Features

• 3 fun Princess games in a free keepsake box
• Design a magical collage with Disney Princess Fashion Boutique
• Dive into an ocean of activities with Ariel's Story Studio
• Create a personal, 3D model in Disney's Magical Dress Up
• For kids age 6 or older

Features

• Join the Ham-hams to find Penelope
• Helps build addition and subtraction skills
• Geometric shape recognition
• Phonics
• Ages 4-7

Reviews (2)

Very cute. A little better than most.
Having a 13 yr old and an 8 yr old who have both grown up in front of the computer, I have owned a lot of "educational" computer software. My 8 yr old daughter is a huge fan of Hamtaro and had this game on her Christmas list. It really is made for younger children, but my daughter has enjoyed playing it. Mostly because she can interact with the Hamtaro characters. She was able to complete the whole game in a couple of hours, but has played it through many times since we got it. Her only complaint is that the characters don't have the same actors' voices as they do in the show... Heck, I couldn't tell the difference!

So it is definitely cute, fun, and Ham-Fans will enjoy interacting with the Ham-Ham characters.

Educationally speaking: it is on the same level as most of the BETTER academic software designed for this age group. The instructions are easy to understand and the activities don't become boring 2 seconds into them. Keep in mind that once any of these kinds of 'educational' games are mastered, the child isn't really learning anything more from it. Though with repeat play they are cementing those skills acquired. And this game does seem to have more replay value than most. Considering my daughter is unwilling to let me sell it yet!

I think it is worth the cost of the software, especially compared to the cost of other "less useful" educational games.

Fairly Academic
Before I review this I must say that I live in Japan and there are no quality educational software programs for sale in Japanese. It's ironic that this popular Japanese cartoon has made an educational game only in English. That being said, I found this game was above average but not spectacular. My four-year-old daughter completed the game in about four hours of play. She loves the Hamutaro character in Japan and was excited to play it. She took two sessions to complete it. This game pushes acaedmics fairly well without being boring. There are some counting exercises, animal matching and sequencing exercises, and beginning reading exercises--just to name a few. I recommend it if your pre-schooler likes Hamutaro. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Reader Rabbit Kindergarten 2002 packs an astonishing number of activities into a two-CD-ROM set, enough to keep nearly any child in the 4 to 6 age range glued to the computer for hours. With glitzy graphics and plenty of songs to sing along with, not to mention a clever plot, this high-quality educational program helps kids practice a range of skills, from counting, reading, and listening comprehension, to recognizing colors and shapes.

The adventure begins when Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion are stranded in Balloon Town and must rescue the Dreamship, which has been encased in bubble wrap and locked in the Pointy Palace. In order to wake up the sleeping bull that guards the palace, the player must locate five musical instruments. Each time the player completes an activity, an instrument magically appears. For a program aimed at kindergartners, the instruments take a lot of persistence to earn--kids must complete a staggering number of problems at each activity site and this can quickly become very repetitive.

The program itself is well thought out and comes with many user-friendly features. The software automatically adjusts to your level and shows how you're doing at each activity. It's also possible to save games for up to 99 different players, which makes the software suitable for use in a classroom or other group setting.

The CD-ROM set includes three other activities--calendar making, painting, and music playing, all of which are engaging in their own right. It also comes with a collection of more than 100 age-appropriate activities that don't have to do with the computer, as well as Reader Rabbit songs that can be played on an audio CD player.

As with other Reader Rabbit software, the biggest concern with this program is that there are so many things to do, children may eventually have to be dragged away, kicking and screaming, from the computer. Perhaps a laptop is the answer--at least that way they can play outside. --Molly Masland ... Read more

Reviews (17)

good for preschoolers if you want them using the computer!
This program doesn't teach anything special that is not easily taught outside of a computer game. Success at the game will be had most quickly if the child already knows the skills needed to play the game (see below, i.e. already knows their basic shapes). If you want your child using the computer during the preschool years then this is a safe and good bet. If your child doesn't know everything this program covers already then they are sure to learn it quickly if they like the game and are not discouraged. There is much more to phonics than this program covers, of course.

We held off introducing our son to the computer until he was almost 4.5 years old. We strictly limit what he can do on the computer and he does not use it much, sometimes going 2 months or so without using it. We purchased this program when our oldest just turned 5, at which time he already could start up the computer, open a program, change CDs and close the entire system down all by himself. I thought it best to buy an easier Reader Rabbit game and see how he likes it rather than start off with the Kindergarten or the phonics Reader Rabbit. If you have a 3 or a 4 year old (or even a 2 year old) that you want using a computer game then this one is great (see section on phonics for a possible difficult part though).

Being unfamiliar with children's computer games I was surprised that much of this is almost like a video on television, there are songs that seem to be about 3 minutes long and very graphic and long introductions to the program every time it is started and before each game. The characters on screen tell the user what to do. I was disappointed it did not come with written instructions, as when my son needed help there was nothing I could turn to. Goodness knows I am not sitting with him all the time watching him play, so I miss the already-spoken instructions for the overall game. Instructions for the mini-games that they play can be repeated by simply clicking on a certain character on the screen.

