Features

• Designed with extensive input from teachers and students
• Ability to control which graphics libraries are active for a project is ideal for theme-based teaching or special needs students
• Teachers can add instructions to project templates, which students can listen to with the bilingual text-to-speech function
• A 17% larger workspace, visible menu bar, tool tips, and help movies make Kid Pix Deluxe 4 for Schools easier to use
• For grades K through 8

Features

• Help Barbie get ready for fashion week in Paris
• Complete 10 exciting fashion assignments
• Advance through 3 different design studios
• Choose the styles, fabrics, and colors
• Select the stage, music, and special poses

Amazon.com Product Description

Disney's Magic Artist Studio lets you draw, paint, and create animations with your favorite Disney characters. Create, animate, and print your images with tools and paints that burst onto your screen. Roses sprout from your canvas, and butterflies soar through 3-D paintings virtually dripping with color. Disney character images dance to disco, rock, classical, and island beats. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

My Little Artists
Magic Artist Studio was purchased for a graduating kindergartener. And, she absolutely adores this program! Most computer programs only keep her attention for a little while, but this creative outlet keeps her imagination and creativity flowing. She "dances" in her chair while listening to the music and making "masterpieces". Goofy and Donald Duck stamps make her giggle. Even her older brother (9) and baby sister (2) enjoy the program. I couldn't resist trying it out one day, and found it to be above quality compared to regular paint programs. I would reccommend this program for any child interested in art and computers.

I'm an artist!
And I can't even draw a straight line! Now both my 3 year old and I are drawing cartoons to music! This program has it all. There are tons of typical drawing tools yet each one has a myriad of options and surprises that allow for endless hours of fun with your own imagination. There is a section with instructions for making simple animations plus the ability to make your own (very primitive animations, though.) There are also 15 seperate scenes which you can cut and paste to your hearts delight to create real Disney characters dancing around to music. Then you can take those scenes and change them in numerous ways to suit you using the drawing tools. You can save, create a slide show and even put your own picture into whatever you are creating. This is truly a great game for the whole family!

Excellent, but not for XP!!!
This was one of my childrens' favorites computer programs, until we upgraded to an computer with Windows XP. The install warned that it was designed for 95 (which means it would work on 98), and it might not work on our new system. And it didn't!

The description above lists the platforms with which it is compatible (proper leaving off XP), but I thought I would mention it since so many have XP now and not everyone thinks to check this point.

Be Creative
This game was really fun to play. It lets you use tons of fun things like bugs, sparkles, spray paint, chalk and even popcorn to your master pieces! I loved it's drawing lessons by the pro's. I have never seen a creative game let you add sound and movement to a work of art! I even made coloring sheets for when I babysit! I loved it and you shuld too!

A great game
I really liked this game because you get to paint pictures that you can't do on other painting games. I like it because you get to do this animation thing that looks really cool!... ... Read more

Reviews (7)

GREATT!
This Is So Great! You Can Choose An Event Like Award Shows & More! Choose The Music I Love Music! & Watch A Video! And A Treated Before & After Shot!

Barbie Boutique is a great computer game
I highly recommend this computer game for girls who are interested in Barbie's and the dress up thing. My daughter (age 6) absolutely loves it - it doesn't get old to her. It is very easy for her to use and there are so many different variations she can do - it never gets boring. Highly recommended.

Barbie Beauty Boutique ~ Wonderful game!!
I have a four year old that wanted this computer game really bad. I was worried that it might be a little difficult for her because a lot of the other Barbie games are still a too old for her to understand. This game was perfect. It is easy to use but fun for everyone. She loves changing Barbie's make-up and clothes. She has played on it for hours now. I think it was worth the money!

Beautiful!
This is a terrific activity for girls 4 and up. It allows the girls to be creative as they design "new looks" for Barbie and her friends. From choosing hairstyles, to coloring it (even highlights) to makeup application, nails, clothes. The girls do it all and are very proud of their efforts. And the best part for parents is that they're doing it on the computer instead of making a mess with makeup etc. in the bathroom.

The girls will sit and play this alone or together for hours.

A must-have for girls who love dress up, make up and the likes.

Not That Much Fun
First off, I don't know what game the other reviews on this page are talking about, with the ice skating, Prince Stephan, castle, and maze references. The Barbie Beauty Boutique we bought had nothing like that.

My four daughters (ages 4, 6, 8, and almost 11) have been seeing this game advertised on TV, and all four of them wanted it so bad. I caved in and purchased the game for $30.00 at a store in town, even though we usually never spend that much on a PC game. We took it home, installed it, and all four girls played it, but really didn't like it much. It's just not that much fun. On the TV adds and on the box it sounds like there are a lot more outfits, jewelry, and hairstyles to choose from than there are in reality. The hairstyles especially disappointed us. You can either choose to style the hair in an "updo" or leave it down. We expected to be able to have choices like braids or pony tails, but there is nothing like that, the only hairstyle choices are "updo" styles. Most of the hairstyles looked fake and weird to me, my girls said they looked stupid. If you choose to leave the hair down you do get to decide how long the hair is, and whether to leave it strait or make it curly, but the curly hair looked as weird as the hairstyles. The accessory choices for the hair were mostly dorky looking, especially the butterflies and flowers. There were also not a lot of hair accessories to choose from, they just had a few things to choose from. I think the hair styling part is what my girls looked forward to the most so they were disappointed. I also have a problem with a lot of the clothing choices, a whole lot of midriff shirts and short skirts. The make up and nails part was alright, but nothing great.

The plus of the game is that it is easy for the kids to play so younger girls will be able to play with little to no help. (My 4 year old was fine with it, no problems at all.) However, the clothing choices and event choices are more geared to kids maybe 8 and up. My 4 and 6 year old girls didn't like as many of the clothing styles as the 8 and 10 year old did. If you are looking for a game that an older girl would like that is easy to play, this fits that bill. It would be a good game for girls who are older but haven't yet had much computer experience yet. (They learn quick though!)

All in all the game is not bad, but I do regret paying what we did for it. If I had it to do over again I would probably wait until the game was older and therefore not so expensive. If your kids want it, maybe you should see if they like the idea of the What's Her Face PC game instead. We have had that game for about a year, and it still gets played with. It's along the same lines as the Barbie Beauty Boutique, you get to choose hairstyles and clothing for your doll. There is a little more to it than the BBB, though, so I think it is more fun for the kids to play. With the What's Her Face game you get to choose your dolls face, which is fun, and then you get to choose dance moves and music for the ending scene. However, with some girls it's got to be Barbie, so that may make the BBB better in their eyes. ... Read more

Features

• Create amazing 3D graphics that look like today’s coolest cartoons, movies and video games.
• Incredible new computer game works like digital modeling clay to bend, pull, poke and flatten basic shapes into characters, vehicles, animals…anything!
• Decorate with tons of colors and decals to make a one of a kind creation.
• Real computer animations such as running, slithering and jumping bring 3D creations to life.
• • Dozens of cursors and sounds for visual and audible cues to highlight and explain selected tools and options

Reviews (3)

Girl Power
My dad purchased Cosmic Blobs for my birthday. My parents do not let me spend too much time with computer games, plus there are not too many games out there for a young female.

I love to draw and create pictures using pencil and ink. Cosmic Blobs now let's me create and animate images using my computer. The software is very easy to use and within minutes you are creating cartoon characters. I would recommend Cosmic Blobs to any kid that enjoys creating objects using the computer.

Great Gift for Creative Kids!
I bought this as a Christmas gift for my two nieces (ages 8 and 11).They are both pretty creative and artistic to begin with, but this gave them a completely new outlet for their creativity.They both love it and cannot get enough of it!They enjoy bringing their creations to life (everything from unicorns to pink poodles to butterflies).I would definitely recommend this product to any parent/aunt/uncle/etc. who wants to give the child in their life a new twist on expressing their creativity.

Cosmic Blobs
Cosmic Blobs is a really fun game! You can pick differnet 3-D object and push, sull, squeze, bend, color and make it walk around on a course you design! You can make people, animals, alians or anything you can imagine! It is a really a great game for kids if they want to make up their own creatures and play around with it. The only tool you need is your imagination!! ... Read more

Features

• Create, play, and experience music using only your mouse and imagination
• Innovative software by world-renowned composer Morton Subotnick
• Endless possibilities to draw original compositions on your screen
• Cool games teach rhythm, melody, pitch, musical instruments, and more
• Choose from 16 instruments; compose with 23 tools

Reviews (1)

