Features

• Design dinosaurs, dig for fossils, and travel through time
• Encounter dozens of dinosaurs; play 20 spine-tingling activities
• Watch over 40 enthralling videos; print color dinosaur pictures
• Amaze friends with dinosaur facts; over 24 PC screensavers
• Includes: Learn About Dinosaurs, T. Rex, and Walking with Dinosaurs

Amazon.com Review

Few things are more frustrating for amateur astronomers than to be told of some extraordinary celestial event only for it to be obscured by a cloudy sky. Starry Night Backyard is a CD-ROM package that will allow enthusiasts of the night sky to explore it whenever they want to and whatever the overhead conditions.

The package has some superb visuals and is remarkably wide-ranging--the moving graphics, as you travel through the solar system and past the edges of planets and moons, are quite otherworldly. Complete beginners should note, though, that it is designed for those who have already gained a little knowledge of the stars--a sister package, Starry Night Beginner, is designed for novices.

The first step is to select a home location, whereupon you will be shown a snapshot view from that spot on earth at the time you are using the package. Of course, if it happens to be daytime where you live, you can select another point anywhere on the globe and view the stars from there. If you have never seen the Southern Cross (or the polar star), now there is nothing to stop you.

But what really distinguishes this CD-ROM is that it allows you to explore the constellations that you see from home as well as voyage into the solar system. With the range of viewing locations, you can experience the utter darkness of Pluto and the searing heat of a sunny day on Mercury. You can also view interesting events in the past, including many solar and lunar eclipses, and get an impression of the passage of comets and asteroids.

The range of this package is what will really attract those with an interest in the stars. It gives a sense of the unity of this planet, and the possibility of viewing the sky from anywhere on earth is a real enhancement and embodiment of the modern global village. --Toby Green ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Starry Night Backyard
Love it. Easy to use. Great for amateur astronomers. I check it every evening for a layout of the night sky. Neat features include "zoom" and "go there".

Willa K. Cree
This is an awesome product, and fun for the whole family. My son, age 7, loves exploring the universe with me. I and my husband, who both have an interest in astronomy (that we can rarely do anything about with small children), just love all the information and the great graphics. This is easy to use, and is fun no matter what your level of expertise. This is a lot of software for a really reasonable price! I find that I log on to it every evening to see what our sky will look like tonight! I've been a computer nerd for MANY years, and rarely have I been so impressed with a software product.

Best of the best!!
I am no more than a door-step astronomer. I want to identify all the constellations, understand some basics about the planets and stars, and be able to see the International Space station (ISS) and other satellites. I want to grasp the fundamentals about earth's orbit and relationship with the Sun and other planets including the moon, and if, in learning all this I get a thirst for more complex things, then I will move on. I have about ten books on astronomy and the stars, and own a small beginner's telescope. As a next step I searched the web for a reasonable astronomy program for my PC and downloaded free trials on several, including Distant Suns, ECU, Sky Chart and Sky Map. Of all of them Starry Night Backyard was the best. The graphics, screen displays and animation are all excellent. It gives you the ability to travel to other planets, observe the sky from any location on earth, run through sequences of events (past, present and future) and includes an on-line manual and companion book. Any child would find this an easy program to understand and the simple use of the mouse and toolbar adds to the pleasure. There is nothing complex or user-unfriendly about this excellent software. Free upgrades are available via the web as they are developed and you can always move from the basic package to the more complex one (I believe there are three versions) for a price. This is like learning Shakespeare from a book at school (boring and brain-dead) then going to see a performance by a professional cast which brings the whole thing to life in front of you. Starry Night Backyard is the performance of a lifetime. The animation to help you understand the earth's orbit (and the other planets) is excellent and a picture is worth a thousand words in any book. Give it a try!

WOW!
I downloaded the demo for the "Starry Night Backyard" version from Space.com. The product is great for anyone who is interrested in astronomy, beginner or expert. I killed some serious time with this software! I was blown away at how much information was available. Navigation is very easy, too.

I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

There are many enthusiastic amateur astronomers and in the past 50 years they have made a number of important discoveries. Starry Night Backyard 4.x is a CD-ROM package that is targeted at this audience and adds greatly to the tools at the amateur astronomer's disposal.

The package is extraordinarily eclectic--one moment you're viewing the sky as it now is in Abidjan or Rio de Janeiro, and the next you're visiting Mars or any location within 20,000 light-years (surely enough for most of us). This range is supplemented by some excellent visual effects: the moving graphics, for example, as you travel through the solar system and past the edges of planets and moons are quite otherworldly.

The software is designed so that you can select your home geographical coordinates and then explore the constellations as you perceive them from home. However, what really distinguishes this CD-ROM is the scope it offers in terms of interstellar travel. With the range of viewing locations on offer, you can experience the fearful darkness of Pluto and the searing heat of a sunny day on Mercury. You can also turn to interesting events in the past, including many solar and lunar eclipses, and experience the passage of comets and asteroids.

This broad, comprehensive scope is what will really attract people to this package. Among the consolations for the freezing winter temperatures suffered by those who live in northern Europe and the northern part of North America are the crisp wintry nights, when the stars are as clearly visible as at any other time in the year; now, with the help of Starry Night Backyard 4.x, we can all go out and discover the mysteries of the heavens for ourselves. --Toby Green ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very useful!
I use this program along with my etx70at to plan my observations and use it to find the perfect aligning star. I also just like to go back in time or forward to watch an eclipse of the sun. This program is very useful and you'll be out for many hours ovserving celestial bodies.

Wonderful Gift for the amateur astronomer
I purchased this gift for my girlfriend because she loves astronomy, but her collge does not offer any classes in this subject. The program offers views of anything in the night sky that could be viewed with any powerful telescope. This is an ideal piece of software for any beginning astronomer. It's just a little more than the base version, but offers so much more.

Excellent Software for Anyone Who Is Fascinated by the Stars
I just turned into an astronomy buff since the planets in the inner solar system aligned last year in 2002. Now, I find myself looking at the sky every day and night and I am completely fascinated by the stars that not only gleem, but change colors from white to orange to red as they gleem.

Through Starry Night Backyard, I found out the name of those star and why they dance in the sky changing colors. Also, last year, when Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus all lined up with each other, I wondered what it looked like up there and not just from the earth which only hindered the view. Starry Night has a Blast Off feature that lets you center the planet or star and let's you blast off the surface of the Earth and go right to that star or planet. The Blast Off feature alone makes Starry Night a great investment.

And if you are fascinated by solar and lunar eclipses like I am, Starry Night makes watching an eclipse easy and DIFFERENT. Did you ever wonder what a solar eclipse looks like from the surface of the moon instead of just looking at a big black disk covering the outer halo of the sun from the Earth? Starry night has a database of dates from all the eclipses. It lets you go back in time to watch that eclipse and then, you can go to the surface of the moon and watch its own shadow engulf the Earth while the eclipse is occurring. Since mosst of us will probably never travel to the moon in our lifetime, Starry night will allow you simulate being on the Moon. You can also open two windows and watch the eclipse from both the moon and the earth simulataneously. Then, you can land on the sun and watch the solar eclipes from the sun. Try doing that in real life...

Starry Night Backyard and Pro just makes all these things possible. Just the fact that you can travel 5000 light years in 30 seconds and look at all the stars from that point in space (and time) makes Starry Night one of the few software programs that any astronomy buff can really call an investment.

So, if you purchase this program and use it to identify just one star, you will have already gotten your money's worth.

Have fun and I hope you enjoy this review.

The Universe on your monitor - 5 stars are not enough
In my 18 years of nearly daily Mac use, decades as an amateur astronomer, and celestial navigator since sextants were used to get little triangles on a chart with star tables and a pencil, this is the most astonishing program I have ever used.
If you use a Mac with OS X, have ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what you see, or have any interest in astronomy, or have children or grandchildren about, buy this software. If you also own binoculars or a telescope of any size and use them to look at the stars, and own a real Sky Atlas, buy this software anyhow. You will find yourself using it in place of your atlas or planisphere or the charts in Astronomy or Sky and Telescope magazines, to print stunningly lovely and detailed charts of the heavens as they appear at your location at any time of the night or portion of the sky, to plan your nights pleasure looking up, as a superb supplement to your atlas.
If you don't own binoculars or a telescope, you will still get immense enjoyment from this program helping you to learn the constellations with the naked eye.
The versatility of the program is immense and it is very simple to use. If you have grown up with the Mac and have lots of unread manuals gathering dust as I have, you will love this program. The manuals which accompany the package merely expand the level of detail to which you can go in its use, and start you on the road to be an expert amateur astronomer.
Starry Night is also highly educational for beginners or children of any age. The videos included reflect current professional astronomy knowledge and are very enjoyable. The vendors site also provides support for lessons in its use and in astronomy.
Among the thousands of dollars I have spent on software in 18 years, this was by far the best buy of all. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Created specially for the first time stargazer, Starry Night Beginner lets you quickly identify stars, planets, and constellations with a simple point-and-click interface. Learn about the movements of the planets, watch the phases of the moon, or see what the stars looked like on the day you were born. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

phenomenal program for budding amateur astronomers...
i've had starry night beginner for about a year and i love it. if you're just getting into astronomy and you are completely (or at least partly) baffled by handheld star charts...this program will make it ultra-easy for you to find whatever heavenly body you're looking for. it's an amazing program...very addictive. it's one of the most frequently used programs on my computer. i'm an old man, but this would be a terrific program for kids who are curious about the sky. with this program and a pair of binoculars...you'll be able to find and observe just about everything up there. highly recommended!

Enjoyment Beyond Belief!!!
Being a United States Merchant Master Mariner, I am required to use and be proficient at celestial navigation. That is finding my position on a boat or ship by using celestial bodies at night as well as the day. All though we have depended on electronic navigation for most all of these tasks for years, a master must know his celestial navigation. If his boat batteries or electical system ever fail or the equipment ever fails which happens more often than one would think. There lies the reason I found originally bought this software, because I found books and other aids so complicated I was getting more confused than help.

