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| Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope |
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Product Information:
I heard that Intel has discontinued all Intel® Play™ toys. Is this true?
Yes. All Intel Play Toys were discontinued in March 2002. No further development or updates will be made for these products. For further information, visit the Product Discontinuance Statement.
Can I still buy this product and where?
See the Product Availability and Purchase Information page.
What is the difference between "QX3" and "QX3+"?
There are minor differences between the older "QX3" version and the newer "QX3+" version. The newer Intel® Play™ QX3™+ Computer Microscope product includes the following:
- Same microscope, stand, and accessories (2 sample jars, 2 containment dishes, 1 eyedropper, 1 tweezers, and 3 prepared slides)
- New slide clip that can be used to hold a slide in place on the stand's platform
- Application software that includes new special effects filters enhanced for the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor, new image samples, and added support for Microsoft Windows* 2000.
- New Hands On Grossology* Activity Book that includes 10 new experiments to try -- only in specially marked product boxes.
Software & Drivers Information:
Does Intel offer a site license to install the software? Can I install the software from a single CD onto multiple computers at our school?
A site license agreement is not available for installing the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software onto multiple computers.
However, Intel does allow for schools and other educational institutions to install more than one copy of the microscope software from a single CD onto multiple computers provided that the software is being used for educational purposes (within a school or educational institution).
Please print out a copy of this Web page as documentation that Intel has allowed you to install and use the software in this manner.
Does my microscope software work on Microsoft Windows* 2000 or Windows* XP?
To check whether the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software will work on Microsoft Windows* 2000 or XP, check whether the words "Windows 2000" and/or "Windows XP" are printed on your microscope CD's label.
If your CD label does not have the words "Windows 2000" or "Windows XP", then you have an older version of the microscope software that will not work on Windows 2000 or XP.
Updated installation software for Windows 2000 and XP is available. To learn more about this update and how to download a copy, visit the Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP Software Update Web page. Please note that the Software Update is in English only and is not supported on non-English operating systems.
Can I download the software or drivers?
Downloadable drivers are not available for the microscope. When you install the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software, both the application and its dedicated drivers will be installed together.
If you need installation software for Microsoft Windows* 2000 or Windows* XP, updated installation software is downloadable.
Installation software is not downloadable for Microsoft Windows* 98, 98SE, or Me. Use the microscope's CD to reinstall the software onto these operating systems.
I am having trouble downloading the updated software for Microsoft* Windows 2000 & XP [QX3PLUS.EXE]. What can I do?
If you run into problems in downloading the Update [QX3PLUS.EXE], your Web browser may have a problem finding our FTP site, or there could be an issue with your FTP proxy or firewall, or a server. Try clearing your browser cache and going directly to our ftp site to download the software: http://downloadmirror.intel.com/df-support/4419/eng/qx3plus.exe
If you have low-speed or dial-up Internet connection, please consider using a download manager. A download manager will allow you to download part of a large file and resume the rest of the download without losing your progress after a lost connection. Below is some links to download managers that we have used with success.
- Accelerator Plus* -- http://www.speedbit.com
- FreshDownload* -- http://www.freshdevices.com
[Please Note: These links are provided as a courtesy to you. Intel does not endorse companies or products to which it links. If you decide to access these third party Web sites and decide to use these third party software, you do this entirely at your own risk.]
Does the software work on Microsoft Windows* Me?
Yes. Although, earlier versions of the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software installation CD has only "Windows* 98" listed on the CD label, these older CDs can be installed and work fine on Windows Me. In fact, all versions of the microscope's software installation CD will install and work on Windows Me.
Does the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope work on an Apple Macintosh* computer?
The microscope is not supported on an Apple Macintosh* computer or MacOS* platforms. Intel has heard from other customers that it is possible to use the microscope on a Macintosh computer using PC-emulation software. Intel does not have further information on what this configuration. Intel has also heard from other customers that a third-party has made drivers available at: http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/*
[Please Note: This third-party link is provided as a courtesy to you. Intel does not endorse the third-parties to which it links. If you decide to access third party site linked to this Site and decide to use third party software, you do this entirely at your own risk. Intel does not support the use of these third-party drivers and cannot assist customers who choose to try these drivers.]
