Digital Blue QX5 microscope

[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

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

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
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
>

 

[J. P. Gilliver]

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

 

[Franc Zabkar]

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.

 

[J. P. Gilliver]

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

 

[Franc Zabkar]

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.