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Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit
 
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Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit

by Planet Toys
2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

List Price: $49.99
Price: $42.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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Customers buy this item with Learning Resources Prepared Slides Combination Set, 48 Specimens by Learning Resources$14.44 

Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit + Learning Resources Prepared Slides Combination Set, 48 Specimens

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Product Features

  • Includes microscope and digital camera
  • One eyepiece adaptor, four prepared slides, and eight blank slides
  • One pair tweezers and four plastic bags
  • One explorer book
  • One software CD Rom and one special planet earth CD

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Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit
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Product Details

  • Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
  • ASIN: B0017T3IG6
  • Item model number: 1233
  • Manufacturer recommended age: 5 years and up
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #18,052 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
    #59 in  Toys & Games > Learning & Education > Science > Chemistry & Physics > Physics
    #42 in  Toys & Games > Learning & Education > Science > Biology, Anatomy & Botany > Biology
  • Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
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Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Digital Microscope from Planet Earth Toys will have children ages 6 and up enjoying themselves while exploring the world around them. Designed to evoke natural curiosity, children can look up close at plants, animals, water, and more, through the microscope eyepiece, or on the computer screen with the included web cam attachment.

What We Think


Fun Factor:

Durability:

(what this means)


The Good: Microscope and web cam can be connected to the computer for display on screen and saving images

The Bad: Image quality could have been sharper and with more resolution

In a Nutshell: Toy microscope for children offers educational fun, letting them explore their curiosity

At a Glance

Ages: 6 and up
Requires: 3 AA batteries


The Digital Microscope enables children ages 6 to explore the world around them. View larger.
Digital Microscope with Three Magnification Levels
The Digital Microscope set requires three AA batteries (not included). A screwdriver is needed to open up the battery cover, and after they are installed, pushing the on/off button turns on the necessary light.

We put in the prepared slide of a flower petal and turned the focusing ring until we saw it show up in the microscope as a pretty random pattern of spiked edges. With three magnification levels at 100x, 300x, and 900x, we were able to take three distinct looks at the petal.

Although the microscope provided loads of fun, we did notice a couple shortcomings. First, the eyepiece of the microscope was very small, making it difficult to peer into and, second, although made out of metal, the base still felt slightly unstable. Nonetheless, these minor issues certainly did not prevent us from using the microscope, but did detract slightly from the overall user experience.

Web Cam Lets You Connect Microscope to Computer
Included in the Digital Microscope Kit is a web cam that can be used to observe large objects that don't fit under the microscope. In addition, by simply screwing on an adapter and installing the included software, you can connect the web cam directly onto the top of the microscope, letting you see the microscopic images on your computer screen. This is, of course, a toy microscope so we didn't expect professional results, but we still wish that the images on screen could have been a little clearer. Additionally, because there is a split-second delay to send the information from the microscope to the computer, it can be difficult to focus.

Once connected to your computer, you can take photos and capture videos of all everything you are looking at under the microscope by simply clicking a button.

Create Calendars, Cards, Posters, and More!
With the images you save, you can easily create calendars, cards, and other projects. Since the software includes templates, creating a project book is as easy as dragging and dropping images into the predefined spaces.

The software requires Windows 98/ME/200/XP or above, a Pentium 200MHz processor or faster, 64MB of RAM or higher, a video card with 4MB of RAM minimum, 24-bit display, a CD-ROM drive, and an available USB port.

Activity Booklet Helps Get You Started
An included activity booklet includes six projects to help novices get started. These activities include observing leaves, pond water, and crystals. The kit includes eight prepared slides with items such as an ostrich feather, aloe gel, celery, and tree bark. And of course, you can get anything you want and place it on an empty slide to look at it in full detail with the microscope. The included tweezers and plastic bags lets you handle your slides carefully so you'll be sure to get a good specimen.

What's in the Box
Digital microscope, detachable web cam with USB cable, stand for web cam, eight prepared slides, eight blank slides, eight slide covers, tweezers, four plastic bag, activity book, software CD-ROM.


Included web cam can be used to observe large objects that don't fit under the microscope. View larger.


Or you can attach the web cam to the microscope and view the images on your computer screen. View larger.

Product Description

Planet Earth Toys are designed to evoke children's natural curiosity to explore and learn about our extraordinary world. Includes everything you need to magnify nature. Observe and learn about planet earths microscopic world, use the webcam to create a snapshot of your slide, and connect the webcam to the microscope and view objects on your computer. The all-in-one digital microscope, digital camera, microscope and web cam!

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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (13)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.7 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Entry-level tool/toy - plastic, batteries not included, good value, October 15, 2008
Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit (Toy)
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.
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Hesitate - this is a Great little product!, October 23, 2008
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit (Toy)
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.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fun AND educational!, October 30, 2008
By bookworm74 "bookworm74" (los angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 
This review is from: Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit (Toy)
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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars No Software or activity book included! Where is this comnpany located?
My daughter got this toy for Christmas from Santa. Upon opening I see we have no Activity book or software to use it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by B. Ellis Jr.

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not Purchase!!!
I purchased this as a Christmas present for my 8YO son. Web cam does not focus - yes you could make out that it was a person but it was so fuzzy he could have been an alien with... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Joy Duncan

1.0 out of 5 stars Worst toy ever
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. Read more
Published 8 months ago by K. Harty

1.0 out of 5 stars This thing is junk.
Package arrived complete. However, the microscope cannot be used with Vista. I tried multiple drivers from HP and from hardware manufacturer. None worked. Read more
Published 10 months ago by William Stoddard

1.0 out of 5 stars J..U..N..K
The company that makes this pile of crap is no longer in business or at least they have no website anymore. Read more
Published 11 months ago by William J. Finnegan

1.0 out of 5 stars Piece of junk
Very disappointing. Doesn't work as promised. It is nearly impossible to focus the microscope so that you can actually see something. Read more
Published 13 months ago by K. A. C.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very educational
The toy was very educational however I had to return it because it was too advanced for the age of the child I bought it for otherwise I would have kept it.
Published 13 months ago by Claudette C. Smith

2.0 out of 5 stars Fine looking, not very functional.
Product is not very functional as a microscope. Focus ajustment is too course with excesive play to get any good detail. Read more
Published 14 months ago by James R. Cottingham

1.0 out of 5 stars Digital Microscope misleading
Although this product is made for children 6 and up we found it to be very hard to focus. Even the adults had a difficult time with the focusing. Read the box carefully. Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. Salz

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for education
It is fun to use. However, it is hard to pin point the object under
the microscope. But, you will figure it out after a while.
Published 17 months ago by R. Arab

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