hitachi-hta.com
However, I'm currently having a hard time seeing how a desktop microscope will change things, because it's an observation tool, rather than a creation tool. Anyone else got a different perspective?
It'd be fun and interesting to explore, that's for sure. It certainly wouldn't be a creation tool, but maybe educational and inspirational to see the world of the very small, just as it's inspirational to see the world of the very big with microsoft's telescope.
I would expect a great deal of new observational discovery should a desktop microscope become economically viable. And once a phenomenon is observed, minds turns to ways to harness that phenomenon.
It's difficult to harness a supernova since it's so far out there, but anything viewable with a microscope is available _here_ and probably in abundance.