I sat down to play it as a new user and we played for over an hour. I was annoyed that the instructions are not clear. Specifically, the program has the user doing a little job to earn a gem called a brillite. They wanted 5 yellow brillites to start. We did all the jobs but there was a missing brillite. There was no instruction as to how to get this missing brillite so we re-explored every area on the program's map and began repeating jobs because we didn't know what else to do. That began earning us different colored brillites. It is a little unclear to me as to how to win this game, they say to gather brillites but we really don't know how many of each and how to exactly get them except play in a random manner repeating the games. I'd much prefer them to say "repeat all the games to earn the blue brillites in order to earn the missing yellow brillite" or some other such informative instruction.

This is truly geared for preschool age (3 or 4) or for any age that already knows the 6 colors of the rainbow, circle, square, oval, triangle, diamond shapes, if they can count to 10 and follow oral directions. The hardest part of the game, which may be difficult for preschool aged children and may cause frustration, is the phonics portion. An object comes along on a raft and there are 3 sparkle shakers above it and the user must choose which sparkle shaker (with a letter on it) represents the first letter of the object. The first go round has the word written under the object (i.e. violin) but after that round is won the object comes out without a word. Shame on them for showing a giraffe and giving both a g and a j as options! Bad choice for beginners to phonics! The user will be told if they make an incorrect choice and they can narrow it down by process of elimination. The game with the train and matching the object shape is more of a fast paced game to improve hand and eye coordination and fast mouse-usage than a true matching game-if they pick the match right after the fast changes they are doomed. On the box it says this does drawing and coloring but that is a stretch: the kids are told to paint a certain shape a certain color and they simply click once on the proper color and click once on top of the shape and it is instantly colored in. There is nothing about drawing going on there! The only math here is counting up to 10 (it is advertised as having math on it).

There is nothing offensive or questionable about this game, the language is clean, etc.

This is a fun game for preschoolers (I found it too easy for my just turned 5 year old). It is very entertaining in that it has interludes in between games and songs with a few minutes of on screen entertainment. The songs are catchy. The graphics are very good compared to the old days of Space Invaders and such!

Good Program
I purchased this program to help my 3 year old son sharpen and develop his basic preschool skills. I found this program to have a good theme and my son was very interested in the character's various actions, songs and dances used to accompany the instruction. Skill levels can be chosen to pace the progression dependeing on the need of the child. The program is very user friendly to an adults helping their children. Progrmas are easily exited out of and information can be saved to log the progress of the children users. I recommend this software to parents who want to help their preschoolers get a head start on Kindergarten education.

Skip this one
My son (now almost 4) is pretty academically bright and pretty good with a computer mouse. We bought this game for him just before he turned 3 last year. What a disappointment! Now, we are a big computer game family, and our son has played a few other titles which we have loved (Little People Discovery Airport, Ollo Saves the Fair, Putt-Putt, and a few others). We loved Reader Rabbit Toddler and Reader Rabbit Baby, which were designed very well. Unfortunately, Reader Rabbit Preschool did not stack up.

As usual, the game has a creative story behind it, and there is a goal that involves collecting things. These are wonderful motivators. However, the game skill levels seem either much to easy (matching bugs) or pretty advanced (counting out just the right number of bugs to fill a rocket, including addition and subtraction as the game increases in difficulty) for a "typical" preschooler. I should add that I used to teach preschool and kindergarten, so I have an idea of what is developmentally appropriate. This game ranges from boring to frustrating with very little in between. Some activities, such as the "painting" activity at the waterfall, require very very good mouse control, as the shapes tend to be very small, and the child must click in just the right areas.

I highly recommend skipping this game. Our son is now happily playing Reader Rabbit Kindergarten (the Summer Camp one)with very little trouble.

Too much advertisement and lacks parental controls
I had previously purchased Reader Rabbit for baby and toddler and was thrilled with the product. However, I cannot say the same of the Reader Rabbit Preschool. This CD launches with a page that gives my [child] 6 choices of where to go. Only one is the educational program. The others are advertisements for Star Flyers, Clue Finders, Zoombinis, the Oregan Trail, and Carmen Sandiego. Each of these plays a short movie and gives my [child] the option of launching the internet to download more. I certainly do not want my child on the internet, and I did not purchase the CD so that the Learning Company could target my ...child with advertisement. I wanted him to learn something. It quickly became a fight to keep him in the educational portion of the CD. I called Broderbund, and after waiting 25 minutes to speak with a technician, was told that there was nothing that could be done. There are no parental controls. I asked to speak with a supervisor to discuss my concerns, and was told I could go to the web site and e-mail them. I would not recommend this CD.