Does the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope work on a Linux* computer?
The microscope is not supported on Linux* platforms. Intel has heard from other customers that a third-party has made drivers available at: http://webcam.sourceforge.net/*
Technical Specifications:
What is the image resolution of the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope?
The microscope uses a CMOS CIF sensor, which is ideal for use in a microscope that focuses on a small image area. CIF resolution is 352x288 pixels, but the microscope software only uses a central region of interest (ROI) of the image - 320x240 pixels to be exact. The image is interpolated to 512x384 pixel resolution for display in the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software's Live View window.
Does the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope perform digital or optical magnification?
The microscope uses optical magnification.
How many magnification levels are there?
For assistance in editing your movies, try these resources: You can set the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope to one of three magnification levels, which roughly correspond to 10X, 60X, and 200X. These levels are approximate and have been measured using a 15 in. (38 cm.) monitor. Actual magnification will vary according to the size of your monitor.
How close to an object can the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope focus at?
Each magnification lens has optimal focus lengths of 23-29mm.
What are the technical specifications for the light bulbs?
The upper and lower light bulbs for the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope are the same and are interchangeable. These light bulbs are not standard off-the-shelf light bulbs, but were specially created for the microscope. These light bulbs are incandescent tungsten bulbs with a voltage rating of 5V. The microscope runs the bulbs at ~3.5V. At 3.5V, and the bulbs draw ~300mA of current.
Troubleshooting Information:
I can't install the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software onto Microsoft Windows* 2000 or XP. The installation program thinks I have "Windows 3.1". How do I resolve this problem?
This installation problem occurs when you are trying to install the original version of the microscope's software onto Microsoft Windows* 2000 or XP. The original version of the microscope software does not support Windows 2000 or XP.
Updated installation software for Windows 2000 and XP is available. To learn more about this update and how to download a copy, visit the Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP Software Update Web page. Please note that the Software Update is in English only and is not supported on non-English operating systems.
How do I resolve the error message: "Your microscope is not plugged in. Please connect the microscope (80)"?
Download and install the Live Video Help File [LIVEVID.EXE], which will guide your through the common steps to troubleshoot and resolve this error.
I unplugged the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope and tried to install the software, but the installation program thinks the microscope is still plugged in. How do I resolve this error?
Instructions and a patch to resolve this error are available here.
Every time I exit the software, my desktop icons have shifted left. How can I avoid this?
When the Intel® Play™ QX3™ Computer Microscope software runs, your display will be changed to a resolution of 800x600. When the Windows* desktop is changed from a higher resolution to a lower resolution, the desktop icons that would normally be cut off by the screen are migrated left so that they are not lost. When you switch back to a higher resolution, the icons are not returned.
Unfortunately, the microscope software is not designed to work at different resolutions to avoid this shifting of desktop icons. Intel has no plans to update the microscope software. All Intel® Play™ Toys were discontinued in March, 2002. Thus, no further development or updates will be made for these products.
There are two ways to avoid this icon rearrangement:
- Avoid keeping icons on the far left side of your desktop screen.
- Change the desktop's resolution to 800x600. This can be done by clicking on Start » Settings » Control Panel » double-click on Display, click the Settings tab and adjust the Screen area slider bar to adjust the resolution.
This applies to:
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End of Interactive Support AnnouncementThese products are no longer being manufactured by Intel. Additionally, Intel no longer provides interactive support for these products via telephone or e-mail, nor will Intel provide any future software updates to support new operating systems or improve compatibility with third party devices and software products.
THESE DOCUMENTS ARE PROVIDED FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE "LEGAL INFORMATION" LINK BELOW.For information on currently available Intel products, please see www.intel.com and/or developer.intel.com
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Solution ID: CS-016013
Date Created: 03-Oct-2004
Last Modified: 02-Mar-2009
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