Reviews (1)

Hours of fun with this game!!
I did Where in the USA .. Carmen Sandiego at school and it's way way better than this one!! But this one is fun too. Since this is a two pack, I like the Where in the World .. Carmen Sandiego better than the Carmen Sandiego Chase Through time. In the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, you get to go like every country!! At first, I thought it would be hard that you have to find her somewhere in the "world", but after the first case, I got used to it and it was very fun. My brother was watching, he's only five and he caught on to it!! AMAZING!! This game is for ages 8-12, and the Where in the World one is for windows:95/98/XP, was I glad that they had it for XP!! Oh and this is for macintosh too. Except, the Great Chase through Time one doesn't work well for windows XP. I didn't buy this at Toysrus though, I got it from CompUSA check their website and see if this is available in your nearest CompUSA!! They usually tell you if it's in stock or not, the one where I went to, I got the last copy!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The stronger and more interesting of two games based on the movie, the eponymous Finding Nemo lets kids reunite father and son deep off the reef in Australia's waters. The game opens with Nemo and Marlin in their respective environments, the dentist's fish tank and the wild waters of the open sea. The two fish are linked by a small button at the bottom of the screen, and players can toggle between them as they complete various puzzles.

The game features all the original cast members, and in addition to classic lines from the film, they improvise new lines. Dory, voiced byEllen DeGeneres, is hilarious, and smaller characters--like Nemo's friends in the tank--get more time to show players their individual, funny personalities: clicking on each fish kicks off a short conversation. Although there's more watching than doing in the early stages of the games, Nemo fans will be enthralled. Later stages involve memory games, like following patterns while jumping on the backs of jellyfish. All the characters, including sharks and sea turtles, make extended appearances in Finding Nemo.

Like Nemo's Underwater World of Fun, this game has two primary issues: computer owners must pay close attention to system requirements (otherwise, movie scenes in playback stutter significantly) and gameplay itself lasts little more than an hour, if kids ace the tasks. Also, one caveat for education-minded parents: this game is clearly only for fun, not for--pardon the pun--schooling. But kids will need to look beyond the obvious to complete the tasks in this game, and it's the possibility for discovery that makes Finding Nemo well worth exploring.--Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Reviews (30)

The other version? Poor Quality Control Problem....
This is yet another pc game that could have been so good...The problem? Like the other 3 disney pc games we have, we had to go on-line to reconfigure our computer!!! It seems to be the SOUND that creates problems.

We bought the version for older kids, after reading the reviews here. Guess what? The voices for Nemo and others cannot be understood. It's as if someone put an old record on the wrong speed...high speed....everyone talks like the chipmunks! What we heard of the music and graphics however looked real good.

We're running these programs on windows XP and unable to get the program to work right out of the package, which is a real drag to an intelligent 5 year old and his mom! Bottom line, you probably have to go on line and get help to make the program work. OR you may have luck calling them...

With the exception of MULAN (has a great majonng game for kids...but you have to go on-line and learn HOW TO MAKE THE program work and reconfigure/disable a sound card or something like that....)We've sworn off of Disney pc games, at least for now....they're not worth the trouble.

Misleading, disappointing, irritating waste of time!
The Nemo's Underwater World of Fun game disk enclosed in with the movie DVD, was a big disappointment. My young kids were very excited then very upset. Until I read user reviews here on AMAZON, I thought I had a malfunctioning game rather than a DEMO disk on which only 2 of the 6 activities were accessible, rendering the prizes unwinable and the main games unplayable. And one of the 2 accessible activities, the Tank Gang music maker, seems buggy! Neither the disk, its sleeve, nor the read-me file indicated that it was only a demo, so my exercise in futility began: I installed and reinstalled it. I called the Disney phone number only to find the voice menu options to be misdirected, and at Disney Interactive on-line found no help nor mention of the demo version. FINE DISNEY, so you don't want to give away a free game, but why waste your ad dollars on such a stunt? Guess what, I've not been enticed into buying the real game, just irritated into a resolution to spend NO money on Disney computer games! (It's not your fault THQ (the game designer) we still love you.) I'm Sooooo glad that wonderful PIXAR's contract with Disney is ending!!!

My son likes it, I can't stand it
We bought this for our five-year-old, who loved the movie. Why is it that all Disney games turn into annoying (and cloying) lead-ins or promos for the movie? Why do we have to watch endless clips of it? The games seem kind of uneven (some way too hard, others too easy), and sometimes the software seems to get 'stuck' (we need to back out and repeat the objective to get it to work). I like THQ and their software in general, I've just noticed that anything Disney-related gets bogged down in their desire to "Plug the movie! Plug the products!" My son does like it when he plays it, but it's been used a LOT less than I had anticipated. Gets 3 stars for good graphic and audio quality, but I'd give the game itself a two.

terrible
I bought the finding nemo software for my daughter today and I sincerely regret it. It is one of the worst games I have ever purchased. The games dont work. You get nowhere. I would advise everyone considering this game to just save your money. My daughter was excited to get it until we installed it and tryed playing it only to find out it is a lemon.

Very cute
I just loved the movie, so naturally I bought the game. My sis and I have had these little, ummm...."problems" with games for kids 4+. We can't win them!! The older kid's games are easier. But that's what makes this game fun. I still can't win the "Surfin' With Crush" level though. "Nemo's Underwater World of Fun" actually has a story to it. Nemo wants to prove to his dad that he can move around just as well as any other fish. So Marlin sets up a "Super Swim Challenge" game, that will test Nemo's swimming skills. It goes from there in that you have to help Nemo win a certain number of "trophies" in each game in order to get up to level 5 in the Super Swim Challenge. After that, you can help Nemo prove to Marlin how good a swimmer he is. I love the games you can play. "Dory's Memory Match", "Surfin' With Crush", and "Tank Gang Sing-alongs" are just a few. Hope you have fun playing! I'm sure the kids will. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Disaster takes Mia and her family by surprise when her home catches on fire. By the time the mouse clan can make its escape to safety, the whole house is doomed. Now Mia has only one chance to restore order: Sam Squirrel, who once designed a time machine. If Mia can build the device on his blueprints, she might just be able to go back in time to prevent the fire.

Mia's Math Adventure is a role-playing game merged with a healthy dose of mathematics practice for kids ages 6 to 10. As Mia roams the area surrounding her scorched home, she encounters a plethora of characters who are out to help or hinder her. Players must solve logic puzzles just to help her get from one place to the next. Then, perhaps as things are starting to seem simple, a basic math drill will pop up and gameplay can only go forward after players supply the right answers to the computational questions posed.

