ABC World Reference 3D Atlas 97

Around the World in No Time!

A Review of ABC World Reference 3D Atlas 97

Brenda Prefling

We have many kinds of atlas’ in our home, as you probably do. We have book

atlas’, and some on CD, but none to compare with Creative Wonders newest

edition of the 3D Atlas 97. This is the updated version, with an online

access capability. It has other new features also such as full screen 3D

globes, beautiful photographs, video clips of time lapse photography, and

plenty of information on any country in this big world. It is truly a world

atlas!

This program has many areas to choose from, and it does take some time

to investigate each component. I had to sit down with the manual in front

of the computer, and go through the tutorial, to really figure out each

part. It is not an easy process. I do not think younger children would

have the patience to use this program. An adult or older child would need

to guide and investigate each part with them. Children from age 12 and

up might take the time and have the interest to investigate, if encouraged

by an adult. It took me some time to go over each area, and I only looked

at Switzerland.

For older children or adults doing research projects or just for their

own knowledge would certainly come away with an abundance of information

on any country they would choose. You can pick a country, enlarge the globe,

and see right where it is located on the planet. Then you can move the

globe in any direction to really get a clear idea of where that country

is located on the planet. The globe is shown sitting in space, and rotates

on its axis when you point the directional arrows. This is very well done,

and the rich music really adds to the whole picture.

In Switzerland I saw beautiful villages with houses and people. Different

views of their mountain ranges and landscape. The pictures were very sharp

and clear like looking at photographs. The graphics in the whole program

are truly exceptional. The pictures of the maps are very large, and you

can zoom in on them to see the detail. The zoom button is really neat,

for different areas of the globe also. I zoomed in on things whenever possible

for a really close up look.

Another interesting section is the Time Lapses. You can see the ozone hole

expand and shrink over Antarctica. See the effects of global warming on

a section of northern Germany. See how a volcano eruption spreads clouds

of ash on neighboring countries. Observe how the Aral Sea has shrunk by

over fifty percent. In addition, each one of these things has a narrator

explain this to you, and give extra information about the event. You can

take a 3D flight over mountain ranges with flight video, see movies about

the world’s biomes, visit some of the world’s famous cities and learn about

their landmarks, and hear stories about environmental issues from around

the world.

This is actually an encyclopedia of information with the added attraction

of maps, charts, globes, movies, sound clips and even a game for 1 to 3

players testing your knowledge about our world. I played the game by myself,

and was actually surprised at how much I knew about different countries,

flags and landmarks of the world. I think if I played the game even more

I would increase my knowledge! Children could play this game very easily

and have fun figuring out the answers. Especially if they like trivia type

games, like Jeopardy.

This program is not a simple click and point type interface. It does

take some practice and patience to discover how to use every aspect in

this atlas. If you sit down and take the time to really look it over, and

try each area, you will be richly rewarded with a wealth of knowledge about

all aspects of our great big world. If you have access to America Online

or Internet access you can also download map pins from the World Wide Web

on many topics for the places in the atlas. There is even a chat area to

talk to other people who are using 3D Atlas 97 and exchange information

with them. This is one of the best reference products I have ever seen.

There is no more excuse for us not to know about our world!

School House Scorecard

Product:	ABC World Reference 3D Atlas 97
Company:	Creative Wonders 595 Penobscot Drive Redwood City, CA 94063 Phone: 1-800-KID-XPRT Internet: www.cwonders.com
Cost:	$49.95

System Requirements:

IBM: 486, 8MB RAM, 2x CD-ROM, SVGA 640×480, 256 Colors, Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, mouse, sound card and speakers

MAC:68020,68030,68040 or PowerPC, 3MB Free RAM (Non-PowerPC), 3.5MB Free RAM (PowerPC), 2x CD-ROM, 640×480, 256 Colors or higher (Thousands recommended), System 7.1

Breakdown:

Ease of Use 4
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 4
Graphics 5
Sound 5

Overall Score: