Features

• Updated maps showing all highways, local routes, borders and exits in the U.S.
• Instant routing finds the fastest way to get to any destination
• Powerful search engine with multile zoom levels, for close-up looks at the roads you'll travel
• Millions of searchable points of interest -- from the newest restaurants to the closest gas stations
• Add your own notes and recommendations to maps

Features

• Advanced map customization and printing
• Automatic routing on trails and roads
• Nationwide campground information
• GPS compatibility; USGS digital map data
• $50 of free aerial and satellite imagery included

Reviews (2)

Poor Printing Options
I found the software to be slow and have poor printing capabilities. I wanted digitized USGS 7.5' quads to print and use for offroad trips, but not with this software. Advancing to higher level of detail was slow and I had to go through each incremental increase. The largest map size for printing is 11x17 (I asked Delorme). You can select 2x2 or 3x3 mosiac prints, for manual assembly, but not what I wanted. I used the 30 money back guarantee.

Missing Too Much Information
Within 5 minutes of trying to map my first route, I have already discovered a bridge that is missing from the map. This bridge was present in other versions of the program and I was hoping the data in the new version would be better than the old, not worse! ... Read more

Features

• Create maps that you can alter for Personal use or business presentations -- add company logos, text, titles and more
• Document Linking attaches Digital pictures, spreadsheets, documents, and more to locations
• Share map information across networks or through email, with friends and colleagues
• Includes valuable demographics data for better sales and business planning
• The Info Tabs provide easy reference -- browse multiple maps with a mouseclick

Features

• Convert PDA into portable road atlas of the 48 continental states
• Maps cover over 1/2-million miles of U.S. interstates and highways
• Displays print Road Atlas page and grid numbers for easy reference
• 5,000+ points of interest; city-to-city driving directions for 12,000 cities
• Supports both color and grayscale maps; built-in GPS tracking feature

Features

• Build kids' confidence in their math skills with 3D adventures that teach about operations, decmals, word problems, logic, graphing, measurement and more
• Get a headstart on reading, writing and speaking English proficiently with full Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary and Usage & Style lessons
• Journey to the center of the Earth or to the Milky Way, with Science modules for Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology and Zoology
• Explore the geography and history of our world in multiple Social Studies exercises -Study Cultures Of The World, Geography and the history of the Americas
• Learn the basics of Spanish through interactive games and lessons

Reviews (5)

Does not work with Windows XP
Do not buy if you do not have Windows 95. National Geographic has not updated its software for newer versions of Windows. There is nothing you can do or even get support from National Geographic to fix this problem.

Don't get it if you use XP
A word of caution: I upgraded my PC to Win XP and now my National Geographic software is useless. Neither the complete 109-year magazine collection on DVD nor my 8 CD collection of maps will run under XP.
Borderbund won't even discuss it; they foist you off on some third-party entity who says "sorry", but there are no plans to provide a patch or anything.
So go ahead and buy it if you're not planning on upgrading to XP.

Terrible
It's basically an atlas in PDF form spread out over eight CDs. You'll need glasses after scrolling in and out, trying to find anything. A waste of time and money.

Shame on National Geographic!
... I think the software implementation of these maps is terrible. Pathetic is a better description.

In order to use your full computer screen, you'd have to reset your monitor to 480 x 600 pixels. Who has such a low resolution monitor nowdays? This also appears to be the best resolution you can achieve on the maps. If the maps are expanded enough to be readable, they are fuzzy. Pathetic, in my opinion.

... I don't think the 500 "maps" in this package are worth anything--at least not to me. I'd gladly pay 3 times as much for excellent resolution maps. At the current low-resolution implemented on this software release, I wouldn't willingly pay 5 cents. I found no use for the maps at such low resolution. I uninstalled the software.

In short, I feel I got burned. I paid $... for what I consider useless maps and useless software. I did not expect this from National Geographic. [...]

Great Maps, Mediocre Software
One can hardly question the value of these maps. This collection claims to include 535 maps, going all the way back to the 19th century, published by National Geographic magazine. In itself, this is a real treasure.

However, the software realization of this treasure is poor. The software is slow and glitchy, prone to crashes and inexplicable error messages. The main window is a relatively tiny 640x480 pixels, although the maps themselves can be zoomed fullscreen. The working interface is clumsy and reminiscent of old "multimedia" software from a Windows 95 machine. The initial workspace is an image of a compass, a book, a videotape. Want to start searching for maps? Well, take a guess, because there are no text labels, no text tool-tips, and no drop down menus. There is a toolbar with tool-tips, but no text labels. I would have preferred a plain-vanilla menu over faux-elegant images that leave me stymied.

The set comes on 8 CD's. While the program will run with any disc in the CD drive, you can expect a lot of disc swapping. Also, it would have been nice to be able to at least start the search engine with no disc in the drive. There is no option for copying the CD data to your hard drive, which would have been a welcome choice for users with large drives.

Maps appear to be scans of the paper product from National Geographic, complete with fold-creases and dog-ears. These are not digital databases that generate maps on the fly, such as can be found in software like Topo USA or Streets and Trips. No, these are simply pictures of the paper maps. Great maps, but in a digital application, a picture of a piece of paper is of limited value. For example, if a place-name is not entered into the index, searches come up blank -- even if the place appears on one or more maps. Likewise, common tools of map software such as distance measuring, or incremental zooming, are missing.

The software allows you five zoom levels for your map. Since the first two levels are little more than thumbnails, really, you are left with three usable zooms. Even the middle zoom is too small to read place-names. Some kind of fractional or incremental zoom tool would have been much nicer; even basic image software allows you to zoom is by single percentage points.