They've got it almost right
This is the most educational of the programs I've found for the preschool set, but there are still disappointments. I wish they would do more with the alphabet - they need more variety of words, a combination of small letters and capitals. My three-year-old mastered the top level within a few weeks, simply because he memorized the words they were using, and then quickly grew bored. The musical numbers are cloying and irritating. But the rocket counting game is terrific -- a real help teaching small kids the meaning of numbers. Overall, I've yet to find better, but I hope the designers of the Reader Rabbit series keep trying. ... Read more

Features

• Test-prep software for TOEFL standard exam
• 4 full-length practice tests; hundreds of sample test questions
• Powerful study tools; tips, hints, and self-assessments
• Get step-by-step guidance on TOEFL test-taking strategies
• Complete score analysis; tests and tutorial with dynamic audio features

Amazon.com Product Description

Introduce your little one to the wonderful world of learning with JumpStart Baby. Designed specifically for children 9 to 24 months old, JumpStart Baby encourages important developmental skills in an atmosphere of fun and musical merriment. Visit the friendly, inviting nursery as you explore eight different learning activities with Teddy, your animated host. With this program, your baby will discover shapes, music, colors, clothing, animals, and cause and effect. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

after a comparison.......
I first bought the reader rabbit series from the Learning Company, my 20 month old loved it. The activities are interactive and the music is very catchy.

I recently purchased thejump start baby. My child was bored and disintersted. She kept asking me for "Reader Rabbit".

I noticed after installing the jump start baby software my computer started acting weird and malfunctioning. I should have been more aware, as I purchased a copy of jump start baby about six months prior and it crashed my windows 98 system to the point of no return.

After uninstalling jsb and all its subcomponents it seems my system is back to normal reliability.

And that is my review!

Excellent first software
I'm a bit baffled by the negative reviews listed here. I used JumpStart Baby with my first son (now 4) and found it to be an excellent introduction to the world of computer software. The "dress teddy" and "color train" games provided months of fun. The fact is, babies can't mouse around (as in JumpStart Toddler) -- the best they can do is hit the keyboard and that is exactly how the games are designed to function: to respond with the next logical action when the keyboard is pressed. The comments regarding "waiting" are off-base.... if you think children hate to wait then this game is not nearly as frustrating as LeapPad products which are all "sit and listen" and very little "interact." I have just begun introducing the game to my 7 month old and he loves it! But's it's only appropriate in small doses at the beginning... still, with this softare, even before age one your child can learn that playing with computers is fun and that "something happens" when he/she presses buttons on the keyboard. What more do you want from a baby? (Note: I never encountered any of the installation problems mentioned by other reviewers.)

My kids ages 1 and 3 love it!
This is the second time I'm purchasing this software (the first disk got scratched). I bought it 3 years or so ago for my son. He used it from ages 9 months and now my daughter loves it. She loves the songs, animals and putting teddy "night-night," which makes it easier to stop playing when mom's had enough. My son enjoys helping his sister play the games now, which are simple enough to do on their own.

Would Not Install
Quite simply, the software would not install. Auto-run would run correctly, but clicking 'install' from the Jumpstart welcome screen resulted in nothing happening. A complete waste of money, since I threw out the packaging some time ago.

Limited Fun for Baby, Nightmare for Mom
JumpStart Baby Deluxe Edition was the first CD-ROM that I bought for my daughter when she was almost a year old. She found it fascinating the first handful of times that we played it together, but it seemed to get old pretty fast for her. She did learn basic cause-and-effect via keyboard banging, but she lost interest in the games quickly and some were actually quite confusing.

As lapware, this was not a fun program to use. With lapware, the child sits on the parent's lap while they both attend to the game. It's a way for the parent AND child to interact together so that the computer doesn't act as a babysitter per se. However, I found the graphics very stilted and unappealing. Teddy was much too talkative and the animals were downright scary-looking. The baby performing fingerplays and dancing in the song section was nightmarish. I don't know what the JumpStart team was thinking when they released this version of JumpStart Baby. ... Read more

Features

• Based on the hit PBS television series
• Fun math adventures for ages 8-11
• Kids use problem-solving skills to outwit the villain
• Full screen animation and video footage from the Cyberchase TV show
• For 1 player

Amazon.com Product Description

Travel the world with Barbie as an expert explorer on a secret mission.This Indiana Jones-style adventure takes you and Barbie to Tibet, Egypt,and the African jungle on a frantic search to find and return four ancientjeweled treasures. Run, swing, jump, and climb with Barbie to avoid dangerousobstacles and deadly pitfalls. Race against a friend to unlock the secrets ofthe Mystic Mirror. Advance through four levels, collect power ups, and gainspecial powers for Barbie. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

impossible
This is the WORST GAME EVER. (...)i couldn,t even make it through the first level of this "ages 6 and up" game. There was this thing called virtual training at the beggining,and it was really fun,but once you started the real thing,it was impossible. In the real thing,there were all kinds of new obstacles,like animals.Plus,you had to remember the different key combinations for running and jumping (ect.),and you had to jump at exactly the right time.there are only two good things i can say about this,virtual training,and it works on windows XP.Don't make the mistake i did in buying this game.

Fun and Challenging
My 6-yr-old daughter loves this game but definitely needs help with a lot of it, even on the easiest level. She was at first disappointed that she couldn't use the mouse but once she got the hang of the necessary keys she was off and running. Rolling, jumping, swinging, climbing, different lands and terrain, things to push and pull, things to avoid or collect... all of it is great fun! A much faster pace than the Secret Agent game, and thankfully none of those silly costume changes between "action" and "stealth" modes. This is a game we'll be able to play for years to come.