This is one of those educational games that strives to offer children everything: top-notch entertainment, solid educational content, good characters, and unique, engaging animations. And where many games fail in this quest, Mia's Math Adventure delivers--for the most part. Some kids may find guiding Mia through the backyard and other game environments a bit of a chore, as the real-time navigation feature is clunky. The process of learning to get around can frequently trigger unneeded advice from the ever-helpful mouse. This is the sole complaint that can be made, however, about a game that is both a genuine learning experience and plenty of fun. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (6)

This Is Not Boring!
My four-year-old daughter is almost through level one now without my help. She complains that it is gboringh but then keeps playing it for more than an hour after her complaint. I think her frustrations come from being unable to easily and quickly navigate around Miafs world. Sometimes when I come to help her because she is stuck, I see that she has clicked on everything too quickly while trying to find what she needs to do next, so the game cannot properly respond. So far the math in level one has been no trouble at all. The difficult part was the days of the week, which she is now learning thanks to this fun, educational program. I look forward to seeing level two soon! The Math Rabbit program we had before this was truly boring for her. This is a welcome addition to our CD-ROM case.

fabulous!!
This is a GREAT program. I use it for homeschooling my son. The graphics are gorgeous, and there are lots of math games to play-- you can either play them in the sequence of the story, or just pick and choose the math games from the "options" menu. The math itself is on the easy side, my six year old can play level two on most games and up to level four on others. I am a math phobe myself, though, and I wish I could have used this program as a child. So I would especially recommend it for parents with math-phobic kids, of any age!

Good Game
This game covers a wide range of difficulty. My 5 year old son plays on level 1, and he can answer the questions himself (he is very smart). My 7 year old son (also very bright) chooses difficulty level 2, and the questions are challenging for him. They have spent many hours playing Mia, and they have enjoyed it so much that we just purchased Mia Science and Mia Reading. Way to go Mia!

Superb graphics - my daughter loved it!
I bought this game to help my 6 1/2 yr old get up to speed on math. She really hates math and is very impatient when I try to teach her. Anyway, she loved playing this game and asked for it every day until she completed it (at level 1). Days later, she is still talking about her favorite parts of the game.

As to the learning of Math, it was not as much activity as I expected... however, the activities that are there are good quality. I did need to sit and help her the first time figure out what to do with each activity (The calculator was particularly hard to figure out how to get the results to display on the right hand side).

I am still searching for math software that actually teaches math, not just queries kids on what they already know. Mia is more of the latter than the former, however, I would buy it again. It is a quality product with superb graphics that my daughter loves. I will be purchasing the other MIA products (Reading and Science).

On Target for age group
The pictures in this package are fascinating and my 7 year old daughter, who loves math,has played this exclusively for the last month. The math is just the right level to provide a doable challenge. It is rather short (or else we are missing something), but my daughter has played it over and over and enjoyed as much each time. It does have a level adjustment, but we have not used that yet. (Note: I like this better than Math Blaster 6-7). ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Reader Rabbit Toddler is part of a curriculum-based system that is designed to keep children learning all through their elementary school years. Simple, brightly colored graphics and classic sing-along songs make all these activities a sure hit with toddlers.

This pack gets kids off to a great start with an introduction to letters and numbers, matching and patterns, music, and mouse skills. In "Follow-Me Theater," children take a physically active role with finger plays and singing along, while in "Baby Animal Bingo," sounds are matched to help parent animals find their babies. The characters of Reader Rabbit and his sidekick, Matt the Mouse, are funny and friendly--and always ready to help if your child needs a hint.

Because these characters are in every unit--all the way to sixth grade--and the basic format for each level is similar, children can dive right in to the new curriculum skills without the distraction of different graphic styles or character guides. This pack includes the next step--Reader Rabbit Preschool--as a free bonus. You'll see quickly why this series is so often used in schools, and we're sure your toddler will love it as much as her future teachers already do. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Absolutely Wonderful
My grandson just turned 3. He loves this CD. It is easy for him to use because he doesn't need to click the mouse. It is still difficult for him to hold the mouse steady when he clicks. If the mouse moves, he doesn't get a response and then gets very frustrated. This CD eliminates that problem. The activities are great fun for him. He likes the coloring and the "bubble castle" best. I highly recommend this CD.

Toddler is Great - PreSchool sucks
Imagine my surprise when I realized my 20-month old had suddenly developed pointing and clicking skills! We started him early with Reader Rabbit's Toddler (he was simply TOO interested in helping mommy "work"), and he was so delighted to be able to bang on the keys and watch stuff happen. By now (2 1/2) he can navigate through the entire program, and now amuses himself by interacting with the characters in ways the creators never imagined (he waits and waits until the mouse appears to tell him what to do, then scares her away with the pointer). Moving on, however, is a challenge - nothing quite lives up to this. We prefer Geoffrey Goes to the Fair and even JumpStart Preschool to RR Preschool, which requires endless busywork before getting rewards - even I don't have the patience!

The BUNNY GAAAAAME!
What would you like to do right now?

The Bunny Game.

It's a nice day out, wouldn't you rather come outside with me and play

The Bunny Game!

Let's go to the park instead, sweety.

The BUNNY GAAAAAME!

This is my major complaint of the game. The scene above is not an every day battle or anything, and my be a result of my daughter's personality rather than any addictive qualitys of the game. However, when she has decided to play it, well, I had better sit down with her to play.

My daughter, who just turned 2, sees Mommy and Daddy cook, so she likes to cook. She sees Mommy and Daddy clean up the kitchen, so she likes to clean up the kitchen. She sees Mommy and Daddy use the computer.... so, having a game that lets her use the computer, I think, is mostly a good thing.

I think we got the game for her right around when she was the recommended 18 months old or so, and when we first started to play it with her we had to help her with most of the activities. I am not sure that she even really understood that she was controling the action. It was, I think, lots of pretty pictures and songs. The game is set up so that your budding computer expert doesn't have to click the mouse to make things happen; a child only has to move the mouse to play any of the games. Still, some of the games are harder than others. Some of the games will reward your toddler with a song for just ramdomly moving the mouse, while others will require a good deal of concentration, which is an asset of the game. Your 18m-3year old will be able to play the games. The hardest skill to master, and what casues the most frustration (for the toddler) is the screen where they choose which game to play.

Notice that I said that When we sit down to play the game. As I already said, your 18Month old will require help, and as you continue to help your child, they may come to expect it, and suddenly playing this game will become a bonding experience if you are that kind of parent, or a chore, if you are another kind of parent, or both if you are somewhere in between. I don't know if I want to leave a 2 year old incharge of $2000 worth of hardware, and what ever else I forgot to back up on the hard drive anyhow. 2 might be a better age to start them on this game, however, from both a cognative and a motor skills perspective. I am not sure that an 18 month understands what is expected of them by the game. You might be better off to surf Tele-Tubbie Websites with them if they want to use the computer with Daddy.

Excellent learning package for up to age 3.
My son received Reader Rabbit Toddler as a gift and we are sold on it's ability to help him learn while having fun. He loves to do all of the tasks and is learning colors, shapes and a host of other skills. The true test of a software program is the willingness to buy the next level - we are doing just that by upgrading to the Preschool program.

My Preschoolers Loved It
With its easy point and click at the pictures approach, even very young preschoolers in my day care could navigate this program. They loved the variety of activities - coloring, nursery rhyme theater, matching animals to their mother, counting and more. I loved it too - it was a great educational tool that was fun for them to explore. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Math skills come in handy when playing this mystical, mathematicalAladdin adventure. By solving math problems that test skills ranging fromaddition and subtraction to patterns, estimation, and logic, children can savethe day and rescue Aladdin and his friends from the forces of evil. A wickedgenie named Bizarrah has escaped from her lamp and has captured Jasmine, Abu, and Aladdin in Agrabah. Players must do the math to put an end to Bizarrah,once and for all.

