Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (21 October, 2003)
list price: $499.99 -- our price: $419.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• Easy-to-use wizards to create e-mail newsletters and printed marketing materials
• More than 20 preformatted business reports
• Analyze and manage business information using Access databases
• Exchange data with other systems using enhanced XML technology
• Control information sharing rules with enhanced IRM technology

Reviews (29)

Simply Awful
Office 2003 is quite simply the worst pile of bloated crapware I have ever had the misfortune of installing on my computer.Its slow, costs too much, eats up way too much precious hard drive space, and is difficult and unintuitive to use.Absolutely the worst experience I personally have ever had with "productivity" software.Do yourself a favor, go to openoffice.org, download their suite and use it.You won't be disappointed.Sometimes, I truly wish there were a "zero star" option from Amazon in rating a product.If anything deserves it, this garbage does.

Dear XMLers...
I am primarily an Excel user; this review is intended for those who primarily use Excel...

If you work with a development team that has the ability to produce XML files, and you want to get away from using gigantic flat databases for references, Office 2003 is your solution.Copying and pasting will be no longer necessary; just query a URL.It's proven to be an indispensible tool for us.

So, if you're in the serious business of producing reports, and you have a development staff that can produce dynamic XML pages, this is the product for you.With the previous version, you could Web Query; XML provides so many more possibilities --especially if you're coding.The code is much simpler.

Other than that, the program is not much different from 2002.Many other features that people want were still not implemented, such as extending the columns beyond 256 and the rows beyond 65K+.Word still has the same ole quirks (you know what they are if work with it often), and Access is just about the same.For the latter two programs, the only noticeable difference is the 'feel,' or the look of them.

The latest version
Perhaps I am jaded but again it seems that Microsoft has cranked out another product that looks and acts so much like its predecessor that you wonder at first if you loaded it onto your computer properly.

Office 2003 gives you what you already have in Office XP (and a few earlier versions) so learning how to use it is never going to be a problem.In virtually every way the program looks and feels like the previous Office versions.

There are improvements although I am not sure how much a home user will need the XML functionality.It may be a god-send one day but today it is still not a major factor and certainly does not demand a major update.The RESEARCH option is something to contend with and could be quite useful - it is almost like having Encarta loaded on your machine as well.I found it a bit limiting though; it is good as a thesaurus but there is no world atlas, quotation source, etc.Many people have applauded the new look and feel of Outlook.Again, it behaves just the same as previous versions of Outlook did.

Microsoft chose to retire the Office bar and that is a big mistake.They are trying to push the Quick Launch bar but most businesses and almost all Office users preferred the Office bar.

Don't get me wrong:Office 2003 works very well and with Word, Outlook, Excel, Access and Publisher you can literally do anything!It also preforms very well.But, again, unless Microsoft starts making major changes, these releases should not be heralded as new.If anything, they should be upgrades that former users should be able to download if they registered the original product - the cost is too prohibitive to justify upgrading.And, as your Office 97 or XP works just as well, you should think seriously before spending the money. ... Read more

Asin: B0000AZJVC
Sales Rank: 54
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Office Suite (Suites)    3. Bundle (Bundles)   

Microsoft FrontPage 2003 Upgrade
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (21 October, 2003)
list price: $109.99 -- our price: $88.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• With professional coding tools, write code faster, more efficiently, and with greater accuracy
• Enhanced publishing features and options help get your Web pages online more quickly
• Professional design, authoring, data, and publishing tools to create sophisticated Web sites
• New layout and graphics tools make it easier to design exactly the site you want
• Design tools to generate better code, or expand your code skills

Reviews (7)

I prefer this to Dreamweaver
I've found this newest version of Front Page to be the best Microsoft has ever delivered. It's intuitive, easy to use, has clean HTML and an affordable price. I bought Dreamweaver MX after reading all the reviews about how wonderful it was. It has an easy way of creating rollovers but that's about it as far as I'm concerned. I think FP wins hands down and would certainly recommend it..