On a good night (very clear) there are so many stars it is hard to pick out the big dipper. On a bad (overcast) night you are lucky to find the moon. With this software, you simply plug in your estimated location, the date and time and it shows you a great moving clestial map in several formats that my 7 year old nieces were having no problem using the program in minutes. No telescope or extra equipment is required but a pair of binoculars helped pick out some of the weaker stars.

Books, aids, educational toys helped in the past learn and helped pick out the stars but on this one night, two 7 year olds and a 50 year old Master Mariner and his wife became experts (in our minds) in finding the constellations, major stars, planets and even satalites. I have never had such a good time with my family, and never felt so good about my professional ability.

I am ready for the advanced versions of this product now and can not wait to buy a good telescope to get get to a level of a good amature astronomer. I am afraid my nieces are on the way to astophysics they are enjoying it so much. ... Read more

Features

• Dynamic introduction to science with in-depth lessons
• Interactive multimedia simulations and visual experiments
• Full curriculum of content and an exciting multimedia format
• Topics include biology, chemistry, genetics, ecology, and more
• Designed for ages 12 to adult

Reviews (1)

It's a good start
Probably it's not good for grade 10 - 12 who should read books instead. But I bought for my son who will be sixth grade next year. It's good for him to browse the contents and find what he is really interested in. I don't expect the software will replace books but it's good for starting.

I don't have problem to run the software but I do think I can write much better program than this one. It's slow and UI is not as good as it could be. I guess you can't expect too much for educational software considering its price. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Middle School Excellence is designed by teachers for students ages 11 and up in grades 6 through 8. Filled with more than 330 interactive lessons, this six-CD-ROM set covers 15 subjects: U.S. history, world history, geography, pre-algebra, algebra, life science, earth science, physical science, grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary, French, Spanish, and typing. All lessons are supplemented by detailed scope and sequence specifications designed to enhance learning. Plus, access to the New Millennium Encyclopedia along with downloadable geometry content from the Internet is free with purchase. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This four-disc set contains over 1,500 high-resolution images; a 155-minute multimedia presentation; a customized glossary; and more to help you learn about our universe. Discover the unique attributes of each planet in our solar system. Follow the latest news about UFOs and the quest to communicate with other life forms. Survey the methods and instruments used by modern astronauts and learn how to identify constellations in the sky. Learn about our galaxy, the Milky Way, and explore distant galaxies to uncover the secrets of how they were formed. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

From the common and plentiful to the unique, bizarre, and rare, Birds of the World helps you learn about anatomy, courtship and mating rituals, nesting and migration cycles, and much more. Find out which birds are endangered, what we are doing to prevent habitat destruction, and why bird diversity is so important in gauging the world's ecological stability. Study avian diet and physiology; territory and families; and feathers, plumage, and molt. This software is designed to help you identify and learn about the birds around you and around the world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great.... if you don't have Windows XP
My sister bought this for me, the 3 CDROM pack with Birds of Australia, Birds of the World, and another bird CD when I had Windows ME and it worked like a charm. But, when I upgraded to a much better computer and WAY better operating system in XP, I installed my beloved birds CDROM and lo and behold, it didn't work. So, I wrote to Webster's, very politely, and they wrote me back and told me that no, it will not work on XP, BUT, they are in the process of repackaging Webster's Birds of the World software and get this... those who bought the earlier version has to buy it again! Now, that has been over a year since I bought my new computer with XP on it and still the new software is yet to be seen. So, if you like birds like me but you have Windows XP, don't waste your money buying this CDROM. I think it totally bites that Webster's didn't come out with an XP patch like every other software company but instead is trying to make an extra buck (probably they'll make us buy the new package for like 30 bucks) reselling the software, which I thought was fine as it is. Come on Webster's, stop playing Bill Gates and just come out with an XP patch!

great!
This program is the best I have used.the facts are mind blowing .I can't wait to get more. The end ... Read more

Features

• In this bundle, children will explore the Animal Kingdom and Prehistoric paleoworlds
• I Can Be A Dinosaur Finder provides hours of engaging discovery and stimulating investigation into the world of paleontology
• Kids solve math, science and geography puzzles while digging for dinosaur bones and fossils
• There is also an online feature
• Dig for over 50 fossils in 6 locations around the world

Reviews (1)

Wish there were more programs like these!
As a teacher of second grade gifted children, I can recommend this software enthusiastically. It is both entertaining and educational and never seems to grow old or fail to capture my students' rapt attention. My students select this software more often than any other that I have. If only there were other titles in this series! ... Read more

Features

• This 2 CD set is a catalog and tour through the world's amazing landmarks
• Kids will explore ancient wonders like the Pyramids & the Colossus Of Rhodes, and modern wonders like the World Trade Center
• Over 100 lessons are included on 35 different topics -- it's a great reference tool
• Fun-filled exercises and quizzes test how much they've learned
• Fun interactive learning for kids 6 and up!