The scan quality could be better. There is noticable pixelization at high resolution -- blocky fuzziness, especially around text areas. However, since there are over 500 high-resolution maps taking up 8 CD's, clearly some data compression had to be used.

The map tools aren't terribly sophisticated; you can zoom, pan, and select regions for copying to the clipboard (copied sections can be pasted into Paint or other image application).

All that said, this 8 disc set delivers a tremendous map value .... I estimate the cost per map at something like a nickel -- an amazing value. The older maps offer unique historical perspectives into changing geopolitics. The maps are excellent quality, and come with a tremendous amount of "extras" on the map backs (which are also viewable) and sidebars.

Clearly the software implementation could have been better. But for this price, I think the set is a steal. ... Read more

Features

• Ultimate guide to live, local weather conditions across the U.S.
• Data from one of 8,000 tracking stations; view 6 locations at once
• Access to up to 30 live, local weather cameras
• Severe weather alerts; interactive travel map to check forecast
• Ability to set up 13 unique weather alerts; air quality and UV index reports

Reviews (74)

Love it
I realy enjoy WeatherBug, because everything is local. I live in Baltimore and my favorite local TV station is ABC2, which has the best weather report in my mind. I saw WeatherBug and ABC2 use the same weather stations and share radar and forecast. I don't know what relationship they have, but they certainly help me to prepare for the day...

Major Disappointment
Our new WeatherBug Plus is apparently permanently in ad-supported mode.A local television station is advertised in the upper right-hand corner of the program. A first email to customer support garnered a response complete with a place from which to redownload the program, which did nothing to solve the program, nor did I need this information since I have the program on CD anyway.

One week later I am still waiting to hear a response to my second email; the ad is still there.In sum, it is NOT ad-free insofar as I can tell, and customer support has turned out to be useless.Perhaps all Plus-versions have some advertising despite their claims.Beats me!

So if you don't mind the ads, buy it, but ours is going back to the store.

We use WeatherBug in our School
We have a WeatherBug weather station on our school's roof, we also use WeatherBug in our class. I am the Weatherman for every Monday. I make the prediction right 90% of the times.

Wonderful program to have
I Love weather bug. It keeps me updated on weather even when I can't see the news. Gives alerts of servere weather and is customizable. What refer this program to anyone.

Weatherbug Plus
By far the best weather software I've found!! Gives you everything, including severe weather alerts, in a very timely manner.
GREAT STUFF!! ... Read more

Features

• Multimedia encyclopedia and feature-rich reference tools
• New Encarta search bar; New online Math Center
• Kids section; video content from Discovery Channel
• Visual browser facilitates easier navigation among articles
• Complete learning resource for students aged 7 and older

Reviews (3)

REFERENCE LIBRARY OF WORLD CIVILISATION
A reference library in true sense - you can see, scan, read and browse. Only regret I have is that we can't take good prints of the beautiful pictures for which NGS is famous for.

It had been my lifetime dream to possess all NGS issues and to that extent this collection fulfils the requirement. The presentation of the package could have been better - more compact (with 31 CDs the package can be made less than 50% of the present volume), easy to access a particular CD and sturdy. After all the people who buy this collection are not the 'use-and-throw' type of people - they revere and respect the effort that has gone into making it a reality. The hundreds of man-years which have gone into it deserve better treatment.

Another good thing about it is it gives good historical review of technological products like cameras, automobiles and electronics - through advertisements.

Major Disappointment
They scanned the pages and then compressed them into JPEGs. Even a top quality laser printer can't help the grey, smeary text output. If you like reading blurred text in a post card size window you'll be satisfied. Otherwise you're better off going to a library. I'm gonna sell my copy or give it away.

The World in a Box
Since more than a century the National Geographic Society brings the world to your home. Excellent articles enhanced with beautiful pictures by professional photographers let you glimpse a wide range of topics, from descriptions of countries, towns and villages, over people and animals, to scientific reports. This is certainly one of the best witness of the history of the twentieth century.
Many of these expeditions are actually financey by the National Geographic Society. The writer is always participant and often even the responsible scientist or traveller.
Spanning more than a century it might seem that many article are old. But they are still very interesting since they show worlds long lost to the spread of civilization. Furthermore, it gives the reader insights into the world as it was seen in other times.
The CD-Box compresses this vast knowledge into a small box. The integrated search function lets you find your topics of interest quickly. This is certainly one of America's best products and worth your money and time. ... Read more

Features

• A dynamic, interactive exploration of historical sites and cultures
• 4-disc collection take users on a global journey across vanished cultures
• Experience Ancient Egypt, Machu Picchu, Pompeii, and more
• Captivating images from award-winning photographer, Tom Till
• Includes The Romans, a bonus foldout map from National Geographic

Reviews (1)

Horrible interface & not much depth
I was expecting much more from this I guess. The interface was terrible and different from disk to disk. On the Pompeii narration the guy doing the talking wasn't even talking about what was on the screen..gak! I could have found what was these disks, on the net for free. ... Read more

Features

• Timely and accurate information with up-to-date reference materials
• More than 30,000 new and updated articles
• Learn about events around the world as they occur with Live Media
• Interactive multimedia includes music, videos, audio clips, and more
• New search bar for instantly finding information needed

Reviews (1)

Not bad, but very much better Encarta Reference Library
ENCARTA STANDARD is not bad, but it is very much better to buy Encarta Reference Library, because it has very much more text, very much more multimedia and very much more features (Atlas and so on). I have reviewed it if you want extra information. The PC system requirements are about the same. ... Read more

Features

• Military operations and strategic battle planning come to life
• The best of National Geographic magazine 1899-1991
• 30+ maps present a cartographic timeline of volatile struggle and mapping milestones
• Wealth of bonus historical, political, and cultural detail