Movie-quality animation and an astounding number of multilevel, age-appropriatemath games make this software a classic. Whether kids are playing the DungeonGames, Agrabah Games, Magical Carnival Games, or Pyramid Games, they'll love thechallenging gameplay and adventure this unique software offers.

Games range from Yazoul's Number Wall, which has kids making mental computationsby using addition and subtraction skills, to a fast-paced virtual marble game,Square Up, where geometry and logical reasoning rule as kids race the carnivalbarker by being the first to create squares in a challenging grid screen.Noflying carpet required, just bring along your math skills for hours ofchallenging math fun. (Ages 6 to 9) --Tina Velgos ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excellent math practice
My son received this when he was 6 years old. He played with it constantly. He helped his 5 year old sister play with him. Today he is 8 and still loves playing at a higher skill level. The attraction for my kids is that their goal is to get the pieces of the magic lamp from which Bizarra escaped. Once they get the pieces, they can capture her. To accomplish this, they have to play various math games to free their friends and get the pieces. They get basic math skill practice and have fun doing it. Even after they've accomplished their goal, they can come back and play any game they want or start a new game. They get practice in basic addition, geometric shapes, sequences, matching patterns, etc.

Pretty but limited
I bought this for my almost 7 year old and played it a little alone first. I thought the graphics were great, and the games seemed interesting enough... BUT.... I didnt realize there was so little to the game. My quick peek at it actually was almost to the end of it. Basically there are only 14 games (I think that's right) and once you've played them... its over. It took my son less than 2 hours to play this game (would have been faster but it was sometimes a bit slow changing screens, and we have a 1gig/Athalon pc.) He liked it cuz he's goal oriented, and solving the story makes it more interesting to him than the ones where you do tasks for no particular reason. But ... what now? A few more hours at different levels and we'll be done with this game....

Does run under NT 4.0
While the package says it is for Win 95/98, it does install and run under NT 4.0 (saying its NT 3.0 and I might have problems with NT) on my Dell 7500 laptop. The installer does want you to change to 256 color mode, but runs okay in 65,536 (16-bit) color mode.

My 8 year old son loves this program.

Do math in Aggrabh
I am horrid at math, and still enjoy this game. While it can be hard, once you get used to it you won't want to quit. You'll want to keep going so you can save Aggrabah from the evil genie who has been unleashed. The only problem is that there is no refrense whatsoever in the plot here to the plot of the movie.

Great thinking skills!
This CD helps kids build a variety of math skills, including addition and logical thinking. The different levels are good, but what I really love is how you can move around and play your favorite games again and again. The only negative is there is no subtraction practice. But kids learn without even realizing it. This is great. I wish there were more like it! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cluefinder's Math (Ages 9-12)
Cluefinder's Math : Ages 9-12
• Grades 3-12
• Mathematics
COMMENTS:
Students can build math skills as they solve mysteries. There are 15 games at 10 different skill levels, which build more than 25 key math skills, including number computation, fractions and decimals, tables and graphs, and early geometry. Logic and problem solving skills are used as the student attempts to piece together clues to deduce the answers to the mystery.

ClueFinder's Math includes exceptional graphics and animation and a great storyline. I would not recommended ClueFinder's Math for the struggling student who needs instruction and practice with math skills, but for an average or above-average math student who enjoys fast-switching games and wants to work at quick-thinking and multi-tasking. I also do not feel that the three levels of play cover all basic math concepts for children ages 9-12 and at some levels there are both extremely easy as well as extremely difficult problems. Additionally some students may become frustrated with the speed at which they are required to respond as they solve problems.

CLASSROOM CONNECTION:
I would have students work individually to work their way through the village, solving math puzzles in the eight activity locations, and earning clues in an attempt to discover what treasure was stolen, where it is hidden, and who stole it.

A fun and intresting game
The Cluefinders' have all sort's of games out. Some of the games are a little easier to figure out but the math game is still really fun. It teaches all sort's of math that gears you up for 5th grade. It is fun and intresting. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) discover core learning skills in this delightful age-appropriate learning environment featuring Reader Rabbit and friends. Kids help Reader Rabbit bring back the sparkles, requiring a trip to the Land of Sparkalot to find out what is blocking Mount Brill, the source of sparkly stars. Explore six fun activities full of adventure and discovery. Along the way, Reader Rabbit and friends guide kids through prereading, counting, math, and language activities that will help your child shine like a star.

Reader Rabbit Preschool 2002 is part of the award-winning Reader Rabbit children's educational software series. Learning activities include Lighting Bug Matchup, Sparkle Rocket Math, and Create-a-Dancequake. Kids also enjoy this title's fun music, stories, movies, and characters, while the program's progress reports let parents see just where their child is advancing and where they might need some help.

So that you're never without Reader Rabbit, Reader Rabbit Preschool 2002 comes with the bonus CD-ROM Reader Rabbit's Dreamship Tales. It's bursting with added activities, videos, tunes, and more than 100 printable games and activities--a great way to keep the fun going after you've turned the computer off. ... 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

Amazon.com Review

Pirate's plunder rewards players who discover all of the hidden objects and decipher the riddles in I Spy Treasure Hunt. But there's also a bounty of booty on the path to that treasure as players discover this captivating world where closer inspection invariably reveals a new surprise.

This program is based on the award-winning I Spy books written by Jean Marzollo and photo-illustrated by Walter Wick. From the very beginning, this program immerses players, just as the books do: as a train pulls into the station in the town of Smuggler's Cove, the point-of-view is from inside the passenger car, looking out the window. Once off the train, this quaint seaside town with a secret is yours to explore. Potential riddle spots reveal themselves when a cursor sweep causes an object to respond with movement and sound. A tackle box, a deserted ruin, and a lighthouse are just a few of the 20 spots ripe for discovery. Scenes change swiftly, considering the vast amount of detail each contains. When explorers find a riddle area, a cluttered panorama appears onscreen and a child's voice reads the sentence below that always begins with the phrase "I spy...." Then players must find and click on the objects listed in the sentence. This isn't as easy as it seems; for example, finding three "fours" sounds simple, right? But the task gets complex when one numeral is hidden in the grain of a wooden tabletop, the other is written out in letters on a menu, and the third is a pair of dice showing a three and a one.

Successfully finding all the "I Spy" items in a scene yields a scrap of a treasure map. But building the map doesn't automatically reveal the treasure--that'd be out of keeping with this game's complex character. There are three different treasure-hunting scenarios, and each requires gathering a completely different set of clues around the town of Smuggler's Cove. The attention to detail that the books are famous for is abundantly present here: sound permeates the different "sets," from waves breaking on the shore, to the slow tick of a clock in the general store. Find and click on a skull-and-crossbones--it scowls and growls. Find and click on an oil lamp--it flares up briefly and then goes out with a delicate puff of smoke. And no, you can't cheat by just holding down the mouse button and scanning over a picture hoping to hit a required item. I Spy Treasure Hunt is a wonderfully absorbing program that slyly sneaks in a vast amount of learning. Mapping, reading, rhyming, and problem solving occur incidentally as players are drawn into the mysteries of Smuggler's Cove. And it's the only program we've ever encountered that elegantly illustrates that "four" and "4" and "." + "..." all equal the same thing. (Ages 6 to 10) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (39)

A Treasure to Find!
After playing I Spy Haunted Mansion at the Musuem of Science, my nephews and I purchased it at Amazon.com. It was a great game. But the Treasure Hunt is even better, and why....3 games. When you finish the first, you have two more to go. We love the I spy books, and even own a I spy board game. All my nieces and nephews play the PC game. Their ages are from 7-11. All have had fun with it. I've played too!! I love it. None of them have found it too easy. There are just enough complicated hidden treasures to make it the..."Auntie Lynn, can you help me find this?". I would highly recommend this PC game. I can't wait for the next!!

