Be prepared to watch your own living pets wither when kids are faced with the fun and games of the Dogz 4 CD-ROM. The real thing can't stand a chance against this litter of ever-frolicsome puppy dogs (and one pig?) that willingly allow themselves to be dressed up in little Santa suits and transported to a northern snow scene to go sledging. (Flesh-and-blood Fido, meanwhile, hasn't received fresh water in days. ) Although when are they going to introduce a little reality, such as the sterile vet clinic, the overcrowded dog run, or the rainy 11pm walk? Ecstatic wish fulfilment comes in many forms on this CD-ROM. Besides the joyful canine playtime, chock-a-block with props and exotic travel opportunities, there are cool, well-conceived moments in each of the scenes, such as the seeds and bulbs in the flower-garden area that sprout instantly when watered. This is the kind of pure pleasure that kids don't tire of quickly. Rudimentary voice recognition, the big new feature of version 4, succeeds only halfway. It takes time to physically set up, it takes time to learn to speak correctly; then after all that, it just doesn't seem to hold universal appeal. More assuredly fun are the five new play scenes-European circus, Canadian snow scene, Wild West ghost town, Arabian palace and South Seas island-and their requisite costumes and props. True educational opportunities are available with the Play Scene Editor. [+]

Deep Space Explorer is a CD-ROM package that takes stargazing a step further, perhaps a little in the mould of the Starship Enterprise-for, like Star Trek, the package allows us to venture into uncharted celestial territories without leaving home. Using excellent graphics and colour images of stars and moons, the software places the user at the helm of their very own "starship", allowing them to navigate into the outer reaches of the universe. The range of the programme gives a hint of the sheer enormity of space. With this software you can travel anywhere within 700 million light years of Earth-probably enough for most of us-visiting 28,000 galaxies and 30,000 individual stars. Navigating through the deep blackness, you find yourself within the silvery whirl of a spiral galaxy-a beautiful and unusual virtual experience. In addition to this extraordinary, and literally otherworldly, voyage, Deep Space Explorer provides important sources of information, with hyperlinks connecting to Internet sites which provide more material about the locations which you are visiting, and multimedia tutorials from a professional astronomer on current cosmological theory and a wide range of topics in astrophysics. These give an interesting understanding of the nature of black holes, galactic collisions, and ideas as to the nature of the big bang-while being perfectly accessible to the layperson. This also means that in each of the 28,000 galaxies you enter, the most up-to-date information about this star-collection is available at the click of a mouse. This combination of disparate learning and an intense virtual exploration of space is difficult to beat. Computers can do many wonderful things, but surely bringing the extent of the universe to so many more people is among them-now it is no longer necessary to travel to observatories in the American deserts or the Chilean Andes to gain some understanding of the most distant stars. [+]

Carmen Sandiego is back for another CD-ROM adventure. In Carmen Sandiego Treasures of Knowledgeit's your job is to help a couple of detectives track down ace thief Carmen Sandiego who has purloined a rare edition of a book, the Travels of Marco Polo, to add to her stock of stolen stuff. Carmen moves fast, and you'll have to follow her around the world if you want to catch her. If you're old enough to remember the Atari ST then you might recognise Carmen Sandiego from the first incarnation of this software. This new version is different in lots of ways, but the idea of travelling the world while playing an adventure game and learning about the globe as you go remains intact. So does the need to keep your wits about you, work out puzzles, find clues and follow the trail to your quarry. Using a "point-and-click" approach, you have the use of a few high-tech gadgets-the Global Transportation System takes you quickly to different countries, the WorldWide Data Resource is a database of information on countries, the Digital Clue Storage Device keeps tabs on clues and other items and the ACME Field Guide provides information on the various gadgets and devices you'll use in different missions. Between them these do a fair bit of work for you, leaving you to travel around, gather clues, learn about the world, and, of course, capture Carmen Sandiego. And if you get stuck, you can call into head office and ask "the chief" for some advice. Carmen Sandiego Treasures of Knowledge is entertaining and educational in equal measure. [+]

Come and meet Plumo and his friends at the zoo! Plumo at the Zoo is a simple and attractive program which offers matching, sorting, problem solving, pattern repetition and other simple mathematical puzzles in a colourful and amusing way. The program is clear and easy to use allowing children to work independently. Plumo and friends guide pupils through the delightful activities, which provide a perfect introduction to: Patterns Colours Numbers Shape and Space Ideal for use with children with Special Educational Needs.

The Radio Control Robotic Beast has a hi-tech mechanical design that will keep children and adults alike, amused for hours. It has a radio control that allows you to manouvre the beast backwards and forwards. The beast has realistic movements, light up LED lights and makes growling sounds! The beast is able to walk on all surfaces thanks to its specially designed feet.

Zoombinis Maths Journey features uncommonly fun reasoning games that require serious problem solving and maths work. This CD-ROM employs basic fundamentals of mathematical thinking while keeping children thoroughly entertained throughout. Not too long ago, Zoombinis enjoyed the good life. Though they all looked slightly different-different eyes, noses, hair, feet-such differences meant nothing to the Zoombinis. And so they lived happily on Zoombini Isle, making small, useful products, which were prized the world over. So begins this unsuspectingly addictive CD-ROM, yet the perils that face this cheerful society are not as fearsome as the amount of time you'll potentially spend on this pursuit. Beware the chubby, chattering Zoombinis if you don't want to get hooked to your computer for at least 90 minutes a session. Adored by educators and parents alike, Zoombinis Maths Journey challenges children to employ such basic fundamentals of mathematical thinking as organising information, reasoning of evidence, finding and making patterns, and systematic testing of hypotheses. The journey follows four puzzle-filled trails, each exploring related mathematical ideas. The fundamental data and variables for all this work are the variations in the Zoombinis' features. [+]

Be prepared to watch your own living pets wither in the face of Dogz. The real thing can't stand a chance against this litter of ever-frolicsome puppy dogs (and one pig, natch) that willingly allow themselves to be dressed up in little Santa suits and transported to a northern snow scene to go sledging. (Flesh-and-blood Fido, meanwhile, hasn't received fresh water in days. ) When, oh when will these all-powerful Mindscape folks introduce a little reality, such as the sterile vet clinic, the overcrowded dog run, or the rainy 11 pm walk? Ecstatic wish fulfilment comes in many forms on this CD-ROM. Besides the joyful canine playtime, chock-a-block with props and exotic travel opportunities, there are cool, well-conceived moments in each of the scenes, such as the seeds and bulbs in the flower-garden area that sprout instantly when watered. This is the kind of pure pleasure that kids don't tire of quickly. On my street, the first and second graders have formed a Dogz club that often pre-empts all other kinds of play. Don't say you weren't warned! Rudimentary voice recognition, the big new feature of version 4, succeeds only halfway. It takes time to physically set up, it takes time to learn to speak correctly; then after all that, it just doesn't seem to hold universal appeal. Some kids relish playing boss with a megaphone, or Brittany Spears, or whatever it is; others chuck the headsets aside after a few sessions. [+]