<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Just like the good 'ol days
Review: For those of you who have fond memories of poring over Nat'l Geographic maps when you were younger and the world was a much bigger place and very exotic place, getting these CD's was like a trip down memory lane for me. I used to spend hours as a kid going over the maps in each issue when I was around 12 years old (and older), and I probably learned a lot about the world in the process.So when I saw this collection I purchased it. I haven't had a subscription to N.G. in 30 years, so I had some catching up to do. I found checking out all the new maps I had missed to be almost as much fun as when I was a kid, except now you can sort and search for them by topic and get info much more quickly using the CDs. The only downside to this is if you request a map that isn't on the current CD (and there are 8 of them), it will tell you you have to put in the right CD. Sometimes this means a certain amount of shuffling CDs when going back and forth between different maps. Nagivating around each map takes a little getting used to, and sometimes the print on the screen gets pretty tiny, but there is a magnification function so you can magnify anything you want and still read the articles on the maps. Overall a fun CD set to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with just like when you were a kid.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment
Review: NGMaps 2.0 is disappointing software. Yes every National Geographic Map is included but generally what you get is a collection of high quality scans. If you want maps that are searchable - because you want to find something! then this isn't for you. The database is lacking both consistancy and raw data. As an Australian I was amazed that some of our capital cities could not even be found.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: Say the word 'map' and most people's eyes glaze over instantaneously. When over 50% of entering freshmen at American universities claimed in 1990 that Mexico was *north* of the United States, educators across the country got extremely worried. National Geographic started lending a hand to secondary educators in an effort to promote basic geographic understanding. Of course, they'd already been doing something like that for years with their bi-monthly series of map inserts. National Geographic 'maps' have always been much more than a grid on the planet's surface. They've shown the impact of geography on societal development. Indeed, each map generally tied in with an article in that issue, and showed the impact of geography on whatever the theme of that article was. Maybe it would be the development of shipbuilding in Polynesia or the influence of the Church in Europe. This package of excellent software goes the printed map series one better by virtue of its medium. You have complete control over the maps in a way not possible with their print counterparts. Plus, there are a ton of multimedia extras which make the maps come alive. The ability to go anywhere in the world and study not only its present, physical and political geography, but to also see its historical and cultural development, is wholly addictive. I challenge anyone to start using this product and NOT walk away from it enlightened. For those shopping for the best geographical education software, it's worth mentioning that this product compares favorably to _Microsoft Encarta_. Unlike the more thematic offering here, _Encarta_ is a kind of multimedia almanac. It does not pretend to be an exhaustive collection of 100-odd years of cartographic understanding, but rather uses a map interface to frame encyclopediac information. It also allows you to 'corkboard' internet sites about the various geographic regions to the map interface. And it only has one disk, so you don't have to keep flipping back and forth. As such, it's a good, basic, workhorse software for learning about the present nature of the world. _National Geographic Maps_, by contrast, makes the world come alive by providing better maps and helping you remember the geographic content by overlaying some kind of theme. As such, _NGM_ is a better educational tool, and _Encarta_ is a more convenient simple reference tool. To be sure, the maps are better on _NGM_, but because of the number of CDs and _Encarta's_ better statistical analysis interface, _Encarta's_ more convenient for quick reference. Still, almost anyone would benefit from introducing _NGM_ to their software library. It's quite simply some of the most valuable time you could spend at your computer. I have only one hesitation about this product: it would be soooo much better on DVD. Flipping through CDs is sometimes laborious, especially if you're trying to follow one theme throughout several different geographic regions. Having it all, or mostly, on one disc would be a massive improvement to the product.
Rating: 
Summary: Geography at its best: you don't even have to refold the map
Review: Say the word 'map' and most people's eyes glaze over instantaneously. When over 50% of entering freshmen at American universities claimed in 1990 that Mexico was *north* of the United States, educators across the country got extremely worried. National Geographic started lending a hand to secondary educators in an effort to promote basic geographic understanding. Of course, they'd already been doing something like that for years with their bi-monthly series of map inserts. National Geographic 'maps' have always been much more than a grid on the planet's surface. They've shown the impact of geography on societal development. Indeed, each map generally tied in with an article in that issue, and showed the impact of geography on whatever the theme of that article was. Maybe it would be the development of shipbuilding in Polynesia or the influence of the Church in Europe. This package of excellent software goes the printed map series one better by virtue of its medium. You have complete control over the maps in a way not possible with their print counterparts. Plus, there are a ton of multimedia extras which make the maps come alive. The ability to go anywhere in the world and study not only its present, physical and political geography, but to also see its historical and cultural development, is wholly addictive. I challenge anyone to start using this product and NOT walk away from it enlightened. For those shopping for the best geographical education software, it's worth mentioning that this product compares favorably to _Microsoft Encarta_. Unlike the more thematic offering here, _Encarta_ is a kind of multimedia almanac. It does not pretend to be an exhaustive collection of 100-odd years of cartographic understanding, but rather uses a map interface to frame encyclopediac information. It also allows you to 'corkboard' internet sites about the various geographic regions to the map interface. And it only has one disk, so you don't have to keep flipping back and forth. As such, it's a good, basic, workhorse software for learning about the present nature of the world. _National Geographic Maps_, by contrast, makes the world come alive by providing better maps and helping you remember the geographic content by overlaying some kind of theme. As such, _NGM_ is a better educational tool, and _Encarta_ is a more convenient simple reference tool. To be sure, the maps are better on _NGM_, but because of the number of CDs and _Encarta's_ better statistical analysis interface, _Encarta's_ more convenient for quick reference. Still, almost anyone would benefit from introducing _NGM_ to their software library. It's quite simply some of the most valuable time you could spend at your computer. I have only one hesitation about this product: it would be soooo much better on DVD. Flipping through CDs is sometimes laborious, especially if you're trying to follow one theme throughout several different geographic regions. Having it all, or mostly, on one disc would be a massive improvement to the product.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful Geographic resource
Review: This collection, spanning the entire National Geographic Society's history, is a wonderfuly tool. Each and every map ever printed by the Society is here in perfect digital clarity. Though an excellent companion to their Complete National Geographic software, this product is great stand alone as well. National Geographic maps have long been invaluable resources to virtually everyone (Byrd carried one over the North Pole in '26, extensively utilized by the allies in WWII, etc.) and this software collects them all! While not as wholly geographically informative as a current National Geographic atlas, it is an excellent and cost effective substitute (it costs about half as much) which covers many things which the atlas does not. Ideally, everyone would own this, the Complete National Geographic, and a current National Geographic atlas. But, in this less than ideal world, this is a great product which deserves to be on everyone's computer.
<< 1 >>
| 
