Price: £9.99
Review Junior Talking Dictionary / Focus Multimedia Ltd:
RRP: £19.99
Price: £14.12
Review Insects / Ransom:
RRP: £14.99
Price: £5.91
Review Webster's World Encyclopedia / Ransom:
RRP: £29.99
Price: £3.45
Review Encyclopedia Of Animals And Nature / Mindscape:The Encyclopedia of Animals and Nature proves useful for both browsing and research. On the research side, there is a database of 700 animal species. When you look UP one animal you get pictures, sometimes movies, and descriptive text. There is also usually a link to a related creature. Look up Heron, for example, and you can link straight into the Cattle Egret, and from there to the Bittern. You can find out where the Heron (or any other animal) fits in the overall classification system of animals, and also take a look at other elements of the bigger picture such as continental drift, the effects of Ice Ages, on the current locations of the world's wildlife, world climate and other factors. Bioramas are great for browsing through. These are 360 degree panoramas, covering 13 different habitats from tundra to savanna, desert to rainforest. As you move around them animals that live in the habitat become visible, and a quick click takes you to the information screen where you can learn more about them. No CD ROM like this would be complete without a quiz, and in this case your job is to answer multiple choice questions to try and beat the high score of the current leader-Charles Darwin. [+]The Encyclopedia of Animals and Nature is informative and easy to use. It would be a good addition to any animal-lover's library. -Sandra Vogel.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £0.18
Review Stowaway Incredible X-Sections / Dorling Kindersley Ltd:
Price: £19.99
Review Jolly Postman's Party / Dorling Kindersley Ltd:Young children love going to parties and with the help of this new interactive CD-ROM, they can now go to a fun party with the likes of Goldilocks, Humpty Dumpty and Little Bo Peep. Based on Janet and Allan Ahlberg's best-selling story books, The Jolly Postman's Party is packed with games and activities to keep children (aged four to eight years) happily entertained for hours. They can create joke pictures of themselves and their friends and sign them into a guest book. Bake cakes by clicking on the right ingredients. There is also an opportunity to play testing memory games. When the lights go out in a room, you have to remember where the objects were and when they come back on again, click on the ones that have moved from their original positions. This is an ambitious CD-ROM with enchanting illustrations. Probably one of the most entertaining games is helping the Jolly Postman to burst balloons with his catapult so he can find the letters hidden inside. Compared to other children's software, The Jolly Postman's Party is a bit difficult to install and some of the games are fairly complicated. But you can adjust the levels to make them easier and there is plenty of good technical support available if you do get stuck. [+]For anyone who has read and enjoyed the original books-and plenty of young children have-this new CD-ROM will definitely help to bring the stories back to life again. -Justin Hunt.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £4.99
Review Smart Kids Touring The Planets Science Experiments / Montparnasse Multimedia:Touring the Planets, which is aimed at children aged 8 and up, introduces some of the key principles of science. It presents more than 100 questions, the answers to which have to be discovered through point-and-click experiments and reading texts. There are various ways to get into the CD-ROM. You can choose one of the Smart Kids to act as a guide to questions grouped by theme-Sylvester specialises in mechanics, Maria's experiments are tied into the theme of exploration, Elvis is interested in light and sound, and so on. Alternatively, you can choose the Wizard, an option that lets you pick any experiment, or use the search tool to find something specific. Whichever you choose, each experiment is introduced by a question presented on a bright colourful screen. Click around the various icons and images and you get to the associated experiment and text. You can go further by reading fact sheets that talk about the past and future of science. There is an area where you can contribute your own written and drawn material, and access yet more experiments, this time to do away from the computer-there's even a special place you can file experiments you would like to get back to again quickly. Touring the Planets is very well put together. [+]Imaginatively designed, there is enough here for younger users to browse through without getting bored or feeling lectured at. Parents might want to peruse the CD on their own, though, so they can help youngsters navigate to areas they might otherwise miss. -Sandra Vogel.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £0.01
Review All About Me / Dorling Kindersley Ltd:
Weight: 0.28 Kg
RRP: £19.99
Price: £1.40