What FrontPage should have been all along
Microsoft finally got this version of FrontPage right.I have uses FP since 97/98 and started using Dreamweaver because of the limitations and "clunkyness" of the old versions.This version however seems to get it right, and I have no problems recommending this to either amature or experienced webmasters.

Oh yes this can make large commercial sites
I have used FP since it first came out.I love it.I have 77 sites and a couple of businesses.My average site is fairly large with sometimes 2000 pages and then there are products for sale.Yes Front page can be used for a business however the one problem that is correctly stated by these reviews is that it does not offer the ability to do special graphics such as mouseover effects that can only be made with Dreamweaver or other products if you need fancy graphics you will need another product to produce it.But then again such fanasy websites with script and java often have their own drawbacks such as problems with search engines listing them.This program will do for 99% of your sites and will allow flash presentations. ... Read more

Asin: B0000AZJV9
Sales Rank: 88
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Web Page Editors (Creator)   

Microsoft OneNote 2003
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (21 October, 2003)
list price: $199.00
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Features

• Create multiple notebooks, folders or pages, and search through them
• This unique tool gives you a new way to jot down notes for your self, organize them and keep track of things in your day-to-day life
• Take notes anywhere on the screen -- you can even handwrite notes or draw diagrams for yourself, using a pen input device on your laptop or tablet
• Record audio notes you can synchronize to your written notes, to make you never miss anything
• Put pictures, text, and other information from a Web site directly into OneNote 2003 -- just drag and drop

Reviews (17)

Not good for math
I take courses with lot's of formulas in the notes.OneNote lacks a convenient method for entering formulas.Drawing a formula also looks very ungly.The concept is good, but it still needs a fair bit of work to make it practical for every student.The free form note taking features is handy, but I suspect a page layout software would work better than one note at the moment.Given the high price tag, I suggest science and math students try out the software before buying.

More than One Question for OneNote
Above all, a notetaking program is supposed to make it easy to organize and find notes. With that purpose in mind, certain omissions in the program startle.

Ordering notes within a section is as easy as it should be, but why did Microsoft make it hard to organize across sections and even harder to organize across folders? You can transfer a note from one section to another, but you cannot transfer it to a specific location within the section in a single operation. To transfer between folders, you have to use ordinary drag and drop. Software is supposed to make these processes easy, not complicate them with an anachronistic imagry of paper sections.

Organizing and reorganizing is of the essence for notetaking, and the Office suite, of which OneNote is part, has a multi-clipboard. Why did Microsoft omit giving OneNote access to the Office clipboard, when OneNote is the Office product that needs it most. The functionality is already present in Office; Microsoft had to go out of its way to omit this functionality for OneNote.

The saving grace of OneNote is that the underlying technology is very powerful. It gives you the ability to take notes by various means and to put them anywhere you want on the page. The core technology is powerful, but the feature set MS has chosen to develop lacks a rational foundation and appears impulsive.

Simpleminded approach to notetaking
MS OneNote 2003 program is not completely ready for use on the tablet.Even though
the Journal notetaking software that comes with Windows XP Tablet Edition is simple, it
is better than OneNote.OneNote tries to organize notes through a series of vertical and
horizontal tabs, which would be a great idea if it didn't get in the way.Instead of helping,
these tabs actually make notes difficult to retrieve.Also, while tabs may be useful for
traditional notebooks, the usefulness of tabs does not carryover to the tablet.It was
simpleminded of Microsoft's OneNote product managers to carryover traditional
notebook features to the tablet. ... Read more

Asin: B0000AZJVG
Sales Rank: 1020
Subjects:  1. Writing (Literature    2. Computer software (programs)    3. Word Processing (Processor)    4. Text Editors    5. Spell Checkers (Spelling Check)    6. wordprocessing (wordprocessors)    7. Education (Educational)    8. Reference   

Norton SystemWorks 2004 Professional
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (26 September, 2003)
list price: $99.95
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Features

• Norton Utilities optimizes your PC¿s performance and solves computer problems
• Norton Password Manager keeps your passwords secure and easy to manage
• Norton GoBack Personal Edition restores your PC after a serious problem
• Norton CleanSweep removes unwanted programs and files that waste disk space
• Norton Ghost protects your data from computer disasters

Reviews (24)

Disgruntled w/Symmatec
More than being very disappointed with this software, I am extremely disappointed with Symmantec's customer service and support, which is basically nonexistent unless you pay them almost as much as you paid for the software in the first place. (They also outsource all their technical help and it is often VERY hard to understand the person who you are paying (dearly) to help you. Even worse is to be told that you must uninstall other manufacturers' software, or even other Symmantec software before this software will run properly.There is a lot of good "Utility" software on the market from companies with good support. Because of that, I will never purchase software from Symmantec again.

