeled "Digital Blue" instead of "Intel Play"

As a side note, next to the Microscope was the "Sound Morpher" -- $29 at 50%off = $15.

Also sitting there was the Intel PC Cam for $25 ($49 w/50%off) -- which was my introduction to digital cameras many years ago. Not a bad camera for 640X480 + video-clips. It has 8MB non-upgradable memory.
The software bundled with it is where the deal is... it's bundled with some software from "Reality Fusion" -- including a PC-Cam "basketball" game called Shoop which is loads of fun (you aim the cam at you and your opponent and watch the screen for the "basketball" -- trying to tap it into your opponents basket... pretty dang fun), plus a couple other Camera games.
If games don't interest you, it also comes with software that will detect motion and start taking pics at intervals that you define -- kind of like a motion activated video recorder. The s/w can even post the pics to a web-site -- so you could monitor movement at home where your camera is, at work or where-ever you might have internet access.

Any of these would make a kid very happy on Christmas morning
 
I was going to get one of these last year. I think I will get it this year.

In the anand thread linked above there was mention of xp drivers not on the cd. Has anyone tried this yet? are the xp drivers on the cd now?
 
Originally posted by: SemperFi
I was going to get one of these last year. I think I will get it this year.

In the anand thread linked above there was mention of xp drivers not on the cd. Has anyone tried this yet? are the xp drivers on the cd now?
Click to expand...
If it doesn't, you can download them from intel HERE

My guess is if it says "IntelPlay" then you'll have to download them; if it says "Digital Blue" then you won't. (only guessing, though)
 
I finally made it to toys r us. I got one. It didn't say intel on it. It is digital blue QX3+. Here is the best part. I got it for $13.98. I was tempted to buy all three on the on the shelf but the wife gave me the look. Anyhow good luck everybody. I can't wait to try it out. I mean I can't wait for the kids to use it.

Thanks OP.
 
I must have spent 20 minutes looking around the store for the scope. Looking through all the aisles. I eventually came back to an aisle that I thought it should be in. I spent a bit more time looking. All of a sudden I see QX5. I think there it is. Then it hits me that I am looking for a QX3. I spent even more time lookig then all of a sudden it is right next to the QX5. Of course there was no shelf tag or tag on the box. I went and scanned the box and it came up $13.98. That is the only thing I did to get it at that price. I was amazed when I saw it knowing that most are paying $25.
 
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