To be continued...
That's how the game ends - "To be Continued..." my daughter was quite disappointed. The game is ok but it is mostly running, jumping and the difficulty comes from timing and precision jumping. It certainly frustrated her and bored me at times. Overall she definitely liked it but she prefers Secret Agent Barbie much more. Graphics are good and engaging. My daughter's favorite part is the movie-type scenes at the beginning. She was really excited at the end when it went in to movie mode "I love it when she does things by herself" but then - to be continued

really, really hard
This game is rated for ages 6 and up, but even at the easiest level, it was so difficult, my 9-year-old was in tears.

Barbie Software Is For all Ages
You may think Barbie is for babies, but her software games are really fun. I know I enjoy playing hem with my daughter. Almost every year for christmas she asks for something Barbie. Mostly her software. Her spftware are foun and exciting and keep you fixed on them. hey never let you get board. The 2 best ones my daughter recomends are Barbie "Secret Agent. In this program you go all over the world to solve acase of stolen material from a fashion show. The other one is Barbie "Snowboarding." It's something that your kids love to dram of doing. So for Christmas this year go out and buy your daughter some Barbie software!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Putt-Putt and Pep are on their way to the circus, and they're looking forward to three rings of fun. Unfortunately, a hungry goat eats their ticket, so the car and his canine pal must earn their way to a ringside seat. Fortunately, the circus owner has some serious problems, and he enlists Putt-Putt to solve them. The reward--if he succeeds in getting the circus up and running--is a free lifetime ticket to the big top.

Putt-Putt Joins the Circus is a role-playing adventure for children between 3 and 8 years of age. The various circus performers are all refusing to do their shows, and Putt-Putt must change their minds, either by finding a lost item or winning a simple arcade-style challenge. The puzzles and arcade games are easy and straightforward, and users will find extensive animated sequences sprinkled throughout the story. Along the way, they can help out a number of talking vehicles and friendly circus animals. One word of warning: older players may find the animations too lengthy, and the simplicity of the challenges means they will finish the game quickly.

Putt-Putt is an appealing character and he shines in this game, which features large, colorful graphics, great sound, good humor, and a nice mix of storytelling and problem solving. Putt-Putt Joins the Circus also comes with a parent/teacher guide, which suggests methods of reinforcing the lessons of teamwork and kindness that are the game's themes, a nice supplement to the gaming experience. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (10)

excellent software for young game players
If your child has played beginning software like JumpStart and is ready to move on to more advanced gameplay, Humongous Entertainment's Putt-Putt series (and Freddi Fish and Pajama Sam, as well) are an excellent choice. These titles take the cognitive tasks up a notch as children must accumulate specific items, navigate a number of locations, and use their problem-solving skills to help their friends and achieve larger goals. Along the way, kind and gentle Putt-Putt and his dog Pep will meet a number of nice characters, visit a variety of interesting locations and play games as they complete the larger tasks.

In Putt-Putt Joins the Circus, the overarching goal is to earn a ticket to the show by performing a variety of tasks and helping the various acts prepare. You must get a nose for the clown, help the organ arrange her pipes, get a power drink to the strong-van, find a new tent for the fleas, etc. There are quite a few locations and objects, so it would be a good idea for you to help your child for a while. Eventually they will probably want to play on their own. The characters are lovable and there is a lot of humor here. We run it on a Mac and have had no problems at all -- very stable and easy to install.

This is one of the best titles in a great series.

Why no positive reinforcement?
I'm a parent of 2 children, 5 and 2. Both find this, as well as all Humongous software, quite a bit of fun. My problem, as a parent, is that after working on clues and spending as much as an hour getting through the game, all the positive reinforcement goes to the onscreen character, (Freddi Fish/Putt-Putt) and the child is left empty. Why on earth doesn't Putt-Putt acknowledge the child as the reason the game was solved? Accolades are heaped on Putt-Putt, while my five year old looks on with an expression frustration hoping someone onscreen will talk with her. Great games from Humongous, but they need to work more directly with the children playing them.

Putt-Putt is great
I got putt putt with a computer that i had bought as one of the disks included. My son was 2 at the time and loved playing this game with me looking for missing clues and helping to put them together. now at 3 yrs of age he plays all by himself with it and knows exactly where to go each time he starts over.

Great for Young Kids Age 4 to 7
Add this one to the list of great (young) kid's games produced by Humongous, including the Freddi Fish & Pajama Sam series. Although my grandson has outgrown these titles, my great nieces and nephews are now playing them. They are both entertaining and educational.

A fun, fun game!
Both my 3 1/2 yr. old and my 6 yr. old girls play this game. They both truly enjoy this game. In fact, I have to get them some of the other Putt-Putt games, because they enjoy them so much! This is a delightful game that teaches problem solving and memorization in a very fun way. It is a great game for either boys or girls. I would recommend this and any other Putt-Putt games. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

It's a beloved children's classic in a brand-new format, and kids are sure to love all the new music, games, and creative activities on this CD. Throughout the software, The Cat in the Hat is read aloud by a narrator, and children are presented with two choices: follow along with the story or play with the games and clickables hidden on every page.