Game play over in 3 days
I am very disappointed in this product, especially after reading all the rave reviews.

My son recieved I Spy Treasure Hunt for Christmas and, within 3 days (one game each day) he played all the game scenarios. I disagree with the reviewers who state that although there are only 3 games, the games are all different. It is true that the clues (riddles) are different, and the player has to find different items to get to the treasure map. However, the pictures are the same in each game and are easily memorized from looking for the hidden objects in a previous game. Once the hidden objects are located, the treasure is easily found because there are only three treasure maps. The child will be able to know exactly where the treasure is depending which map is being constucted as riddles are solved.

Kids love the product theme, and the game has potential for being fun for all ages. I hope Scholastic updates this product to include more scenarios for longer-lasting gameplay.

Bottom line: Boring after 3 games. Not worth the money. However, Scholastic has a good customer satisfaction guarantee!

Great game
This is the best game of the three software titles, very challenging and fun. Both of my daughters love to play it and solve the puzzles. Good value for the money.

Fun Game!
This is a fun game for little kids. My grandchildren (ages 4, 7 and 8) totally enjoy it. Yes, they do eventually play all the games and hear all the clues, but when they've not played it for a while, they enjoy going back to it. It's colorful and a bit challenging when they first get it. It doesn't take long for the older ones to master it, but they still enjoy playing it. I'd recommend this game.

witty, educational and entertaining!
Good visual design, witty writing, well chosen music---a good exercise for the imagination! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Kids (ages 5 to 7) discover core learning skills in this delightful age-appropriate learning environment featuring Reader Rabbit and friends. Find and repair the Dreamship before pilfering pirates get their first. While traveling to and exploring Mount CheesEmore Island, kids adventure through seven fun activities full of discovery and gooey cheese. Along the way, Reader Rabbit and friends cover grammar, reading, science, fractions, telling time, and more. It's a thrilling and filling adventure.

Reader Rabbit 2nd Grad 2002 is part of the award-winning Reader Rabbit children's educational software series. Learning activities include Insect Builder Science, Fondue Falls Vocabulary, and Final Duel Fractions. Kids also enjoy this title's fun music, stories, movies, and characters, while the program's progress reports let parents see just where their child is advancing and where they might need some help.

So that you're never without Reader Rabbit, Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade 2002 comes with the bonus CD-ROM Reader Rabbit's Dreamship Tales. It's bursting with added activities, videos, tunes, and more than 100 printable games and activities--a great way to keep the fun going after you've turned the computer off. ... 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

Amazon.com Review

When a bat named Batney Ears started singing like Britney Spears, not only were we hooked--we also learned about echolocation. JumpStart: Animal Adventures is a lush mix of entertainment and education that does detailed justice to the wild world of animals.

The program starts with the news that Habitat magazine is looking for kids who love animals to enter a contest. To fill out the four contest-entry forms, kids must explore a temperate forest, an African savanna, a rain forest, and a tide pool to gather animal information, photographs, and points. Each habitat has three screens, with gorgeous graphics and rich, ambient sound. Leafcutter ants, elephants, crabs, and 37 other creatures gladly share information about themselves and their environment. Clicking on certain animals will yield a catchy video (imagine crabs sounding like Green Day as they sing about limb regeneration) and games.

The games, which can be adjusted to three difficulty levels, give this program a seamless feel, adding depth to the educational experience. For example, when kids click on a beaver, the beaver launches into a detailed explanation of why it builds dams. The beaver then invites players to cut trees for a dam, adding that they must be small trees because beavers can't move larger ones. After the correct trees are gnawed down, kids can complete the dam by fitting the downed trees into a dam-shaped puzzle. After that, they're invited to gather mud from the riverbank, then help the beaver use his tail to pack the mud into the dam. Your child will play four games, hone spatial and sorting skills, and develop an in-depth understanding of the phrase "busy as a beaver." And this is just one animal in a program that has dozens of creatures to learn from.

Goal-oriented kids will love relentlessly progressing toward the various rewards the program offers, culminating in a quiz show called "The Animal Smarts Game" that can be played alone, or with a friend. Free-form exploration is also an option. We were impressed with the way JumpStart: Animal Adventures immersed us in exotic environments, and treated games as a teaching tool instead of an afterthought. (Ages 4 and older) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The GREAST Game-Education Program I Have seen in a long time
This is a Jump Start Title - they make only the best! However, this one the Jump Start Animal Adventures - is very easy to use -I help at a day care center - in the computer department - working with three, four and five year olds on the computers - they went wild over this title - the graphics are great the music is great - it still uses the mouse for picture taking but in the games the introduction to the use of the arrow keys and the space bar is a nice, very nice touch. It has got "just the right balance of knowledge learning and game fun - the three skill levels are great with this added touch all children can progress at their own speed - I have a five year old, girl, whos birthday came at the wrong time of the year last year for her to go to kindergarten this last year - she is playig it on level 3 and loves it - she really loves the "Animal Smarts" game at the end. I also have a four year old boy who is at the same level as my five year old girl. Yes, I must admit, I am the five year old girl's Grandmother as well as I have her in my computer class at day care - Buy this - you will "NOT" be SORRY - Thank you!

Fantastic fun and games
This is a first rate game. My two boys, ages 3& 5 drive me nuts asking to play all the time. The vocbulary lessons are first rate. The music catches their attention and they sing along with the songs. The information is wonderful and requires them to use abstract thinking skills. There are crafts, stickers and a certificate. Lots of well thought out programing went into this game.

Great Game!
I bought this game for my 3 yr old. He LOVED it. Not only did he really enjoy playing it, he learned a great deal from it as well. A few months back, he broke the CD and has not been able to play it. He still talks about things that he has learned through that game. I finally decided to come back and purchase another one for him. Good buy!

All time favorite in our house!
My kids have learned SO Much from this game. I had low expectations but this far surpassed them! We have used Jumpstart software from the toddler level all the way to 2nd grade, and this is the all time favorite.

Both my 4 yo and 6 yo learned a great deal about animals and their habitats, their diets and so forth, more than I knew! The games are fun and action packed enough for my 4 yo boy. The crafts and printouts are very motivating.

All around, Jumpstart has a winner with this program.