Review Encyclopaedia Britannica 2003 Student Edition (Ages 7+) / Britannica:There was a time when owning an encyclopaedia required not only a fat wallet, but also fat bookshelves to prop up the thick leather-bound volumes. Software programs such as the Encylopaedia Britannica 2003: Student Edition have changed all that while also expanding the range to take account of different levels. This package is designed specifically for the 7-18 age group, and is geared around the sorts of things that children and young adults might learn in their educational programmes-from physics through to historical timelines. It encompasses two complete encyclopaedias: one that is "elementary"-and aimed at the junior age group-and a "student" level which targets the upper end of the age range. Other features include a world atlas that allows you to focus in on an area of particular interest-giving you statistical information about your chosen country-a thesaurus and many Web links. The articles are clear and well written, and perhaps not as dense as those in the (otherwise excellent) companion package, Brittanica 2003: Ultimate Reference Suite DVD and CD. This combination is the standard apparel of the modern electronic encyclopaedia. However, what is most important with the package is that it takes into account current learning methods. The graphics and photo images are absorbing, and there are good video and audio clips. In this age of multimedia learning and low boredom thresholds, these features are surely essential if encyclopaedias are to retain their significance. [+]Interestingly, they also reflect a subtle shift in the role of the encyclopaedia, from being a pure fountain of "objective" knowledge to being an interactive learning tool. Whether or not the purists would be happy with this shift is a moot point, but certainly this package is likely to prove highly popular with those who want to give their children every learning opportunity they can. -Toby Green.
Weight: 0.34 Kg
RRP: £19.99
Price: £0.79
Review Encyclopaedia Britannica 2004 Children's Encyclopedia CD / Britannica:
RRP: £19.99
Price: £9.99
Review Smart Kids Discovering Life Science Experiments / Montparnasse Multimedia:Discovering the secrets of life is easy with Smart Kids Discovering Life Science Experiments. Once you have entered your name you are offered a choice of Smart Kids, who then offer you a number of phrases or questions. Once you have chosen there are commentaries, which you can listen to these or alternatively, just go ahead with the experiment that is offered. Experiment texts can be printed out or up to five can be stored if required in the Smart Kids folder on the hard disc. As well as an explanation to what has happened, each experiment is accompanied by an account of how this knowledge can be applied in everyday life, a brief history and a look into the future. Experiments are also offered that can be done away from the computer. Required equipment for each experiment and full instructions are both clearly set out, though some parental guidance may be needed to complete some of the tasks. The computer program has an interesting layout, with "holes" on the screen to click on. These little "holes" correspond to the different levels of introduction, experiment and application. At the bottom of the screen is the navigation bar, which the program refers to as "the navigation palette". [+]This is unusual as it has the appearance of small black humps with writing on. They move up and down and each hump plays a musical note, adding an extra element of fun. From the navigation bar you can exit, get help, search and return to the beginning of the program. A handy search tool means you can find everything on the CD-ROM, and a question facility means you can browse by subject area. Click on the "Discipline" circle and you will find all the experiments arranged by scientific discipline. Click on the circle marked "Paths" and you will bring up a picture of a Smart Kid, as well as a list of questions and phrases they can answer. The facility to search alphabetically is also available, though this is not always absolutely accurate; for instance typing in the word "plant" brings up phrases and questions to do with planets. The editing workshop allows users to write, draw or retrieve text from experiments or fact sheets. There are 100 interactive experiments on the disc and 30 scientific topics are tackled including physics, biology, chemistry, matter, ecology, mechanics, energy, oceanology, meteorology and health. This program would be great for assisting with scientific homework given to the older Junior and High School student. Also included is an instruction booklet that explains the meaning of all the different round circles that appear on the screen-handy if users become confused. This is an unusual program: the organisation is not immediately obvious and the interface is novel and different from most similar programs on the market. Very easy to install, this is a very good learning tool that will foster an interest in science and make learning fun for children aged 8 and older. -Jenny Franklin.