An old favorite remains the best of its kind!
As a third grade teacher, I had this product in my classroom for years, until one day it inevitably got lost. I have been looking for a new copy for a while, and was glad to find it available on Amazon. It is, in my opinion, the best program of its type. The concept is very easy, children paint in a KID PIX type of format onto a white board, and that painting is then translated into music. If you draw at the top of the screen you will have a high note, at the bottom a low note. The longer you draw the same pitch horizontally the longer the note will be held. The simplicity makes it accessible to kids as young as kindergarten, but there's lots of features that make it riveting for older kids and adults as well. You have a wide variety of instrument to "draw" your music with, and there are lots of options that allow kids to experience their compositions in different ways. Hear your opus backwards or learn what it sounds like if it were flipped upside down. This is a program that people of all ages will enjoy (it was one of everyone's favorites on parent night). Sometimes simpler really is superior, and this program is a perfect example. ... Read more

Features

• Learn musical concepts and develop important listening skills
• Hear musical differences in endings, repetitions, and variations
• Challenging, fun-filled games adjust to skill-level of user
• Parent/teacher management tool tracks a child's progress
• Easy to use; integrated audio offers guidance where needed

Reviews (1)

More fun than piano lessons...
Want to teach your kids to enjoy listening to music, especially classical? Then try this program. Easy-to-use interface, wonderful tunes, great exposure to classical music in these sad rap-and-brittney times. Not for the faint of heart, however. Despite its simple interface, kids used to story lines and immersive environments will find this more like a standardized test than fun software, at least on first blush. However, if you are willing to sit down with them and help out, then the game becomes lots of fun. I liked the way it adjusts itself to the capabilities of the player. At the higher levels the game is quite challenging, even for adults. When my kids sit down to play, the music that comes forth is a great alternative to the mind-numbing drivel that normally accompanies video games. I actually enjoy listening to them play. If you have a decent set of speakers, then it sounds really nice. I wish I had this to play with when I was taking first grade piano lessons... ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Entertaining for the young viever
Our granddaughter asked to watch this nearly everyday. It is a pleasant way for a young child to learn a classic story.

She likes it!
Purchased this for my 5-year old. First try, it was a little difficult, after that she could do it by herself. Has been playing and continues to enjoy the different wands and the different colors and designs that the wands make on each scene. Make sure you try different wands at each scene to decorate. We didn't realize that on the first go around. I recommend for 5-10 year olds! Definitely.

Great Game
I have a five year old that loves this game. She can play with it for hours. She really enjoys it. Many diffent games, that she can do, even though she can't read yet. A must buy for all 4-6 year old girls!!

BEWARE: Great Game...But Watch Out For Copy Protection
My kids love this game, but as it usually happens, the disks get scratched. After unsuccessfully making a backup copy, I sent an email to Videndi's tech support. In a nutshell, sorry you are out of luck....Here is the email and thier response:

Your original question:
----------------------------------------
Customer Submitted Question On: 11/10/2003 6:45AM
Why can I not get a backup copy of "Barbie of Swan Lake" and "Barbie Botique" working. I have three girls using these disks and they end up scratched very quickly. I have tried making a backup of both numerous times, but the program quits after the intro screen. Any ideas on this?

The response to your question:
----------------------------------------
Solution Added On 11/10/2003 8:12AM
Sorry sir this program contain copy protection there is no way to make a backup copy sorry

same reviews three products
Barbie swan lake, My scene and Fashion Boutique all have the exact same customer reviews. Are these actually reviews of each product? I don't think so...what's up? ... Read more

Features

• Grade-based software that covers essential kindergarten skills
• Combines an exciting world of fun and lively games with lovable characters
• Teaches math, literacy, thinking, and creative skills
• 3 difficulty levels to choose from; play as either the boy or girl character
• For kids ages 4 to 6

Reviews (35)

I love these virtual petz!
Catz 5 was what I wanted most for Christmas this year. I got what I wanted--this game is pure FUN. I've been playing it nonstop ever since. Very much like Catz 4--except new mini-games, new breedz, are the big changes.

If you've never heard of catz or dogz (or any of the series), then you must know now! These games are about taking care of cats or dogs, raising them, feeding them, training them, and breeding them--basically it's like taking care of an animal around the house (except you don't have to scoop any litter or take any walks). =P It's the perfect gift for girls aged 8-13, or people who are cat/dog fanatics.