Bloated and Customer loses
I've used Norton products since the early 90s and have to say that Symantec is a company that buys well known products to generate revenue but the products quality is run into the ground. Every year they come up with a new excuse to introduce a "new" version and 2004 is that last I will every buy. It's not only even slower (the virus scanning especially), more bloated and adds nothing from 2003, but it also doesn't work as well. Recovering files is totally worthless. I also found out about horrible Symantec support as 2004 now includes copy protection keys. Even after registering the product, if you lose the key (or became unreadable in my case, they refuse to provide your customer information and will charge you $25 to send you a new CD you don't need! Incredible, but true. I own Powerquest products which were just bought by Symantec and replace "Ghost" but doesn't work well either. I have since moved to other antivirus products that are much leaner, faster and do their jobs well and have continued development. Oh yeah, 2004 has been incompatible with XP SP2 now for a while. Stay far away from Symantec. There is a reason why Norton products are getting panned virtually everywhere by actual users and 'praised' by a few commercial reviewers.

still love norton
after reading the review's i allmost didn't buy this copy of 2004 pro., but i'm very glad now that i did. would have rated it 5 star's if not for ghost being so hard to work your way from start to finish. the anti virus part is still the best and even better. ghost work's but you may have to fix so thing's on your computor and make a gdisk on a floppy along with your cd's it is a 9 cd long image for my hard drive that is 11gb used space. the rebate was the fastest ever, had it back in just about a week and a half. ... Read more

Asin: B0000C8Y0V
Sales Rank: 2042
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Utilities    3. Maintenance    4. Diagnostics (Diagnostic)   

Norton Internet Security 2004
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (26 September, 2003)
list price: $69.95
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Features

• Norton Privacy Control prevents confidential information from being unknowingly released
• Provides essential protection from viruses, hackers, and privacy threats
• Norton AntiVirus removes viruses from email messages, Internet downloads, & more
• Norton Personal Firewall hides your computer on the Internet
• Norton Intrusion Detection automatically blocks suspicious connections

Reviews (294)

Stick with the older NAVs
Both my wife and I purchased this software near the end of 2004.At first, many of the "features" were just an annoyance, and I assumed that I would gain experience with them and move on.That never happened.
While online one day, Internet Security mysteriously disabled itself.I immediately got off the internet, but was unable to reactivate the program.After trying everything I could think of, including unistalling and reinstalling the program, I contacted Symantec.They advised, via email, me to do all the things I had already done (by the way, their online automated help is abysmal).This had the predicted result of not solving the problem.A clean boot and registry edit later, the program was still not functioning.At this time, my Outlook had ceased functioning until I removed the program, and several other programs on my machine returned errors stating that they had encountered problems and "needed to close".Prior to Internet Security crashing on me, I had never seen this error before.I found it distressing that the program designed to prevent any kind of Internet attack was also giving me this error.
I did some searching online and found a couple articles that said that Internet Security had been found to have a bug that allowed hackers to disable it over the web.Symantec assured me that this was not true.In the end, I completely removed the program and that solved most of my woes, however I am still recieving the same strange "this program has encountered a problem and needs to close" error with Adobe Distiller, and occasionally with other programs, however, only the Adobe Distiller seems to be completely fatally affected.
My wife has had problems with her Internet Security, and has also found that disabling it is the way to go.Fortunately, her's did not die completely as mine did.
Bottom line is, from my viewpoint, beware of this program.I never had any problems with earlier NAV versions, and I will be returning to them, although I was rather soured on Symantec as a whole for having produced such a faulty program.

