Customer Reviews

Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

It's actually good, FOR THE PRICE. All the criticism or not so enthusiastic comments that follow should be viewed while keeping in mind that you don't pay a lot for this kit. If you would like to test your kid(s) scientific leanings or you just want to encourage or stimulate their curiosity, this is one inexpensive way to do it.

As happens to be the case with some of these entry-level offerings, the goal is to give you what appears to be 'a lot' for not so much money. This specific kit has, besides the microscope and its 'must have' accessories (slides) also a pair of tweezers, a CD-ROM with some moderately-useful software and, of course, the camera.

The microscope itself can magnify things up to about 1000 times. This sounds good but the kids do need to put some work into slide preparation if they are to see anything that looks remotely interesting. A good microscope should be able to do 2000 times magnifications [please see the 'comments' section for a discussion on what is reasonable to expect from a good microscope - note added on Dec. 7] but, remember, this is an entry-level unit and it's inexpensive so it's good for what you are paying.

The camera can be attached to the microscope and lets you shoot some low-res pictures of what the microscope sees. It connects to the computer through a USB port. I was not impressed by it and I see it as a gimmick because it could have been easily integrated into the microscope's body. The fact that it could be used as a web camera is more of a distraction from the microscope than a true enhancement. I wish the resolution was a bit higher. The way it is, it can be a little frustrating and makes you wish you had something better.

The book and the CD-ROM are okay, not great but okay. My expectation was to see the kids actually looking at things themselves rather than reading about what you could see if you really had some expensive tools and you really knew what you were doing. The software on the CD-ROM should help my kid with a science project, should he choose to do one on a topic that requires magnification.

In 'real-life', my kids played with it for one hour or two after we opened the box than they came back to it a couple more times and we worked together on preparing some interesting slides. It's not as easy as it appears on TV. They agree that they would consider the microscope next time they need to do a science project.

Given that I paid less than I would for the typical PS3 or Xbox game, I do not regret this purchase.

P.S. - You will need 3 AA batteries.
P.P.S. - I am now ordering a second kit for one of their friends' birthday.

This is a great little product that kids and adults will enjoy! Both my husband and self had microscopes as kids - the little kit with a mirror - but both wished this had been around back then. FAR superior and a great price.

First of all, this is a sturdy little unit built with kids in mind. The chrome base is solid and keeps everything steady. The microscope itself is a plastic but solid and perfect for young hands [also easy to keep clean as budding scientists are likely to get icky stuff involved]. The slides are either clear [to make your own preparations] or have titles - plus they are not sharp [although caution is still advised]. There is a built in light [no mirrors!] that provides decent illumination. Power is sufficient to get a good look. As you might expect, this is not a professional scope so don't expect an image like that of an electron microscope - but on the other hand, it certainly provides a decent view of the world around us.

The book provides some great - easy to read age appropriate suggestions on more activities for kids that are old enough to go it alone. The box and entire kit are attractive and if you haven't bought the video set it is a wonderful way to get kids excited about what they see on the series [wonderful series].

Where this REALLY excels is the handheld camera. Just plug it in and go. I've not used this enough to put a full review because the software requires online access and the computer we had in that room doesn't connect to the internet [we keep that one in another area].

All in all - an EXCELLENT product, great for homeschoolers or those that want to share the excitement of life with kids.

I really can't say enough about this toy. I originally bought it for my nephew (7 years old) and he immediately loved it. I say "originally" because his older brother (9 years old) AND younger sister (6 years) both enjoy it equally as much. The most amazing thing about it is the age range. This item is easy enough to use for a 5 year old, but feature rich enough to hold the attention of a child far older. I have seen it in specialty stores for 79.99, so amazon is definitely a bargain. With Christmas coming up, I plan on buying several of these as gifts!

"Did I buy a dud?" I keep asking myself that question.

I actually bought two of the Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kits and I'm wondering if I should break into the second one to see if I just have a bad webcam or if the webcam is just the weak link in this set.

First the pro's:

1. The microscope is easy to use.

2. The microscope has adequate lighting after you put in the required 3 AA batteries. You'll need a very small phillips screwdriver for this part.

3. The microscope tilts for easier viewing angles.

4. Slides are included; some prepared and some not.

5. The instruction booklet has some basic setup info and suggestions for activities. Easy to read.

6. Nice magnification for a plastic microscope that's really a toy.

Now the con's:

1. The webcam is awful! *See my uploaded picture of the webcam and the uploaded image.

I tried several different items at distances ranging from 2' to 2cm and NOTHING seemed to make the difference. Vista recognized the camera and gave me an image, while XP installed the camera, but gave me no images. The camera doesn't have any adjustments on it; it's simply a plug and play usb type with a very, very low resolution.

2.Without the webcam function, you really can't enjoy the software that comes with the microscope.

