The hardware works great but the software is poor. Download - Debut Video Capture lite-, works much better and it is free.

The documentation says 300X, compared to my Q3 microscope i would say more like 180X. My Q3 has 200X and is slightly more powerful. Now that said this unit works very well at the lower power. Very good light, easy to use, quick to set up and very compact. It just does not have the power i was looking for

Bought this for a Christmas gift for a 9 yr old - of course we had to test it out :) REALLY easy to use - no software to download unless you are using Vista. Works great - took us a few minutes to figure out the zoom/focus - but we have never used a microscope. Amazing what you can see with this, love that you can take pictures on the computer - that is fun and simple, too. Have not tried it with any slides yet, but we are planning to get some so that we can look at some things that you can't just hold or lay on the table. Love that it is small, easy to store, AND it has light on it. What else can I say? We love it. If you are in the market for a microscope for a child or just for the fun of it, this is awesome. If you need this professionally, I don't know if it will work for you or not - you would have to look at other reviews. Because it is not on a stand, it can be a bit challenging to hold it still. Can't wait until Christmas!