Dinosaur software (was Re: New Dinosaur Book)

[rowe (Mickey Rowe)]

Rene_Lim@maxtor.com writes:

>Does any of this books have a CD-ROM versions? Or anybody knows a
>good dino-encyclopedia CD_ROM, something that's doesn't have to be
>interactive but complete. I tried the one that Knowledge Adventure
>made but it's just purely interactive and does not have any search
>capabilities.

Unless there's a vastly improved newer version, the one by Knowledge
Adventure absolutely sucks (although it does have a limited search
capability via the card catalogue).  It's filled with so many errors
that it drove me nuts the last time I played with it (no, I didn't
give them any money--I had access to it in a museum).  What disturbed
me most of all was the claim on the outside of the package that said
something to the effect that it was "scientifically accurate".  I find
it hard to believe that anyone with better than a bad high school
biology course in their background even proofread any of what was
there--the authors of the program didn't even know what a dinosaur was
for G*d's sake!  Their story book contains such gems as "there were
dinosaurs that swam (pictures of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs).  And
dinosaurs that flew (picture of a pterosaur)".  Good move, guys!

In contrast, Microsoft Dinosaurs is a much better program (and I hate
to say this since I don't particularly like microsoft--but I'm not
really a very passionate person... honest :-) I'm sure that the
microsoft program has errors as well, but it was narrated by Don
Lessem, so you know that the errors are going to be harder for the
non-specialist to catch.  Despite the price difference, if you have
the capability to take advantage of both, go with Microsoft.  If you
don't have said capability, save your money until either you do, or
another option becomes available.

-- 
Mickey Rowe     (rowe@lepomis.psych.upenn.edu)