I did encounter a couple of minor problems when installing the program. I have Windows 95 running on my computer. I also have the latest version of Real Player on my system, and during the installation they wanted to install an earlier version. I chose to keep my version, and after being a little persistent with my answer of keeping my version, the programs worked fine. A little bit of an inconvenience in my case was that since they only sent me 6 CD's of the program to review, I had to register all 6 individually. In all fairness, even though I could not see the necessity of this step, the final product is worth it! If you purchase the complete set, you can select the option Register the Complete National Geographic CD set. The last hurdle, was changing the settings on my monitor. I have a 17" monitor, and found that only about half of it was filled with the material. One of the system requirements is having it set at 640 x 480 resolutions x 256 colors. With systems now, this is almost antiquated! Other system requirements are: 486DX 33 MHZ processor, Windows 3.1 running under Dos 6.0 or higher or Windows 95 Version 1, 8 MB RAM, 10 MB free disk space, Standard AT-101 keyboard, Microsoft Compatible mouse, VESA Standard VGA, 640 x 480 resolution at 256 colors, Windows compatible sound card, Dual-speed CD-ROM, Optional: Printer (600 DPI or higher).

You will arrive in the Cover Gallery upon entering the program. You can click on the year or the table of contents to search. The searching methods are more numerous than in most programs and easily accessible. Once you have completed your search, click on the article name to access it directly. If you click on an article from another decade that you have already registered, the program will tell you to insert that particular CD. You can zoom in on an article to get a close-up view, and print that information at any time. Even though the printer options say 600 DPI, I have a Hewlett Packard Deskjet 870Cse with 300 DPI, and the printing was very good. Kodak's sponsorship of The Complete National Geographic is quite evident in the quality of the captions.

This program could be used for a student in school or just someone who has an interest in history. You can learn about other cultures or the history of our own. At any time you can click on help to find information and tips on the program's many features.

The Complete National Geographic is available through Mindscape on hybrid CD-ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1, and Macintosh for an estimated street price of $199.00. Their address is Mindscape, Inc., 88 Rowland Way, Novato, California 94945. Technical support can be found online at http://www.mindscape.com.

I found the price to be very competitive at a couple of local businesses. Sam's had the program for $129.00, and Computer City's price was $149.00. I highly recommend this educational source, and intend to purchase the complete set.

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