The scenes (places for catz to play in) in this game are pretty much similar to the ones in Catz 4, except now they have a Salon (umm...I think it wasn't in Catz 4 but I haven't played on Catz 4 for years), fantasy castle, AsianTemple, and a Haunted mansion. Yes, you can still design your own scenes for your catz to play in, and you now get to design your carrying case (w/ a paint program) for your catz! The scenes in this game are:
The Adoption Center
Backyard
Beach
Family Room
Fantasy Castle (new)
Haunted Mansion (new)
Kitchen
Salon (new)
--
Arabia
AsianTemple (new)
Circus
Snow Scene
South Seas
Wild West

To get items in this game for your Catz to play with, you must defeat little miniature games that are in scenes, such as tic-tac-toe (as silver-girl said, it takes about 3-10 times to mark an X in your area), rock paper scissors, Simon says, obstacle coarse, and scarab crunch. Almost all the items in this game are old ones from Catz 4. Thank goodness in this game you can hold unlimited items in your carrying case, unlike in older versions of games where you have to hold a maximum of 9. That's one of the reasons we're all glad for this game.

A female cat in this game can have a litter of 1-4 kittenz. They are almost always mixed breeds, really if you have to different types of catz. There are 15 different breedz of catz in this game -- Alley Cat, B+W Shorthair, Calico, Chinchilla Persian, Desert Lynx, Egyptian Mau, Honey Bear, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, Orange Shorthair, Persian, Russian Blue, Scottish Fold, Siamese, and Tabby. You can't cheat anymore with your computer calendar to speed up the birth of your cats' kittens. Usually it takes babies to be infants 2-3 days, and kittens in 7 days. Then it takes 3-4 days to become adults. They grow up so fast...*sniff*

You still have the screensaver, in this game also. But what I HATE is that you need the CD in order to launch it (like the review that person wrote who only bought this for the screensaver). Don't bother buying this for the screensaver either; it's nothing really. It's just your catz playing with random items.

Please do not buy this if you already have Catz 4 and you expect a lot out of this game. If you want the extra stuff, I say go for it. It's not much different than Catz 4--just more breedz, 4 more scenes, and mini-games which you play to earn new items.

Well, that's my review.

Catz 5
Although I have never played any of the Catz games I decided to get Catz 5 and it is brilliant! Heres why: (1) Litterz. You can breed your catz and dogz to get litterz of 1-4. You can make all sorts of different colour combinations and they can look really cool. (2) Playscenes. There are lots of Playscnes to look round and you can find secret items in them and play games. You can also find host character there which your petz will interact with. (3) Breedz. There are plenty of breedz to choose from each with their own distinct look and personality. Some of the breeds are fussy, some are smart some are bullies - it's cool to see how they interact with each other. I think the bad things about catz 5 are that you have to play games to get toyz and they repeat themselves so you keep getting the same ones :( The other thing is the weather. I saw it snowing out the kitchen window and went out into the garden - and it was sunny. =( Overall though this is a really fun game with plenty to do - if you like virtual pets you'll loooove Catz 5 :]

Catz 5 Not What We Expected
I recently purchased Catz 5 for my son who is ll. He is a real animal lover and thought it would be right up his alley since he loves Zoo Tycoon. However, we found Catz to be very juvenile for children in this age range. There is not much to do but dress your animals, bathe them, and plant flowers. True you can pet them, play with them, etc., but this is not entertaining for an ll year old. Most of the games, like tic- tac-toe don't work, and the game ends up picking where your X will go. If you want an educational, stimulating game for your child, don't buy Catz, unless your child is under the age of 8. Any child above that age range will be bored within the first half hour.

Puh leeze get something with more fun
Catz 5 is kinda doppy. You choose catz from like 15 breedz and love em and feed em and care for em. When they are adults, they can breed and care less about you. You get a certificate of happiness. You play with them for two hours and then they get boring. My catz are terrible. They ran away from. I would rather just return this game.