Amazing Animal Adventures
My son received this software for his 5th B-day. He loves it. The first day I had to sit with him. Some of the games can be difficult for a novice computer user. This software has taught him more about the food chain. It teaches about sorting into different groups, based on where the animal lives or the animals that eat meat vs. vegetables. My son was already very interested in animals and this has already taught him (and mom)a lot of vocabulary. This is great software for kids interested in animals and science. However, this should not be their only resource into the world of animals. ... Read more

Features

• You'll use realistic weapons and combat as you fight your way through intense combat missions
• Choose from a variety of real military weapons from machine guns to sniper rifles
• You'll also pilot authentic military ground & air assault vehicles
• Challenging AI makes the completion of missions a test of your skills & will to survive every time
• Engage in deadly Close Quarters Combat and long-range sniper fire

Features

• View the sky from anywhere on Earth or blast off and visit locations 20,000 light years away
• Learn how to identify planets, stars, and constellations; new weekly sky-gazing suggestions
• LiveSky panel lets you see up-to-date images of the Sun and Earth
• Locate objects easily with 'Find' command; create your own movies and images
• More than 2.5 hours of movies, on both CD-ROM and bonus DVD

Reviews (6)

Underwhelmed!
Maybe it is because this is the base version but I have mixed feelings about this program. I loaded it into my laptop and at first I thought that was neat since I had the sky at my fingertips, it shows the planets, constellations, many stars. Just punch in your location and date and there is the sky duplicated on the laptop. And I like a number of features. Fast forward and turn the sun on and off, sun comes up and goes down. It has lots of information - all neat.

But then when I got out the telescope I went for a couple of books. My general feeling is that yes it is neat but maybe just a toy. So when I got a new computer I did not bother transferring the program. More of a toy, not a great tool and like all toys you lose interest fast. For the serious astronomer or telescope user just use a Miller Planisphere - it is the sky on a 10" circular disc with a sliding cover elliptical hole. You rotate the cover to the date and time and it shows the shy through the open elliptical hole. That gives a similar level of detail. For more information - go to a reference book. Maybe the program has some appeal in teaching where the novelty factor might generate or keep the interest of the students.

Jack in Toronto

I'm satisfied... totally.
I know that some people seem to have had a bad experience with Space Holdings, but I have ordered both directly from them and also from Amazon before and was satisfied with both previous transactions. I will concur that they seem to have some internal communication issues and that the people you may talk to on the phone don't seem to have a very good handle on things... at least when you consider that they actually work for the company. It kind of feels like you've called someone's house and their 4yo kid picked up the phone. Trying to get Mommy or Daddy on the phone at that point can be tricky.

While I can't speak to the quality of other similar products (Red Shift, TheSky, etc.), I can say that I have been VERY happy with Starry Night. Having been a Starry Night Backyard user since version 3.0, I can say that it was worth my upgrade to 4.0 and then again to 4.5 (Enthusiast). I am now using 4.5.2 on my Apple TiBook running Mac OS X 10.3.2. The product is satisfactory to me in every way, and really lacks nothing that I use for amateur observation of the sky. I thoroughly enjoy it personally.

Additionally, I enjoy it professionally. I teach astronomy at a public high school with over 1400 students. I see about 130 of those students each year enrolled in astronomy. We use Starry Night Backyard (version 4.0.5) running on Mac OS X (10.2.8) as a part of the curriculum that I have developed. I have been totally satisfied with it as an educator.

Obviously I'm runnning all this on a Mac and the same was true with my version 3.0 (though that was on Mac OS 9). It could be that this product does not run as well on a Windows machine, but that can be said of a great many things. If you decide to get it, though, I would recommend is getting it from Amazon or some other source than directly from Space Holdings. Not only do they charge full retail price for the product, but because they're in Canada, the shipping is outrageous.

Don't buy from Space Holdings
This product crashed my machine, which is a new Dell Inspiron laptop running Windows XP. There customer service is dismal. After four emails and no response, I returned the product and stopped the payment on my credit card, indicating that it was fraudulently represented as a functional product. They have the worst customer support I've ever experienced. Buy something else.

Incredible program!
My husband and my two sons have been hunched over the computer for days, leaping up to go outside and look at the sky. Each time they come in, one of them says, "What a cool program!" before going back to the computer. My 12 year old, who is grounded at the moment, hasn't even complained about being limited to "smart games" on the computer because this is one of the programs he's allowed to use. They're all Astronomy enthusiasts anyway - the sort who will set the alarm for 3am to go out and see a comet. I couldn't say if the software would only appeal to that type. But I wish you could see these guys! They're competing with each other to see if they can come up with yet another fact or software functionality that will out-do what the others have found. They're already talking about getting the advanced version of the program - but this one will take them quite a ways, so there isn't any hurry. I just wish I could rate it more than five stars!

Best introduction to astronomy
Starry Night makes the sky look so real that its almost like being outside. By far the most realistic astronomy program i have used. All the planets have high resolution images and there are over 100 color images of deepsky objects. If you want more objects you can get their PlusPak #2 which adds 11 000 more images to the sky. You also get a DVD with about 2 hours of movies, an astronomy book! and users guide. Its so much fun to use this software! Now i need a telescope... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

No Save Feature
The graphics are very good. This is a game that requires a lot of planning and memorizing keypad commands, but this can be fun once you've learned your way around.

The huge con: No Game Save feature. You can spend lots of time getting nowhere. Wanna buy mine?

Disappointing port of an okay sequel
Having played all of the previous Rainbow Six games, I was glad to see Raven Sheild available just as I got a new g5. It's just as carefully put together and realistic as the previous versions, if not better. The AI has clearly improved, but there were few other major improvements since the last release. The big, showstopping flaw? The Mac port does not allow netplay against PC users. Get Ghost Recon instead, or UT 2004.

Mac's Kick ass again!
Clancy does it again folks and if your lucky enough to be playing this game on the new Mac G-5 with a top of the line Graphics card (128 pro) get ready for the best gaming expierence their is out there. Puts any PC availible to absolute shame. Top of the line graphics as well as super fast game play and no freeze up no matter how much ass kickin you do. Turn on the options on MAX and enjoy it the way it was meant to be done.

Another Hit!
Yet again, the Tom Clancy franchise has had another success!! I got this game a few days ago, and havn't been able to stop playing it! I havn't done much with Single Player, but the Multiplayer is simply kick ass! A huge array of weaponry, great maps, and good overall gameplay. If you loved any of the previous R6's, of Ghost Recon, you are sure to love this.

Good fun game, But better with the PC
First off I have to say that the PC version is about 1,000 times better with the best multiplayer, graphics, and fun factor over poor old Mac. However the Mac version does sport some good visuals and even the same rag doll physics as PC. Way, Way to easy to die but that is the way it is in real life and Tom Clancy won't be making anything that isn't the most realistic in the shooter franchise. Good plot, Decent Graphics, Not to Mention Domingo "Ding" Chavez a.k.a. coolest sniper ever! But if you own a Mac for gaming there is something wrong with you so buy this game if you are a moderate fan because sadly, if you want the best computers have to offer Billy Gates will always be the one with the goods. ... 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

Amazon.com Review

It's not easy being a child of a god. Your character quickly comes tothis conclusion after being imprisoned and tortured by a wizard with anunhealthy interest in your parentage. So begins Baldur's Gate II: Shadows ofAmn, an ambitious role-playing game based on the Advanced Dungeons &Dragons game.

