Digital Blue QX5 microscope

[Guest J. P. Gilliver]

I've just bought one of these, and when trying to load the CD (before

connecting the microscope of course), it says I need Media Player 9. If I

try to run the setup.exe that's in one of the directories on the disc, it

says I need Me/2000/X?pVista. (Both where I got it - thinkgeek - and

DigiBlue's own website say the microscope will work with '98.)

 

It also doesn't come with a TWAIN driver, which is all I would really want -

after all, it's just a camera as far as the PC is concerned (OK, with two

extra lights, but I'd do without those at a pinch).

 

Anyone here got one of these working under '98?

 

FWIW, (a) the software and hardware is fine: I've had it working on an XP

system; (b) I'm quite impressed with the build quality and so on - it's

clearly meant to be seen as a toy, but I'd say is a good quality one.

--

J. P. Gilliver

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Digital Blue QX5 microscope

 

From http://digiblue.com/digital_blue/qx5.html

 

Computer Requirements: Windows ME, 2000, XP, or Vista; 200MHz or faster

processor, 32MB RAM, 150MB free hard disk space, SVGA 800x600 resolution

video support (min. 16-bit color), USB port enabled, 4x CD-ROM , Direct X8

(included at install). Mac OS X software for the QX5 sold separately.

 

Um, that tells me that it WON'T run on Win98 or 98SE. ME is minimum. Now,

you can TRY to install WMP 9 and see if the "toy" will then work, but I

doubt it. And if you install this WMP 9, be sure to go to Windows Updates

and see if a Critical Update for WMP9 is offered. If so, take it.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/player.aspx

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

 

"J. P. Gilliver" <john.gilliver@baesystems.com> wrote in message

news:48330892$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...

> I've just bought one of these, and when trying to load the CD (before

> connecting the microscope of course), it says I need Media Player 9. If I

> try to run the setup.exe that's in one of the directories on the disc, it

> says I need Me/2000/X?pVista. (Both where I got it - thinkgeek - and

> DigiBlue's own website say the microscope will work with '98.)

>

> It also doesn't come with a TWAIN driver, which is all I would really

> want - after all, it's just a camera as far as the PC is concerned (OK,

> with two extra lights, but I'd do without those at a pinch).

>

> Anyone here got one of these working under '98?

>

> FWIW, (a) the software and hardware is fine: I've had it working on an XP

> system; (b) I'm quite impressed with the build quality and so on - it's

> clearly meant to be seen as a toy, but I'd say is a good quality one.

> --

> J. P. Gilliver

>

[Guest J. P. Gilliver]

Re: Digital Blue QX5 microscope

 

Gary S. Terhune wrote:

> From http://digiblue.com/digital_blue/qx5.html

>

> Computer Requirements: Windows ME, 2000, XP, or Vista; 200MHz or

[]

> Um, that tells me that it WON'T run on Win98 or 98SE. ME is minimum.

[]

From http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/77aa/ (I bought it from

them)

 

Software works with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP

 

However, I have since found from Digital Blue that version 2 does indeed not

work with '98. They updated the hardware without changing the model number.

They do't have any verion 1s left in stock; I'm currently waiting to hear

whether thinkgeek do.

 

In the meantime, if there's anyone in the UK who wants one of these - it

works fine under XP, I've checked - at {the USA price plus in-the-UK

postage} (which will come to a lot less than the {UK price} [more or less

dollar for pound, as usual], or {USA price plus international postage}) -

get in touch (-:!

--

J. P. Gilliver | Tel. +44 1634 203298

[Guest Franc Zabkar]

Re: Digital Blue QX5 microscope

 

On Thu, 22 May 2008 18:40:16 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

<john.gilliver@baesystems.com> put finger to keyboard and composed:

>Gary S. Terhune wrote:

>> From http://digiblue.com/digital_blue/qx5.html

>>

>> Computer Requirements: Windows ME, 2000, XP, or Vista; 200MHz or

>[]

>> Um, that tells me that it WON'T run on Win98 or 98SE. ME is minimum.

>[]

>From http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/77aa/ (I bought it from

>them)

>

>Software works with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP

>

>However, I have since found from Digital Blue that version 2 does indeed not

>work with '98. They updated the hardware without changing the model number.

>They do't have any verion 1s left in stock; I'm currently waiting to hear

>whether thinkgeek do.

>

>In the meantime, if there's anyone in the UK who wants one of these - it

>works fine under XP, I've checked - at {the USA price plus in-the-UK

>postage} (which will come to a lot less than the {UK price} [more or less

>dollar for pound, as usual], or {USA price plus international postage}) -

>get in touch (-:!

 

That's strange. Digital Blue show the following product as being

supported under Windows 98:

 

http://digitalbluecorp.com/customer-service/product_info/smithsonian/microscope.html

 

However their drivers page lumps the Smithsonian and QX5 products

together and lists only "QX5/Smithsonian Drivers for WIN ME, 2000,

XP".

 

I don't see any QX3 drivers either.

 

Why don't you ask Digital Blue or thinkgeek to send you the earlier

Win98 twain drivers? I suspect the current application software will

probably still run under Win98.

 

Another possible solution (assuming the microscope is just a fancy

adaptation of a webcam) is to determine which chip(s) the microscope

is using and then look for a generic Win98SE twain driver for that

chip.

 

You could use usbview.exe (on your Win98 CD) or Microsoft's

UVCView.exe to detect the above chip. If you post the data here,

someone may be able to help you.

 

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

[Guest J. P. Gilliver]

Re: Digital Blue QX5 microscope

 

Franc Zabkar wrote:

[]

> That's strange. Digital Blue show the following product as being

> supported under Windows 98:

>

> http://digitalbluecorp.com/customer-service/product_info/smithsonian/microscope.html

>

> However their drivers page lumps the Smithsonian and QX5 products

> together and lists only "QX5/Smithsonian Drivers for WIN ME, 2000,

> XP".

 

(I found somewhere on their site - FAQ, probably - that the Smithsonian is

the same as the QX5 other than different parts of it are of different

transparency - I think it's that the Smithsonian has more clear, with the

QX5 more smoky. Though of course with the change of hardware, they might not

be as same as they say. They told me they hadn't got and "version 1" left,

anyway.)

>

> I don't see any QX3 drivers either.

>

> Why don't you ask Digital Blue or thinkgeek to send you the earlier

> Win98 twain drivers? I suspect the current application software will

> probably still run under Win98.

 

According to the FAQs, and certainly as far as I could tell from the CD and

poking around the website, it doesn't have a TWAIN driver - they explicitly

say so.

>

> Another possible solution (assuming the microscope is just a fancy

> adaptation of a webcam) is to determine which chip(s) the microscope

> is using and then look for a generic Win98SE twain driver for that

> chip.

 

The same thought occurred to me - although it does have a couple of lights

(white LEDs, one for above the "stage" and one from below) that are

controlled via the software. But I did ask that anyway (saying I'd provide

the lighting).

>

> You could use usbview.exe (on your Win98 CD) or Microsoft's

> UVCView.exe to detect the above chip. If you post the data here,

> someone may be able to help you.

>

> - Franc Zabkar

 

Well, it was just an impulse buy (to myself for my birthday): had the

following not occurred, I might well have pursued it, but in view of this -

plus trying to fix my desktop system that comprehensively broke while trying

to make this thing work (trying to load WMP9 among other things) - I'm

inclined not to be bothered at the moment. What has happened is that

ThinkGeek have offered me a full refund, including the cost of posting the

thing back to them. Which I think is very good of them.

--

J. P. Gilliver

[Guest Franc Zabkar]

Re: Digital Blue QX5 microscope

 

On Fri, 23 May 2008 18:58:17 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

<john.gilliver@baesystems.com> put finger to keyboard and composed:

>Franc Zabkar wrote:

>> Why don't you ask Digital Blue or thinkgeek to send you the earlier

>> Win98 twain drivers? I suspect the current application software will

>> probably still run under Win98.

>

>According to the FAQs, and certainly as far as I could tell from the CD and

>poking around the website, it doesn't have a TWAIN driver - they explicitly

>say so.

 

I downloaded their driver pack:

http://digiblue.com/customer-service/downloads/drivers/QX5.zip

 

The stvqx5.cab file includes twunk_16.exe, twunk_32.exe, twain.dll,

and twain_32.dll. However, all references to these files, or to

anything involving Twain, appear to be commented out in the stvqx5.inf

file.

 

Strange ...

 

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.