Interfact Space

Reviewed by Sara Hartman
Published by Two-Can Publishing

Age Group: Age 4 to 8, Age 8 and Up
Type: Science, Reference
Price: $20

PC version requires:
P 133MHzr, Windows 3.1/95/98, Soundblaster-compatible soundcard, 32MB RAM

Mac version requires:
100MHz PowerPC, OS 7.6.1, 32MB RAM

Description:

Description:

Star Light, Star Bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Learn all about the stars at night!

With Interfact Reference Space that wish can come true! Two-Can Publishing intertwines a large-format reference book and a CD full of interactive fun. The book and CD are designed to work together or separately, and each is good for hours and hours of learning and exploration.

Features:

  • CD with seven activities and a space glossary
  • Forty-eight page reference book
  • CD and book may be used together or independently
  • Latest images from NASA
  • Supports UK National Curriculum and Scottish National Guidelines

Technical Aspects:

No installation is necessary on a Macintosh, just pop in the CD and click on the Space icon. I encountered no problems running the program. The read-me and catalog files on the CD are in Microsoft Word rather than text format. I could not open them directly, as I do not use Word, but ClarisWorks easily converted the files.

Graphics are excellent (they are from NASA after all). Audio is mainly background and sound effects. At first I thought the sound was not working because although Captain Collins (the host) was moving his mouth, his speech was written in cartoon bubbles. I would have liked spoken text in addition to the bubbles, but I soon got used to it. And, since all information is presented on-screen, Interfact Reference Space is an appropriate title for hearing impaired users.

Report and Conclusions:

Did you know that stars twinkle because moving air blurs starlight as it travels to Earth? This is but one of the hundreds of facts presented in the reference book, which, I might add, is a very attractive volume. The CD has seven games that complement the material presented in the book, plus a comprehensive space glossary. Each activity references the corresponding pages in the book so that answers may be looked up, but the games also can be played independent of the text to test knowledge over the material. The activities range in format from arcade to memory to quiz show, but all incorporate information about space and the solar system. Just for fun, users create a space identity and choose a home world. Points are earned while completing activities and may be used to acquire space souvenirs which are stored in the user's space locker.

Very nicely done.




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