WARNING to all CDRW drive owners
Just a friendly warning to all CDR/CDRW/DVDR/DVDRW drive owners. UBI Soft as a "feature" on their PC software that prevents installation from any drive with write capacity. Why they feel that's a valid anti-piracy measure, and why they don't mind blowing off an entire segment of the market, is entirely beyond me, but that's not the point here. Call UBI Soft tech support BEFORE buying this or any other PC game from them, and check to make sure whether or not you will be able to install. Software (such as Chessmaster 9000) doesn't come with a warning on the box (in "some" cases, they claim -- I haven't found a single box that does), nor is there a warning on the Amazon product pages (short of reviews like this). One could speculate that they're perfectly happy to let people buy their software knowing some won't be able to install it, but I'll leave their motivation to give no warning to consumers to your imagination.

UBI Soft's tech support has said that this "feature" extends to *all* of their PC titles. So fair warning, particularly to folks with laptops where DVD/CDRW drives came standard, ask before you buy. Perhaps if enough people have a problem with this flawed policy, UBI will smarten up. "Flawed" because limiting installs to drives without write capacity isn't going to slow a determined game cracker/pirate down, it's only going to prevent normal consumers from being able to install the game. Worse, they don't find out until they've opened the package and tried to install, which in some cases is enough to prevent a return and refund from the seller.

I'm certain this game deserves more than 1 star, and suspect it will see some good reviews from people who are able to install, but I can't give it more than a single. That's a commentary on UBI Soft and their "feature", not about the game itself. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Sir Topham Hatt is facing infrastructure problems: the island of Sodor needs more lines if it is to accommodate its increasing number of rail travelers, and Sir Topham has asked for your help in Building the New Line.

Load the CD-ROM, sign in, and meet Thomas and all his familiar friends. Choose "Junior" or "Senior" Engineer mode, depending on ability (or confidence!), and start laying your track. Once your track is in place, move through the activities to deliver cargo and add landscaping features such as trees, bridges, tunnels, and so on. Once you have your track laid out to your satisfaction, advance to "Play Mode" and bring your new line to life.

Your engine can now travel around the track, interacting with all the other familiar personalities and sights of Sodor. Click on the items you put in place in build mode and complete the resulting activities. For example, click on the hay bales in the Farm Yard and watch as they spill on the track. Get your engine to help clear them away, so the track is safe and debris-free. Switch tracks, control your speed, and visit the Works if you need any maintenance.

Similar to previous CD-ROMs in the Thomas & Friends series, the sound and graphical quality of the package is great, and all the characters are faithful reproductions of their book and screen counterparts. The package is fun and will amuse as well as challenge first PC users, as they learn mouse control and hand-to-eye coordination, as well as other basic PC skills (clicking, moving, cause-and-effect of onscreen activities). There are plenty of rewards to keep little ones interested, and lots of fun to be had along the way. (Ages 3 to 5)--Susan Naylor ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Excellent for a 3-year old!
My son was able to play this game immediately. He couldn't be torn away from it to open more Christmas presents. Not educational in any way, but for "Thomas-philes" it's perfect! The software was simple to load and run.

skip this one
My son is also an avid Thomas Fan and we bought this since he had played the Great Festival Game several times. We run Windows XP and couldn't get the game to load properly. When we finally got into the game there wasn't much to do. The Great Festival Game is a much better deal.

I wish I could install this so I could see what it is about.
Amazon.com listed that this game would work with Windows 95. After many failed attempts to install it, I read on the packaging that it only would work with Windows 98, and above. How can we review it, if we can't even install it. Ordering online it is very important that all system information is correct. This wasn't. Too bad, my son will miss not being able to play Thomas as promissed.

My 2 1/2 loves it!!
My 2 1/2 loves this game. Once he learned to use the mouse. He could play this game for hours. I bought Jumpstart Toddler to help him practice using the mouse. Now that he is a pro he can play Thomas for hours by himself. This game works on our OS-Windows 2000.

Is that it?
As others have mentioned, there really isnt a lot here. Despite the appeal of the Thomas characters, my 2 1/2 year-old was bored very quickly.

We also have a very well-worn copy of Thomas and the Great Festival Adventure, which actually has puzzles and seems to teach something other than just mouse skills. I was expecting something of at least that quality as was very disappointed.

Also I should mention that whilst the interminable instructions are being recited, the mouse cursor is hidden. This caused a great deal of confusion as my son couldn't work out why the mouse wasn't working all of a sudden.

In short, a regrettable purchase (I will check the reviews next time!) ... Read more

Product Description

These aren't your typical pint-sized heroes!