Price: £9.99
Review Redshift 2 / Dorling Kindersley Ltd:
RRP: £9.99
Price: £7.99
Review Interactive World Atlas / Focus Multimedia Ltd:
Price: £19.99
Review Vikings / Europress:
RRP: £19.99
Price: £9.95
Review The Cosmos 3D: Glasklar Edition / Megasystems:Pulsars, quasars, the patterns that galaxies make across the known universe-it's only in a 3D format like this that astronomical concepts like these truly come to life. Like its cousin product Earth 3D, The Cosmos 3D is a nifty digital collection of animations and printable illustrations and text resources on everything from the Earth and the Solar System to galaxies. Often reminiscent of Carl Sagan's Cosmos series, the animations are accompanied by voiceovers and music-they are at once beautiful and informative. If you're less of a cosmological aesthete, you'll prefer the comprehensive dictionary of astronomical terms, its powerful search function, and the encyclopedia-like database of cross-referenced articles. Possibly the best feature of the package is the Star Navigator that displays the night-time sky from Earth, adjusting for seasonal variations. Caveats: The interface is at times clunky. Also, some of the language on the packaging and in the Install Shield dialog boxes is gibberish because Glaskar skimped on its German-to-English translations. Rest assured, however, that once installed the articles in the product itself are well-written and clear, with high school seniors or college freshmen as the target audience. Overall, this is a fun and educational item-great for learning, reference, or indoor star gazing on a cloudy night. -Erik Macki, amazon. [+]com.
Price: £29.99
Review Eyewitness World Atlas Deluxe Edition DVD / Dorling Kindersley Ltd:Starting Dorling Kindersley's World Atlas DVD-ROM is like climbing into the cockpit of a plane. You feel as though you're taking off as you sweep over continents and soar across computer-generated oceans. It's like the opening of an epic film and you end up in a virtual control-centre from where you can take charge and use the tools and the index to decide which countries of the world you want to visit next. For example if you want to learn more about Antarctica, you can watch a full-screen video to familiarise yourself with the breath-taking ice sheets of this beautiful wilderness. As a virtual traveller using this DVD, you are completely spoilt for choice. From Antarctica as a contrast you could just as easily choose to view some photos of a warmer destination such as tropical Antigua. Users of this interactive atlas are invited to search for information on the people, places and physical features of a region. But, above all, it's a fun experience. The provided maps are full of gimmicks. Destinations flash at you and you can drag a ruler from wherever you are going to measure the distance it is in miles from there to other attractive places in the region. [+]This multimedia world atlas is packed with information and invites you to rotate images, move up and down maps and visit local places as well as consider the bigger geographical picture. The days of unfolding a map and taking out a magnifying glass are numbered. This DVD brings countries to life in a way that puts traditional tourist guides and travel books to shame. The panoramic photographs and stunning videos successfully turn your PC into a window on other worlds. The only initial frustration was trying to master the controls. But who said flying was easy? -Justin Hunt.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £2.95
Review History Of The Universe / Ransom:
Price: £9.99
Review Children's Encyclopedia Of Dinosaurs / Focus Multimedia Ltd:
Weight: 0.26 Kg
RRP: £59.99
Price: £69.79
Review Encyclopaedia Britannica 2004 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD Edition and FREE Britannica Quizmaster / Britannica:
RRP: £19.99
Price: £2.50
Review World Of The Reef / Ransom:
| Models & Brands:
Focus Multimedia Ltd, Ransom, Ransom, Mindscape, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, Montparnasse Multimedia, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, Britannica, Britannica, Montparnasse Multimedia, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, Focus Multimedia Ltd, Europress, Megasystems, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, Ransom, Focus Multimedia Ltd, Britannica, Ransom |
