Determination of the microstructure and microchemistry of small features often provides the insight needed for the understanding of processes in real materials. In many cases, it is not adequate to use microscopy alone. Microdiffraction and microspectroscopic information such as EELS, X-ray microprobe analysis and Auger spectroscopy can all contribute vital parts of the picture. For a number of reasons, dedicated STEM offers considerable promise as a quantitative instrument. In this paper, we review progress towards effective quantitative use of STEM with illustrations drawn from studies of high Tc superconductors, compound semiconductors and metallization of H-terminated silicon.Intrinsically, STEM is a quantitative instrument. Images are acquired directly by detectors in serial mode which is particularly convenient for digital image acquisition, control and display. The VG HB501A at Cornell has been installed in a particularly stable electromagnetic, vibration and acoustic environment. Care has been paid to achieving UHV conditions (i.e., 10-10 Torr). Finally, it has been interfaced with a VAX 3200 work station by Kirkland. This permits, for example, the acquisition of bright field (or energy loss) images and dark field images simultaneously as quantitative arrays in perfect registration.