Games are designed simply, and preschoolers will be able to master them without much difficulty (older children may find them a bit too easy to bother with repeat play). Throughout the story narration, early readers will benefit from seeing the highlighted words on each page--they're repeated frequently. It's a great way to foster word recognition.

This software also teaches toddlers how to get the hang of using a mouse. They're encouraged to turn "pages" by clicking on the Cat's glove icon; they'll find this action easy and instantly gratifying, since kids can click anywhere in the vicinity and still receive hilarious results.

Who knows, maybe helping the Cat with the Clean-Up Machine will inspire your little ones to put their own toys away! --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Cat in the Hat is Alive!
I recommend this interactive book to anyone with small children. My 4 year old loves the read and play portion of the program. My 2 year old, who doesn't sit still long enough to catch her breath turns on the computer and insists on Cat in the Hat. As she is not quite old enough to handle the mouse on her own, I click the read segment for her. She sits through the entire book laughing at the Cat's silly antics, repeating words, and humming along with the music. It is the best of both worlds, a classic children's story come alive.

My Son Loves It
My 3 1/2 year old son is already a huge fan of Dr. Seuss. I bought the software because he loved the book so much and he was delighted. A child can choose to have the computer read the book to them or they can choose to play along. When they play along, it stops on certain screens and allows the child to click and interact with the characters and text. For example they can help the Cat in the Hat clean up his mess by clicking on the scattered items on the floor. My son is constantly saying "Mommy watch this...". I couldn't pull him away from this game when we first brought it home. He still pulls this game out quite often. The best part is that he still loves all the Dr. Seuss books. The software won't take away from the traditional form of Dr. Seuss.

The Cat in the Hat software
This is a wonderful way to get young kids interested in the computer. The software follows the book almost word for word, plus the words appear on the screen, and are highlighted when said. Your child has the option of allowing the book to be read to them or playing within the pages. My daughter has been using this since she was two and a half. She loves to click on the various items on the screen and see the action. This is her favorite software. It is nonthreatening, and fun, plus kids become more familiar with the words as they appear on the screen. Highly recommend for 2-5. ... Read more

Features

• Become a better speaker and writer with full presentations and exercises with Literature, Composition and Grammar
• This 15-CD suite covers 27 important subjects that high-schoolers will have to master for better grades
• Complete coverage of high-school level math, with lessons on Algebra I & II, Geometry and Trigonometry
• Advanced science topics are no longer a mystery, thanks to these in-depth guides to Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics
• Learn basic vocabulary in 8 languages -Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Portuguese

Reviews (8)

My 4 year old loves this game.
I bought this game as part of a package that came with a Rescue Heroes game, a Tonka Truck game, and a Lego soccer game (thinking my son would especially love the Rescue Heroes game).My 4 year old had never even heard of Jimmy Neutron.He barely plays the other games, but he absolutely loves this game.He can sit and play it for hours. I like that I can save the game at several different points so that when my son wants to go back and play a different level I just load up what I have already saved. Most of it is not too challenging for him - there are a few parts that he has needed some help. There are lots of new things to explore each time he plays the game.I also like that on most of the levels Jimmy's dog Goddard shows you which way you need to go.My one complaint is that once the program has played the instructions there is no way to go back and review what you are supposed to be doing on that level.A few times my son did not understand the instructions and since I hadn't heard them it was hard for me to figure out what he was supposed to be doing.

Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron
I LOVE Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron SO much!
Especialy The parts where Jimmy chases Jimmy Negatron!

Hours of fun
I bought this for my eight-year-old daughter, and both of us just love playing it.I think the graphics could be better, I would particularly have preferred smoother flowing graphics, but the game itself is great fun.We've played the game over and over, and there are always new little niches to find that we didn't find before.In this game, Jimmy gets to walk, jump, swim, fly, swing, slide, navigate a submarine and a helicopter (thanks Goddard!).The story line is funny, and is very much in keeping with the characters from the show.It's a game my daughter returns to over and over.

Almost excellent!
This game is awesome! It takes a while for the cut scenes to load and some levels were boring but the game is just plain awesome. This game is definetly for 8-12 year olds anyone older could beat the game very easily.

LOVE IT
I got this for my ADHD grandson who is 8 years old. He just loves it. He wants to be smart like Jimmy. This works great on my XP computer but not my windows 98. The game is action packed with no violents. Thanks for a GREAT game. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Can't run software on a computer with 1GB memory
I have the same problem on a computer running Windows 2000 with 1GB memory. The software won't start and gives me the error message "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". I know there is more than 3MB of free virtual memory on my computer. I tried different virtual memory setting and found that setting virtual memory to 128MB would cause the software to run. It is obvious that the software has mis-calculated the available virtual memory. It interprets virtual memory > 1GB as less than 3MB virtual memory. I have sent email to the technical support at Encore and are waiting for their reply. I share the previous reader's opinion that setting the virtual memory to a lower setting is not an acceptable solution.