3. If you pay more than $15 for it (luckily I didn't...) you are not going to get your money's worth. I think the microscope and slides are probably worth the 15, but the webcam and tweezers are not.

4. The plastic body of the microscope isn't heavy-duty and when changing magnifications it feels as though that part might break if not treated gingerly.

My conclusion... if you want a simple to use, kid-friendly microscope for under $15 - buy it. But if you want to use the webcam to take photos of what you see under the microscope, don't bother getting this kit.

One of these days these Chinese manufacturers are going to realize people out there own Macs too. The software this thing comes with is pretty crummy and was obviously made before Vista even came out (Not that Vista has any merit). So if you are jazzed about the camera/computer aspect, brace yourself.

The product is good enough without the camera component though, considering what it is. I'd see it as a bonus.

HOWEVER

If you have a Mac, and want to use this, it's easy enough although you won't find out how anywhere on the manufacturer's site or any place else on the web for that matter. Except I tried out a little app that will let you view AND record from the microscope using a Mac. And its free.

The camera component of "Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit" can be used with the Mac if you download a free webcam program called Macam from:
http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/
One tip: when using it, go to the settings and turn down the brightness.

The good:
- none

The bad:
- Horrible lenses, giving out poor image clarity. My niece and nephew took a lot at it once and lost interest completely. It is blurry even with 100x so you would not make anything out of it at 300x or even 900x
- The camera lacks color vividness. Even with the pink ostrich feather, the pictures still come out Grey.
- The poor focusing camera. The camera itself does not give a good image to start with. With the attachable lenses screwed all the way, the image will be out of the focus. You have to loosen up the lenses piece to get a focused picture but the image quality is still poor.
- Not very easy to use, after you focus the image with your eyepiece lenses, you swap the camera in, you will have to refocus the pictures.

It was probably the most hyped toys for my niece and nephew, might because their mom is a scientist. But they lost interest after a few minutes of playing with it, with adults supervised. There is nothing 'fun' about it and not the best way to make biology exciting.

do not buy. it's the waste of money.

Santa got this for my 7 year old for XMAS. What a bummer. I had the screwdriver and the super glue out to make repairs before we even got the thing set up. The construction is flimsy. The lens is terrible. The software is rudimentary.
Great idea just poor execution. My 5 year old got The Bionic eye and that seems much more usable and durable.

Purchased 2 of these crap o scopes today for Christmas presents. Wanted to try it out before I gave it as a gift. Toy is a gimmick. The magnification on the microscope is worse than a cereal box magnifying glass. The web cam is just that, a web cam. Once the web cam is hooked up to the microscope then the fun really starts - if you like staring at a grey, blurry image on your screen.

These are going back to Toys R Us tomorrow for a full refund. I would not recommend this toy to any age group.

Package arrived complete. However, the microscope cannot be used with Vista. I tried multiple drivers from HP and from hardware manufacturer. None worked. It does not work in compatability mode either. This thing is so obsolete, the web site linked from the software is a dead link.

This is a great tool/toy for kids FOR THE PRICE. It is an introduction to microscopes for my 8 and 3 year old boys - they want to put everything under the lens - food, clothes, and themselves. The microscope allows them to understand how a light microscope works (i.e. if light can't pass through the item, you can't see anything) and that there is a whole world of textures and colors all around them that they never knew existed. I would not recommend this for a high school student - the magnification is not good enough to see on a cellular level.

When I first used the web cam, I was very disappointed because the image was too blurry to make out anything. However, I found that by unscrewing the cover just a bit, the images were much better and I could see as well as most inexpensive web cams allow (it is a lot like focusing a camera lens). Since you can attach the web cam to the microscope, everyone can see the slide at once and no one has to squint into the tiny little eye hole. The software is very easy to use and allows you to record snapshots and videos.

The focus is good on 100x and a little trickier on 300x and 900x. (My 8 year old is still able to focus it, though.) The 900x is hard to see - I think the light is not strong enough. It works best on thin, flat specimens. Some of the things we saw were paper and clothes fibers (and ink patterns), feathers, hair, fingernails, salt and sugar plus the slides it came with which are leaf, petal, ostrich and goose feathers, aloe gel, tree bark, cotton, and celery.

The slides are flexible plastic and probably the part that will last the longest in our house. The microscope itself is mostly plastic and would probably not hold up long if tossed in a toy box. The microscope tilts on its base, which is really nice for short scientists.

I did not give this a five for fun because it is not roller coaster ride fun, but this is one toy that my children are truly enthusiastic about playing with. I gave it a 3 for durability because it is mostly made of plastic. On the positive side, the base is heavy enough to keep it from toppling easily. As long as it is properly stored, I expect it to last until my children are ready for the next step up.

Bottom line: I doubt you can find a better deal for an new entry level microscope (I paid $15). Adjust the web cam and you have an enriching toy for kids ages 3-12.