Shadows of Amn is not really a sequel to Baldur's Gate. Instead,Baldur's Gate was merely a prelude to Shadows of Amn. Shadows ofAmn develops the plot lines, characters, and events introduced in the firstgame into a mature, genuinely interesting fantasy tale. Players who thought theoriginal game shallow will be pleasantly surprised by Shadows of Amn'sbold story arcs. Major events are afoot, and the characters' choices have a realimpact on the Forgotten Realms.

In the same way, Baldur's Gate served as a proving ground for the refinedgame mechanics evident in Shadows of Amn. The game's artificialintelligence has been vastly improved, and players have many more choices forNPC AI scripts and party communication. Keeping with Shadows of Amn's moremature theme, the party interaction even includes possible love interests foryour character.

Those who played through the original Baldur's Gate can import theircharacter into Shadows of Amn, or can choose to create a new character.Character kits such as the Mageslayer and Swashbuckler add variety, and the gameeven includes the Monk, Sorcerer, Barbarian, and Half-Orc options from the newDungeons & Dragons 3rdEdition rules. Whether you import an old character or create a new one,you'll begin the game as a fairly advanced character--unlike most RPGs, youwon't have to spend hours slaying puny critters and instead are plunged into ahigh-stakes plot against powerful foes.

A strong plot backed by strong technology makes Shadows of Amn stand outas one of the best RPGs we've ever played. Fans of AD&D will love the classicAD&D feel, and fans of the popular Forgotten Realms setting will delight in thepeople, places, and politics found in Shadows of Amn. --MichaelFehlauer

Pros:

• High-level power gaming
• Quality voice work
• Improves the already great Baldur's Gate interface
• Character kits and D&D 3rd Edition races and classes add variety
• Advances the plot begun in Baldur's Gate

• Based on obsolete AD&D 2nd Edition rules
• Character animations are stiff
• Player's character starts out less powerful than other party members

Reviews (9)

Greatest of the Great
Now that Baldurs Gate 2 is out, I have built another temple in my backyard in which to place it at night. By day i sing praters and hymns in the temple and then at noon i begin my most pleasureful pastime... Baldurs Gate Baby.
On a more serious note. I've been a DM for fourteen years and this is the closest thing to heaven for a RPG buff. I put it up on my TSR/WOTC game shelf next to Eye of the Beholder, Dragon Strike, Legends of Valor, The Summoning and Veil of Darkness (NTW if you know and have played all these games. U ROCK!)
This game unlike Final Fantasy is what RPGing is all about PERIOD

Not made for X
This game is incredibe, although it's game-play is a little slower than Diablo II, the story is rich and you have many choices, but be warned! When you play this USE OS9, NOT OSX. On OSX the movements become choppy and can slow down because this game was made for 9, not X.

As good as it gets ...
It had been a long, long wait for the original Baldur's Gate to come to the Mac, and when it finally did come, it proved to be a fine RPG, albeit with a few too many more or less empty areas to traverse (unless you consider killing wild dogs and wolves highly thrilling). However, where the game truly disappointed was in its buggy performance--unexpected quits were frequent before the first patches arrived, and during the exceedingly long save & load times you could basically go to the kitchen and fix yourself a sandwich (and eat it, too).

All of this has changed in BG II. Loading & saving is swift--if you are in a tough battle and have to try different approaches (or avert disaster), you will find frequent reloads fast and feasible. If you have enough hard disk space to perform a full install, these processes will execute even faster. The game is also blissfully stable, at least in Mac OS 9 (I was able to run it well enough in OS X, but didn't like the screen resolutions it offers for this game). Also nice is the option to play BG II at 800x600 resolution, making for a nice, wide view of the areas or battlefields. As far as gameplay is concerned, one very noticeable improvement is in the pathfinding--characters will now squeeze past their fellow party members to get to their destinations. No longer will your frail mages who happened to end up in the front line get pounded in tight spots, while the burly warriors are stuck in the back.

The game offers a very involved plot with plenty of subplots (although the availability of some of these depends on the kind of character you play), and the main storyline progresses a little more tightly than in the first BG. A very nice touch is the strong interaction with--and among--your party members. They will bicker, flirt, and even fall in love with you or one another. This is no mere atmospheric touch--when a character really doesn't get along with the others, you may have to consider sending them off on their own way because the infighting can get pretty ugly. Anyone who has had Viconia, Jaheira, and Aerie in their party will know what I mean. Alignment matters here in more than one way, as well: evil characters may have spells available that will specifically target good creatures (and they will in turn be harmed by some 'good' spells), so if you maintain a mixed bunch, you may have to avoid using certain magicks or some of your party members may get hurt more than wicked enemies!

Some quests are initiated by characters approaching your party members (in friendly or unfriendly ways) rather than you, although whether to accept the tasks involved is up to you--just be aware that some characters will leave if they have truly pressing business to take care off. The dialog and voice acting is superb throughout. All of this enhances the feeling of immersion in a complex world that happens all around you.

Magical items, including weapons, armour, rings, scrolls, and more, are by far more numerous than in BG II (but not as ubiquitous as in Diablo II), and after a while, your characters should have collected a choice selection of equipment.

What truly amazed me about this game is how many different ways often present themselves to deal with certain situations ... from clever magicks to brute force to diplomacy ... more than once, mercy and compassion are rewarded more than quick arrows, swords, and fireballs--making battle altogether unnecessary.

For those who feel that having equipment repaired by blacksmiths in Diablo was already a tedium, BG II may prove too fussy as far as character maintenance goes (not to mention that combat is also a pretty complex affair--the space bar, which pauses the action, will become your best friend) ... but if you think micro-managing a diverse party of adventurers with widely different talents is to die for, BG II will have you in a swoon. Oh, by the way, it looks pretty as the night sky in August, too!

A Fantastic Game, So Many Possibilities...
Baldur's Gate 2 by far is one of the best games made to date. The game is so amazingly in-depth, you character can actually fall in love and almost every action that you do has a reaction, granted there is only one real path in the game. There are so many little variations in the way you can play the game. Also you have the choice to be good or evil, which is fun because you can do things in the game that you wish you could in life (kill those annoying people). However, I didn't give this five stars because I had some problems with the application, it was slow on certain areas and sometimes quit for no apparent reason. I am almost sure it is not my computer because I run Baldur's Gate 2 on Mac OSX on a Quicksilver G4, 867Mzh with 1.5 Gb of Ram (I did find out something very interesting; My main party was on my G4, with OSX. And I created an evil party on my laptop which was running with far less Mhz and Ram but it was using Mac OS9 and it ran perfectly. So I would recommend that if you buy this game you use OS9). I even went to the point of allocating over one gigabyte of memory to the application, and it made little difference. Over all this game is quite amazing, it has so many possibilities, I was sad to see it end. It is well worth the money, over 50 hours of great game play!

The game is slow in more than one way
After playing a lot of Diablo II, I was looking for something that might require a bit more strategy and skill. (I used to play lots of RPGs.) While you will find this in Balder's Gate II, I found the pace of the game very slow. Perhaps Diablo II has conditioned me to expect a faster paced RPG. Just be forewarned. Also, Balder's Gate II was supposed to address some of the player's complaints about the slow pace of Balder's Gate I, but little has changed with Balder's Gate II.