However, after I started the program, I like the interface and graphic. The software is better than "Mind Power Math Middle School" from the Learning Company. I also like that it has a game where you can test your skill.

I will write an update after I receive a reply from Encore.

Way around memory problem
Haven't tried this software but had same problem with some other software, the error message: "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". The only fix is to change your virtual memory settings to something below 500mb or to exactly 4000mb. Of course, I chose 4000mb since I have a large hard drive and almost 1 gig of memory on this pc.

So the full fix is:
From the Windows XP desktop, select the Start button, right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the resulting menu.

Click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Settings button within the Performance section.

In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Change button in the Virtual Memory section.

Click the Custom size button...
Change the Initial size (MB) setting to 4000
Change the Maximum size (MB) setting to 4000

Select SET to accept the change, which will close the Virtual Memory window. Select OK to close the Performance Options window. And select OK to exit the System Properties window.

$40 + junk = angry customer
This is a faulty and buggy piece of software. It will not run on my PC (XP Home)without me changing my Virtual Memory from 1000 mb to 200 mb...what an absurdity! The developer offers no solution other than to change my VM everytime I want to use their software.

Well, forget it. They're not the only game in town.

It's Great!!
I have the Elementary Advantage, and I'm about to go into Middle School Advantage. I find these programs are excellent. I am a homeschooling parent, and the Elementary Advantage suite have done a great job in assisting me with teaching my child. I've learned a lot myself. My son is about to enter middle school grades, and as I explore the the Middle School Advantage suite, I marvel at how well its put together. I have not run into answers that are wrong as was the claim of one reviewer. But, that does not bother me because you will find wrong answers in educational books written by the best educators. I focus on the how well I am taught the subject. If I can catch the wrong answers then I was taught well. I paid only $24.99 for each suite. I also have a Dell Dimension 4600, and the programs run fine. For all those having a problem running the program. You better get a Dell, Dude! For the money, IT'S GREAT!

Not Recommended
If this program can confuse X and Y intercepts I can only imagine what else may be wrong with it. I just purchased this for my son today, but will be returning it tomorrow. He has a placement test in 2 weeks and I don't want him to blow it because of this faulty software. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Not impress with its presentation and graphic
I brought this software for my six-grader. I always like the learning company's product but this one does not impress me at all. The graphic is primitive and the presentation is boring. There is no extra practice or test you can do. My son ran through all the CD's but he really does not enjoy it. I just brought Math Advantage 2004. I have problem running the problem on a computer with 1GB of memory. But I install it on another machine and it works. I like the presentation much better and my son seems to like it too. It has an examination area where you can test your understanding and a game area to make it more fun.

My son loves it!
My son is in fifth grade and loves it, he is working on the first disk (4 disk set) and is very excited with the program. I don't remember being excited about learning math when I was his age.
I had a problem when the program was first installed, the splash screen came up and when you clicked on the start button, the window opened up in Internet Explorer and was just a blank screen with a blue background (never loaded the Flash menu). I went to Macromedia's web site and reinstalled Flash Viewer and the program loaded correctly. I am running a PII 450 with Windows XP, I have not had any other concerns with the software and would recommend the program.

Horrible
This package appears ideal: it covers a lot of Middle School math subjects, over 4 CDs. The problem is, the creators of this software (which runs very slowly in your web browser!) have been a little too cute -- instead of just presenting the material, they run you through these elaborate scenarios requiring that you keep track of an entire fictional situation, and in using this with kids, they lose interest immediately because they're expending far too much time and mental energy just trying to figure out either what the question is, or trying to whittle down the real math problem inside of some elaborate story. It's a huge time waster and is monumentally frustrating. For example, one such headache, the 'Estimating Quotients" lessons, revolve around a story about connecting the intercontinental railroad, measuring the railroad ties, space between, etc., etc., with lots of other information that confuses the child. This is the common theme. I run the software, and the kids can't figue out what the h&ll the question is!
It might not be so bad if these 'mathematical problem scenarios' were used after the basics had been covered, but instead are the norm in presenting the material for the first time. The result is that the kids are totally lost and just don't get it.

Also, this software takes an extraodinarilly long time to cover a miniscule amount of mathematics. They could have easily fit the entire course on one CD, with plenty of room to spare, had they simply covered the basics, instead of making everything a 'challenging problem, or game, or complicated scanario. I can see where they might have thought that this would make learning math enjoyable, but in practice the kids are lost half way through each lesson.

This program is revolutionary, avoid its competitor
This is an ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT PROGRAM, so much so that easily threatens the job security of a better than average math teacher.
The presentation relative to the rest of the field is revolutionary. I really don't see how a teacher scribbling on a chalk board or even trying to answer questions in a class room session would be as effective as this program. Every presentation is perfectly clear and the explanations are driven by the amount of information the user needs.

The comments about the graphics are irrelevant, the graphics do exactly what they are supposed to, which in part involves not distracting the user...

The only thing I could recommend to the Learning company about this product is that spice up the packaging a little, because that is all their competitor really has.