Kids will join Spider-man and his friends to help those in need in this fun, interactive and educational adventure. Every activity will feature 3 different super-heroes, each with their own special ability. Children will practice basic pre-school skills in a fun arcade-style environment, while learning problem-solving skills and teamwork in a positive and constructive manner. Spider-Man & Friends features math, language, color and shape recognition with multiple difficulty settings for each challenge. Learning is fun and exciting with Spider-Man & Friends.

Six Marvel super-heroes featured:

• Hand Glider Spider-Man
• Crime Fighting Wolverine
• Air Rescue Captain America
• Skating Spider-Girl
• Laser Blast Cyclops
• Deep Sea Explorer Spider-Man
• Each activity features 3 of the 6 super-heroes

• Air Rescue Captain America can fly
• Deep Sea Explorer Spider-Man can swim

• Math skills: Number recognition, numeral recognition, greater than, less-than, and very basic arithmetic such as addition and subtraction
• Language skills: Letter recognition, upper & lower case letter recognition, and word/shape association
• Color and shape recognition

• Training
• Challenge

Features

• Join Spider-Man, Laser Blast Cyclops, Crime Fighting Wolverine and 3 more of your favorite Superheroes
• Explore vast maps as you help those in need in this side-scrolling adventure
• 2 modes of gameplay: training missions or challenge mode suit different learning levels
• Learning while you play has never been so much FUN: test math skills, language recognition and shapes & color identification

Amazon.com Product Description

Based on the School Zone workbook series, this program teaches critical math skills with interactive activities and fun games. Proven curriculum, audio guidance, and clear examples help your child master addition, subtraction, multiplication, place values, and other skills. The program randomizes problems with each use, providing endless activities. The engaging games provide a helpful break. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for second graders and home motivation.
I teach a first/second grade combonation class. This math program allows my second graders to learn at their own abilities, and my high first graders to be challenged. The program keeps track of the students progress and allows them to correct the problems they missed. (I like that a lot!)
It is also a great motivation for my own child at home. He is in school all day. So coming home to do more work is tough, this lets him practice his math in a different way. Great program!!! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Kinda boring...
I bought this game because I love the Little Mermaid and seeing Ariel on the box made me very happy. Sadly, there is not much Ariel in the game. The most you can do is put your princess model into Ariel scenes. I was hoping to put my model into Ariel's mermaid costume, but sadly, there are not many Ariel costume options (just the wedding dress and a pink one that she wears when she is human). All the costume are the classic 'ballgown' princess style, and most of them are ugly, as a matter of fact. I enjoyed putting my face onto these models, but I was disappointed that there were no costumes I really liked to put myself in. A waste of time; if buying this, like me, because you are a fan of Ariel, don't waste your money. Buy 'Ariel's Story Studio' or 'Little Mermaid 2 Activity Centre' instead.

My daughter likes it - I don't
We checked this software out of the library, thank goodness. I'd be unhappy if we'd spent money on it.

My five year old enjoys playing with it but I suspect she will tire of it before it's due back at the library as there is really nothing to do. You can decorate your horse, decorate the show ring, and run around a track. That's about it.

There does not seem to be any educational value whatsoever unless you're trying to teach a child how to click a mouse.

Very Disappointed Royal Horse Show
Don't give your money to Disney for the Royal Horse Show. I'd hardly call this a game, more precise it is a vehicle to promote Disney princess characters. And even the promotion gained from this was probably a waste for them as my daughter's interest in the limited activities wained quickly.

There are only 4 options to choose from.
1-decorate your horse (this is probably the most engaging feature for my daughter but she lost interest quickly as there seem to be dead end options - you are told that you can show your horse in the ring but no path to do so is ever provided)
2-decorate the royal horse ring (my daughter had no interest in this)
3-ride your horse around the ring (the view is awkward - the top of the horse's head blocks most of the picture)
4-in the craft cottage there are the most awkward features of all (an empty scrapbook which you fill with your escapades - this never caught on with my daughter, a growth chart [what this has to do with the game I have no idea and because her computer is not hooked up to a printer the option just caused the game to hang], a box for horse cards to collect [we are still not sure what this is] and the value of any of this is lost on me).

Cute
My 4 yo can operate much of this game. I'd rate it more for a 6 yo though... not any older. It's fun to dress up the horses. Not really a learning game, just for fun.