Note, I've been playing Balder's Gate II with OSX 10.1.1 on a G4-450 with 384 MB of RAM and a 32 MB Radeon. The game is very sluggish, even when reducing the game resolution, etc. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Graced with the most adorable voice since the animated Linus, Mercer Mayer's Little Critter has become one of the most popular interactive storybook characters around. In this classic title, L.C. and his Dad head off on a multimedia camping trip that features dozens of clickable images, merry songs, and a 22-minute, Critter-made video.The staying power of this quiet, technically unremarkable CD-ROM lies in the consistent, reassuring message it delivers. On each page, there are both adorable clickables (dancing chipmunks, sunbathing mice) and surprising and/or spooky ones (volcanic eruptions, rearing sharks, burning logs that launch skyward like rockets). As well, Little Critter's own internal world is a mixture of eager joy (tents! hiking boots!) to huge, looming fear (of the legendary "Big Paw"). In the company of his dad for the weekend, however, Little Critter undergoes an important shift. By story's end, his fearfulness has been gently replaced by newfound confidence and acceptance. A must-have classic for all families. (Ages 3-8) --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Just Me and My Dad
This item is rated for 3-7 years old. However with this age group it does not automatically run when placed in the CD Drive. This make it impossible for the younger this age group is to use on their own. It seems an auto run command should be used on software used for children to provide them with hassle free use of the product.
If it does't run what use is it no matter who the writer is. I have Windows 2000.

doesn't work on XP
Just me and my Dad is an excellent children's book, and this software version does an excellent job of reading it. I bought it mainly to help my 5 year old son learn to read, and I find it very useful. However, it gave me tremendous frustration at first when I couldn't get it to run at all on my one year old Windows XP machine. I own many children's software, such as the Magic school bus series, Jump Start, Reader Rabbit, DK software, and other Living Book series such as the Cat in the Hat, and they all run well or at least partially on my machine. This one doesn't open AT ALL, and every trick I used that worked in the past failed. Luckily, I was able to borrow a friend's computer with Windows 98, and it runs beautifully. My son particularly likes the little movie on it. It is surprisingly well done and captivates his attention. Highly recommended for those who can downgrade.

Grandma & Me at the Beach
Someone purchased this cd by Mercer Mayer for me. My grandson who is 3 years old today just loves this story. He also enjoys the stickers and playing in the sand. I have looked all over the place for other cds by Mercer Mayer along the same line. Everyone seems to have heard of them but do not know where to purchase them. Could you help me with this. How many cds does Mercer Mayer have besides Grandma & Me at the beach and Just me and my Dad.

Lots of fun!
My 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year olds both love this one. A fun story with lots of funny hidden surprises. Only one complaint: the movie shows up too small. Otherwise it's perfect.

Terrific interactive story!
Little Critter is a sweet, sometimes mischevious, well behaved little critter. In this story, Little Critter and his dad go camping. The software is easy to play with and each page is loaded with fun things to click on. It also contains the hidden animated image then will have your child laughing when he or she pushes the button. All of the Mercer Mayer software, Me and My Mom and Me and My Grandmom plus the books and even movies are terrific. This is a great piece of software to read with your child. Girls will also enjoy it. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Features

• Everything the experienced astronomy enthusiast needs to explore the universe
• Enhanced observation planner lets you create detailed lists of targets
• New observation logs to store notes, times, sky conditions, equipment used, and images on targets
• Equipment list allows you to store all scopes, eyepieces, binoculars, and accessories
• View up-to-date images of the Sun and Earth from ground and space-based observatories

Reviews (4)

MyMac.com Product Review
I love looking up at the stars, but trying to find constellations, planets, and other celestial objects has always escaped me. Except for maybe Venus and the big and little dipper, I am mostly useless at finding these objects. And I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at a bright object in the sky and said, "What is that?" So a chance to play with Starry Night Pro, self-proclaimed as "the world's most realistic astronomy software" sounded like a great opportunity.

Starry Night Pro Plus comes packed with a number of different items in the box. First was the Starry Night Pro CD that installs on both Windows and Mac computers. In addition, 2 "PlusPaks" CDs were included. PlusPak 1 adds additional Mars, Moon, and Earth high-resolution planet-surface and horizon images as well as a 16-minute mini-movie. PlusPak 2 adds 11,000 additional galaxy, nebula and star cluster images as well as 10 additional Milky Way images. Also included in the plus box was a DVD called "Atlas of the Sky" which contains more than 2 1/2 hours of original movies showing some amazing images and visualizations of astronomical objects and phenomena. An additional CD was included in box, which is also called "Atlas of the Sky" and is a multimedia CD similar to the DVD that installs as an option into the program. Additionally, 2 books are included. The first, Starry Night Companion is a 240-page guide to better understanding the night sky while using the Starry Night program, but is not a User's manual. Instead, it includes Astronomy Basics, Observational Advice, info on Earth's Celestials Cycles, and info on our solar system and deep space constellations. The other book is the 168-page User's Guide to using the program. I can see before I start that this is not going to be a trivial program to learn. Time to install the software.

Starry Night is big and has high system requirements. You will need OS 10.1 or greater to us this program, and at least 1 GB of free disk space to install. This is not a typo! If you install all the additional packs and CDs, reserve at least 2 GB! The application alone is 557 MB, and if you choose to install the multimedia movies, add an additional 600 MB of space. The PlusPaks will also require about 500 MB of additional disk space each to install as well. Installing was easy, just insert the Starry Night CD and click on the Install icon. The installer does the rest. You will need QuickTime 6.0 or later to run Starry Night, so install that if not already on your computer. After accepting the license and choosing where you want the software to install, sit back and relax for a while, as there are nearly 6000 files to be installed for the main program. This will take some time, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your computer. If adding the PlusPacks, add another 10 to 15 minutes or longer to install each of those as well (PlusPak #2 installs nearly13,000 files!) After installing the software, you can then install the Starry Night Multimedia content as well. And although these installers ask for an install location, where they actually put the files was a mystery to me until I rebooted and noted that the StarryNight application "container" for the main application was now close to 2 GB in size. Obviously all files are installed inside the main application container, keeping the install very clean actually.

One final note, if installing version 4.5, there is a 4.5.2 update available from the StarryNight website that should be run before using this software.

While memory requirements are not spelled out, and it ran fine on my 1 GB PowerBook with 5 other programs running, but some animation was not so smooth in this mode. So, the more memory the better, and for best results, run it alone with no other apps running.

Also note that while using this on a PowerBook (or laptop) seems the most logical choice for outside star gazing, the power saving modes of the PowerBooks while running on batteries caused sporadic and jumpy animations and updates. To make things smoother while on batteries, go to the System Preferences and open the Energy Saver panel. Under "Settings for:" select "Battery Power" and then under "Processor Performance:" select "Automatic" for some improvement t. For even better performance, select "Highest" under performance but note that this will use your battery charge up considerably faster than normal, resulting in less than half your normal battery time. Do not forget to set this back to "reduced" or "automatic" when done with the program. (I would love to see Apple add a setting in Energy Saver that allows you list programs that run at a specified processor performance while running on batteries automatically.)