EXCELLENT and engaging...after fixing installation problems.
I bought this software because I love The Learning Company's (TLC)software. You won't believe the difficulties that I've gone through in installing this software in my new Computer (Windows ME). I have fixed the problem by going to the Macromedia website and downloaded "Macromedia Flash Player". Afterwards this software (Mind Power Math Middle School) run perfectly. My son enjoyed its delightful graphics and excellent mathematics presentation. It's worth all its troubles, it is just EXCELLENT!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This two-disc set is packed with 15 educational activities covering math, reading, creativity, and more. Arthur's 2nd Grade teaches a full year's worth of second-grade skills and entertains your child in the process.Plus, kids can track their progress with the Goal Checker and enjoy the three new reward activities after successfully completing the learning activities. (Ages 6 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Arthur's Second Grade
This is a good game that will prepare your child for the 2nd grade.

A Good Buy
Arthur's Second Grade is a fun, challenging CD for 1st and 2nd Grade Children. Auto leveling (which challenges the child upon completion of a section of the CD), options to turn on and off the printer and background music, as well as suprises and rewards along the way make the CD experience interesting, stimulating and educational. My only complaint would be that the child's reading skills sections are uneven: sometimes too challenging, while in other places too easy, and that some math techniques could be more clearly explained. However, this CD is well worth the money and should provide hours of educational fun for your child. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

A classic and much-loved children's story is given a vivid interactive finish in The Little Prince, a CD-ROM that will thrill young readers and their parents. With elegant animations and a low-key, whimsical delivery, this CD-ROM tells the tale of a stranded pilot and his friendship with a strange young man who lives alone on a small asteroid with only a rose for company.

As an interactive storybook, The Little Prince is absolutely gorgeous. Antoine de Saint Exupéry's story is ideal for a multimedia format, since much of the tale centers around the act of drawing pictures. Kenneth Branagh's cheerful and appealing reading of the text is enhanced with sketches that not only appear on narrative cue, but interact with users--changing colors at the click of a mouse or sweeping the book's text aside to highlight the simple, but beautiful illustrations.

The Little Prince offers an intriguing mix of the simple and the sophisticated. While the humor in the story will be more appealing to older players, the games and activities in the program are extremely simple; for the most part, they are composed of animations that come alive at a single click. One game involves maintaining the ecosphere of the Little Prince's home, asteroid B-612, by destroying young baobab plants and watering his rose. Another involves making regular visits to see a wild fox, which will eventually become tame enough to play hide-and-seek with players. Little is required in either of these games except diligence and patience. The animations are simple and repetitive, and many players will tire of them quickly. However, this may only serve to refocus their attention where it deserves to be: on the story itself.

The Little Prince does justice to the original book, adding motion to the illustrations while remaining faithful to the creator's original vision. It also adds an audience-participation element that a simple home-video rendition could not provide. Though it is neither a traditional CD-ROM nor a video game, this presentation will delight its users thoroughly. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Awesome story.
Although it isn't very user-friendly, this software is very good.

"If you don't get it, you DON'T GET IT !"
This book was known by every child in my country. I was suspicious about its computer version, but was delighted with what Tivola did. They fully preserved the spirit of this masterpiece and offered something that stands way out from any other children's products that I've seen and that money can buy. The only thing I don't understand (in fact I do...) is why Amazon dares to put this book/CD in the same ballpark with Dr.Seuss!!! They could afford hiring those who feel the difference. Anyway, if you don't find this book/CD a jewel, you must be either a real "sad old man" or one of the characters described in the Little Prince. I truly hope you are not either one of those!

"The Little Prince" finally came to life for me
I had read "Le Petit Prince" many years ago when I was a child. It was given to me as a gift, and at the time I put it away. A few years later I dusted it off and gave it another try. Then, in a literature class we read the book again. Many of my friends loved "Le Petit Prince." Our campus in Québec even had a showcase window with all of the "Little Prince" merchandise you could want. But somehow the story was lost on me.

Along came this marvellous software from German publisher Tivola. Contrary to what some reviewers have said, I found that installing and using the software to be very easy. Once I opened the box there was a small manual that covered the interface, gameplay and troubleshooting that got me started on my way.

The game interface on "The Little Prince" is the coolest interactive menu I have ever seen. You start out floating through the universe, past stars, the moon, spinning planets populated by characters from the book...you can move in any direction, accompanied by soothing spacemusic.

There are several different options with the software. You can have the story narrated and click on interactive illustrations, care for the Little Prince's home and rose on Asteroid B-612, explore an interactive biography of the author Antoine de Saint-Éxupéry, play the Fox Taming game on Earth that, when you tame him, you are given access to personalized stationary and a diary. All of the animations and music are top-notch. This is a labour of love that finally breathed life into "Le Petit Prince" for me. I entered his world and saw things through his eyes. Perfect for children of all ages (including grown-up ones).

Creative and Unique
I originally was disappointed with this software but my son finally figured out how to use it. It's not as user-friendly as the software we're used to buying but your patience is worth it. The reading of the story, along with the pictures and music, is superb. It allows the reader to imagine with the story, unlike much American software which turns reading into a video-watching experience. The story has over 20 chapters, and has kept my 8-year old's attention. I highly recommend this software.