Perfect for my little Princess
I got this for my preschooler for Christmas and she is loving it! I love the fact that she can design the princess to look like herself or a friend or just about anyone! Designing the dress and jewelry is her favorite part, but she could go all day if I let her! This is definitely a gift that won't lose its appeal soon and also one that will grow with her!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

If you have a young graphic artist in the house, odds are that you havealready seen a range of paint programs for children. All offering a collectionof templates for art projects, clip art to use with the templates, and somebasic drawing tools for users who wish to go freestyle, these programs' primarydifferences have been in their look and user friendliness... at least untilnow.

Disney's Magic Artist Deluxe is one of a new generation of programsdesigned for users who enjoy creating art with computer assistance. In additionto the standard-issue graphic tools, this package makes artwork into a game,with moving animations, sound effects, and some very thoughtful design features.While earlier graphics programs often resembled scaled-down versions of adultpackages, this one is entirely bent on entertaining children and encouragingsprees of creative electronic drawing. Its kit is full of brightly colored,genuinely wacky tools, including robots that run around the screen drawingpatterns on your page and a sprayer that drops animations into the page. Imaginewatching cookies bake onscreen, spreading a line of crawling spiders across apage, or planting roses along the bottom of the screen. Just watching theseimages mutate to their finalized form is delightful--and they come with topnotchsound effects and a good dollop of humor, too.

Another area where older graphics programs broke down was in their reusabilityfactor. Once a child had seen and used all of a package's available images, itwas often time to move on to the next contender. However, Disney's MagicArtist Deluxe offers regular updates. Users can download new graphics andanimations from the program's Web site, including packages designed particularlyfor a coming holiday or event.

For users uninterested in using prepackaged art, Disney's Magic ArtistDeluxe also offers a full set of tools to allow kids to import pictures ofthemselves and their friends, and then to decorate, alter, and distort them totheir heart's content. Whether they want to build static scenes with Disneycharacters, construct animated tableaus, or digitally bend an existing favoritephotograph, this is a graphics program certain to please artistically bent kidsand their parents through project after project. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Magic Artist Deluxe Rocks
I love this game. It is more of an artist painting program. It is fun. I love painting and typing stuff. This rocks. You can even make your own pictures to print out and color. It is so much fun. It is worth buying. I recommend this to anyone who loves art and drawing and coloring.

Needs a manual!!
This is a wonderful product IF you can figure out how to make it do everything it can. It has an electronic manual located on the disc but it's irritating to have to switch back and forth to find what you're looking for. I've even called Disney offering to pay to have them ship a manual to me, but they claim the only one available is the one on the disc. It's a lot of fun but be ready to do a lot of switching back and forth. I definitely would have given it 5 stars if not for this problem.

The Best !
I thank my parents for getting me this. Theres so much things you can do. You can Paint, Create and Edit and so on. I wish my Parents would have got me this before. I love it. As a child I suggest you order this for your love ones.Now that Christmas is here.Thats why I gave the Magic artist Deluxe 5 stars. If you get this I know you will be satified. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

In terms of value, best productivity suite available
Like some of the other reviewers, I'm rather surprised at the number of negative reviews that Appleworks has received. While it is true that Appleworks is not as powerful as Microsoft Office, it is much less expensive and clearly represents a better value. The word processer part of it (the part that most people will use) is more intuitive and easier to use than Microsoft Word. True, Word is more powerful; but it costs $350 and requires a manual to use. I have never needed to use a manual to use Appleworks. You have complete control of your documents and you don't have to summon up the help application to figure out how to do common tasks like formatting paragraphs or adding links. Those who have mastered the complexities of MS Word and who require its special features may not like Appleworks. But for the rest of us, it more than meets our needs.

Also, one thing more: I have never had any trouble with Appleworks' translators from cwk to word format. I'm not sure why so many people have reported having trouble with it. I translated an entire book from Appleworks to PC MS Word, preserving the formats and special lettering instructions without any trouble at all. In any case, this wouldn't be a problem if people would show more courtesy to non-MS users (Macs and Linux) and not insist on sending them doc formatted files. PDF and rtf are far better cross-platform alternatives.