Rest of review at http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=1732

Awesome Software!
You can't go wrong with Starry Night Pro Plus. I've used 7-8 other programs, but I keep coming back. Nothing else matches the features, ease of use and power of this package. Worth many times the asking price for everything you get. You won't be disappointed!

Awesome tool for astronomers of any level
I was first exposed to Starry Night with a "feebie" version included with my first telescope. Later I upgraded a few times and now regularly use Starry Night Pro Plus. What a fantastic tool! I can plan out my evening of star gazing, including printing out charts! A neat feature is the ability to have the program calculate the actual viewing area of my telescope with any of the eyepieces I regularly use, plus I can print them out in the correct orientation for viewing through the telescope.

On raining or cloudy nights, I can still enjoy the stars with this package. Movie clips, star patterns, DSO, planets, it's all in there with Starry Night. This software is worth every penny, and then some!

Wow!
I have been an avid stargazer for 30 years and a previous happy owner of an older version of Starry Night software I bought 4 years ago. I recently bought the new 4.5 version of Pro Plus and was astounded that software I already loved so much was brought so far forward. The user interface has been substantially upgraded and I have started to put in my own photos of my favorite viewing spots near the Florida Everglades. While I was admittedly a little challenged by some of the customization instructions, I found the customer support group to be very knowledgable and responsive. Bring it on Starry Night! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Can't beat this suite of diverse and creative games
I really can't say enough about this package of creative games: Bugdom 2, Cro-Mag Rally, Billy Frontier, Enigmo, and Otto Matic. Each game has its own style and theme; the diversity is outstanding. All of them demonstrate the same quality of graphics, music and versatility of action as the original Bugdom. Since I loved that software, this package wasn't a hard sell for me. Brian Greenstone of Austin, Texas is the owner of Pangea Software which recently incorporated in 1999. He contracts artists and musicians, so it makes sense that some of the products in this package have a distinct look and feel. The background style, weaponry, and action of Bugdom 2 and Otto Matic, are reminiscent of Bugdom, yet the games are different enough that they have an element of excitement, mystery and surprise. I was drawn into each new level of each game with "so, what's going to happen here?!" I love games with a quest and I love exploring new frontiers within each level. All of the games were rated high by the gaming magazines and most have downloadable demos on the internet for folks to sample before investing in the pack. All in all, the total price for each game purchased separately is $115, so the Super Pack is quite the bargain. I can't imagine how many hours of great exploration this package might offer. It would be a great gift for older children on travel with their laptops (ok, with their parent's laptops!).

Bugdom 2 revolves around Skip, the grasshopper (at least I think that's what it is) who loses his knapsack to a bad bug right in the opening scene. On his quest to retrieve his sack he has adventures with snails, friendly talking chipmunks, white rats caught in mouse traps, water toys, and garden gnomes (you know, those ugly little statues in English gardens). There's even more bad and good bugs, but that should give you a flavor for this rich and varied landscape. I had trouble sewer-surfing and still haven't mastered the last few levels, but found this game to be equal to the original in fun and required skill.

Otto Matic is a space nightmare over ten different planets or levels. The Giant Brain from Planet X is determined to take over the universe and the player, in the form of an otto matic robot, of course, is out to save humans and escape in his/her rocket ship (Thanks, Brian Greenstone, for not making this one gender -specific). There are 25 different space creatures and many different weapons in this colorful and action-packed game. The robot tries his/her hand at skiing, riding soap bubbles, bumper cars, and being shot out of a cannon, but that's not all. Very cool game with loads of diverse settings and tasks to master.

Cro-Mag Rally is a series of race courses involving a caveman in different vehicles. He avoids obstacles and picks up weapons like bone bombs and bottle rockets. Two players can be displayed on a split screen; multi-players can play over the internet (but the last is only supported by OS 9 and won't work with OS X). I'm not a race fan, so this one didn't appeal to me that much. Key driven only, this game doesn't use the mouse. I didn't like the voice or music in Cro-Mag Rally either, so I guess it just wasn't for me.

Billy Frontier is different altogether from the games already mentioned. It has a strong cowboy theme and the enemies are space creatures. Maybe it's better to kill a space monster, but the game does involve squirting blood... over and over as the player masters the keystrokes to win. I wouldn't recommend it to kids and was even a little grossed out myself. Target practice involves replicating arrow key sequences within the time allowed. The action is keyboard driven only; like Cro-Mag Rally, there's no mouse here. There's also stampedes, duels, and shootouts requiring different levels of skill and a repeating theme with chili peppers. The look and feel of the game is totally distinct from Bugdom, Otto Matic, or even Cro-Mag Rally, so it offers interest, a distinct change of pace, and a totally new challenge to the player.

Enigmo is still even more different. The action in this game requires logic and experimentation in solving 50 levels of liquid puzzles. Each level involves droplets of liquid (water, oil or lava) and a variety of tools (including bumpers, slides, accelerators and/or sponges). The object of each level is to combine the objects in a manner to capture the droplets in a repository or repositories. It's an amazing challenge given the configuration from "drip" to "bucket." I loved trying to figure out which tools to use where and the variety of combinations that were possible. I'm told that players can even make their own puzzles and post them on the internet or email them to friends. The game includes an additional 20 levels for kids; I could see the educational value right away. Very different and very cool! Excellent exercise in logical thinking for all ages.

Each game has different system requirements, but for all games to run, the user must have Macintosh GS3/400mhz, 256MB RAM, Mac OS 10.2.6, and ATI Rage 128 3D accelerator. Most computers since 2000 meet these requirements, but be sure to check. Pangea is also great in supplying free updates to its products.

Great Fun!
This is a good deal on some of Pangea's most popular titles. I'd rate each game like this: 1) Otto Matic -- best game of the bunch, extremely creative, somewhat challenging, though it seems to be written with kids in mind, hence not too tough, great graphics. 2) Enigmo -- fantastic puzzle game, never seen anything quite like it. Very challenging, especially if you try to beat the clock and get the bonus points, great graphics. 3) Bugdom 2 -- also extremely creative, easier than Otto Matic to complete, suitable for kids, great graphics. 4) Cro Mag Rally -- this was ok, I'm not a fan of racing games, but it's very suitable for someone looking for a cartoonish racing game. 5) Billy Frontier -- This game was mediocre and I would've rather see some other game included in the collection instead of this one. Besides average game play, I didn't care for the spewing blood that frequents the Billy Frontier experience and stands in stark contrast to Pangea's record of making fun, yet psychologically sound games. I contacted Pangea, and they said there's no way to turn off the blood effects which makes Billy Frontier, imho, unsuitable for children or anyone with a sense of humanity 8-) --------------------------------------- Overall, it's a nice collection at a reasonable price. Each game ran perfectly at max settings on my 1.25gz G4 Power Mac running 10.2.6 w/ 768 MB of memory. My only other complaint is also part compliment. Of the games I liked, which was 4 out of 5, I found each game a bit short and left me wishing for more. 10 levels on Otto Matic is not nearly enough! ... Read more