Save your money - buyer beware!
This may be creative with pretty graphics and pictures but is probably the worst software I've ever bought. Neither myself nor my two very computer-literate children could figure out how to get the interactive story to run. I called the support line in Europe and they also did not know. The instructions that accompany it were also not helpful. I finally sent email to the support group and they never answered my email. I'm very disappointed with this software. ... Read more

Features

• Exploring Clifford's fun-filled neighborhood, children discover reading activities
• 7 adjustable levels that continually introduce new letters, sounds, and words
• Over 100 reading lessons; 15 printable activities; interactive and printable bonus books
• Kids practice reading aloud by recording stories in their own voice
• Progress report allows you to track your child's development; for kids ages 4-6

Reviews (1)

excellent
My daughter is almost 5 years old and loves this and all the scholastic games we have purchased since she is 2 years old. Very educational AND FUN and superior to other brands. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Engaging and useful software game
This program is cheerful and fun. My kids love it. The educational content is strong yet it still manages to hold children's interest. Good for children who need to reinforce simple phonics, like beginning sounds, ending sounds, long and short vowel sounds, etc. Inexpensive and very recommended!

poor excuse for a phonics program
This program has nothing that could assist any child learn or review phonics. The so-called game reward is merely more work, and the work has no value ! If you are looking for a program that provides a learning experience, look elsewhere. If you think this will provide some sort of meaningful review of phonics, you will be quite disappointed.
The producers of this program should hang their heads in shame! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Problem solving is at the fore of Curious George Downtown Adventure, a game that pits the inquisitive monkey against his own clumsiness! George has caused a series of minor accidents while shopping downtown with the Man in the Yellow Hat. Among other faux pas, he has trapped a window washer halfway up a building and lost someone's fan in a dumpster. In order to put everything right, George will have to travel all over the city, putting together the gadgets he needs to get the job done!

There are about 60 puzzles in this game, each structured as a challenge of mechanics. George must put together a group of simple devices like trampolines, ladders, and conveyer belts to move him to his current goal. Heavy objects can be dropped onto crates in need of shattering, while ramps and trampolines can get the monkey up to the otherwise inaccessible levels of the puzzle. Completion of some tasks will earn the player more "curiosity tools"--gizmos designed to help with the harder challenges. Be warned, though--sometimes finishing a puzzle just causes George to have another mishap!

Mechanically based puzzle games are nothing new, teaching basic physical concepts like gravity and momentum to children while giving their creativity a workout. In fact, some of these other games are vastly more complex, inventive, and rigorously devoted to the chain of cause and effect than Curious George Downtown Adventure. Even so, this package is competently designed and makes an excellent choice for kids who are newer to this form of gameplay. Its graphic design and interface are appealing, while its challenges increase in difficulty at a gentle pace. The game also offers plenty of help and encouragement for players who get stuck, and most of its puzzles have more than one solution, giving children an opportunity to try out new strategies as George tries to rescue balloons, elephants, and electric fans by the score. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Features

• Help Curious George get out of predicaments by solving puzzles
• Over 60 different puzzle games for kids to solve again and again
• Curiosity Meter rewards kids with banana points
• Four unique locations allow for greater enjoyment and exploration
• Includes bonus Curious George book set

Reviews (8)

Great Game
My 5 year old son loves this game. He has played through it 11 times in the last 6 months. Very original game that requires some planning and thought on where to put different items in order to move George through each situation. Also a help key that gives the answer away if you get frustrated.

A great problem solving game!
I really like this game for my four year old, because it is different. It doesn't teach phonics, math or music, but the more abstract problem solving skills. And, he loves it because it's fun! He has to put together a sequence of events to get to the desired object. Very well designed!

Only one complaint
My 5-year-old son loves this program. However, he is frustrated that he cannot enter one area because we don't have the "booster code." How do you get a booster code? You have to buy another product from the same company. It upsets me that the company cannot rely on the fine quality of their products to sell more, but have to resort to ambushing parents with a marketing gimmick that a 5-year-old is too young to understand.

Once again, voted greatest Uncle of all time
My niece and I have a mutual understanding- monkeys are cool. It started with a monkey puppet "the tickle monkey" and evolved into Curious George toys. For her 3rd birthday I sent her very first software. She was very excited to get started on the computer (at long last since my sister has been fighting her off it) and loves it.
My sister feels this is a great introduction for her to the PC and she loves George's adventures. I'm looking forward to giving it a try myself, but until then I'll have to go on the assurance of a 3 year old that it is a great program.
(Well, her mom loves it too)

Too hard for a 3 year old
This is a well-designed game and my son really likes to watch us play it but he is light years away from being able to do it himself. Frankly, my husband and I had trouble with a lot of the puzzles ourselves and we are both engineers. I was surprised that the previous reviewer said her 4 year old could do it, since I thought it would be pretty hard even for a six year old. Maybe we just haven't had enough practice yet. ... Read more

Features

• Children gain: Confidence, Creativity, and Inspiration