What's not to like?
Ok, I'm am sure that there are features in Word or Excel that some of you might use and the key word is might, but for the other 98% of us. Apple Works is a complete program that is full featured and easy to use. It can save and all of latest Microsoft Office file formats and that is half the battle most of the time with some of the attachments that I receive. Other than that I've been using it for about two months now and it has done everything that I have asked it to do and done it with ease. I have no problems with crashing or quiting unexpectedly under OS X. I start it and it runs and runs and runs. It's a great value even if just to open and looks at an Excel spreadsheet or Word doucument.

Chris

Great Value Suite of Software
I have been using computer word processors extensively since 1986. In 2001, I switched from being primarily a PC user to being a Mac user. And Appleworks is one of the programs I use the most.

I cannot understand the reviews on this page which slam Appleworks (especially the OSX version) for not being compatible with MS Word. I covert files back and forth from PC to Mac with no problem whatsoever. The best printer I have access to is on a PC at work. I usually write documents at home, convert them to a MS Word document, and email them to myself at work. Then at work the next day I print them. No problem.

There seems to be one glitch if you save files as a rich text file. The translator doesn't know the following characters: " '

But if you save it as a MS Word for Windows 98, 2000, ME file, you don't have this problem.

Apple, keep up the good work. The average Joe or Jane should not have to pay hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to get a solid word processor.

Tom Paine
Benton, LA
ATPaine@Lycos.Com

AppleWorks is crap
I have hoped and prayed for a Microsoft alternative. Unfortunately it is a Microsoft world, if you want to communicate with that world on a Mac use Office for Mac, it is brilliant. As much as I tried to move towards Works, I purchased it first, I could not, the spread sheet program in Works alone leaves you on a deserted island.

Save your headaches if you share any files than jump up to Office for Mac, however much that disgusts me to admits, it is a superior product.

why upgarde
Editorial review claims Appleworks 6 will translate Word documents with Dataviz translator. Last phrase is the key. Appleworks 6 does no more translation than did Appleworks 5. If you want to manage in the PC world, either buy a PC or buy Dataviz Maclink Plus. Appleworks 6 offers nothing special for compatibility in spite of the misleading editorial review. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed specifically for preschoolers, Elmo's Art Workshop provides hundreds of ways for children to create beautiful artwork and fun creative projects. Paint pictures and add your favorite Sesame Street characters. Create birthday cards, finger puppets, masks, posters, and more! Oversized buttons and helpful creative hints from Elmo ensure that every effort leads to a masterpiece. (Ages 2-6) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hours of fun!
This has been a great game for my 3 year old daughter--she loves to draw and color and this game seems to tickle her creative interests. It has been an exceptional, inexpensive purchase and one she can play over and over with new challenges. I guess I'm writing this review because we have purchased some duds and it is always nice to see a ringing endorsement of something that really works! Hope this helps you.

Elmo is a Winner
Of all the software, our five-year old likes this program the best. It's 'user friendly' and can entertain for a long period of time. Projects include Stickers (where the child can complete a picture using point and click), Costumes (dress up characters in outfits and outrageous accessories), and Coloring Book scenes with an 'automatic fill' feature. These can be painted or colored, rubber stamped, or personalized and can be printed out. Hours of fun. Wonderful graphics. The sticker pages include scenes for both boys and girls: outer space, picnics, birthday parties, snow scenes, beach, etc. I highly recommend this software.

SS Art Workshop enhances a child's creativity.
Sesame Street Art Workshop (SSAW)is one of the best loved CD-ROMs in our collection. SSAW enhances a child's artistic ability by having activities a mouse click away that would otherwise be limited by the child's fine motor coordination. The strengths of the program are that it is easy to use by a pre-reading child and offers numerous activities including coloring, stamping, and free drawing. Some of the more clever pages include finger puppets and birthday cards. The weakness of the program is that it does not allow color mixing as, for example, the Madeleine Classroom Companion does. This is a great starter program for ages 2 on up and one you will not regret buying. ... Read more

Features

• PC musical game based on popular musical masterpiece and designed for children and adults of all ages.

Features

• Explore exciting Wild West locations, investigate captivating clues and meet adventurous new characters
• Play memory games and board games to solve puzzles and get clues -- then collect the tools you'll need to open up new areas of the park
• Kids learn strategic thinking skills and basic problem-solving
• Develops social skills including friendship & cooperation
• Improves logical thinking, shapes & colors, numbers, counting and listening skills