Effective, but VERY bulky
While it has a rather effective firewall, and comes with Norton Antivirus (which I'm actually rather fond of), the Security Suite has significantly slowed down my system. I'm currently using a Sony Vaio S-150 (which I bought at the end of this past August), and it takes about five minutes just to boot the system - in fact, I've taken to just hibernating, rather than shutting down completely.
The Antivirus is good, but "Internet Security" just isn't worth it.

Voted With My Feet
After months of frustration with NIS 2004 and Symantec's pitiful tech. support, I finally threw in the towel. Went with PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 and am happy that I did so. The PC-cillin UI isn't as refined as NIS's but - you know! - the product works, the Anti-spam component integrates nicely with Outlook, and etc... No compatibility issues and my machine is running noticably quicker.

With any luck, I'll never have to be concerned with the quality of TrendMicro's tech. support. In any event, it couldn't possibly be worse than Symantec's. Here's Symantec's version of how to fix the Visual C++ Runtime Error for the AntiSpam plugin, so well documented in other customer reviews and on the Web:
1) Rename MSOUPLUG.DLL to MSOUPLUG.OLD. Trouble is, that's not a fix; it simply prevents the error message by disabling the very plug-in you were trying to fix.
2) Do a LiveUpdate for NIS 2005. Trouble is, I was running NIS 2004.
3) Remove and reinstall NIS 2004. A painful procedure that, in the end, doesn't work (and they know it).
4) Upgrade to NIS 2005. (Yeah! Right!)

Um... NIS 2004 a bad product. Very bad. Read the reviews here before you buy; we can't ALL be lying... ... Read more

Asin: B0000C8XYO
Sales Rank: 750
Subjects:  1. Spam spamming anti    2. Computer software (programs)    3. Utilities    4. Maintenance    5. Diagnostics (Diagnostic)    6. Networking Network    7. Personal firewall    8. Email e-mail electronic security filtering filter   

Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 Platinum Edition
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (17 February, 2003)
list price: $49.99
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Editorial Review

The arguable king of CD burning is back, and it's got a bag of new tricks. Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 Platinum Edition takes you by the hand and leads you through all kinds of CD and DVD creation, from data backups and music compilations to photo slide shows and feature films. User friendly to the last, it comes with a massive manual weighing in at almost 400 pages. Unfortunately, however, beneath the shiny surface of this program hide a few snags.

Burning data and music compilation CDs is simple enough with a "drag to CD" function--you can literally drag files from Windows Explorer onto an icon that resizes in the lower right corner of the desktop. More complex burning and copying can be done through wizards or manually.

For DVD authoring, Roxio includes support for every DVD burning format out there. It allows you to create movies, photo slide shows and more. It interfaces directly with digital video recorders to capture footage to the PC's hard drive, from where you can then burn them to a DVD. You can rearrange parts of a movie, trim clips, add sound, and more. The interface is functional at best, though, and casual film directors will pine for a simpler, more graceful solution than this program can offer.

The PhotoSuite applet's interface is overly friendly and not nearly powerful enough. Adding photos from a networked PC was a painstakingly slow process. Worse, once we'd picked out a few dozen photos, we went to create a VCD slide show and were met with an error message that even baffled Roxio tech support.

Another caveat: Easy CD automatically checks for product updates, but it forces you to register the product in order to download them. This invasion of privacy aside, Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 does provide some easy and user friendly features at the cost of clunky interfaces and limited options for power users.--Joel Durham ... Read more

Features

Reviews (198)

Want marginal customer support?Buy any Roxio product!
I purchased the Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 Platinum Edition in November 2004, after Microsoft's SP2 for Windows XP made my Basic 5 version unusable.I've been exchanging emails with Roxio Technical Support ever since.I can burn a data CD only to a CDR (for some reason ECDC 6 does not recognize my CDRWs).I cannot copy a CD using the Disc Copier function.For some reason the ECDC 6 recognizes my burner only through the Creator Classic function.

What is wrong with companies these days?They grab the money and run.Never mind whether the customer gets the functionality they are paying for.

I'll be looking into Nero or Sonic, which I've heard positive comments from live users.

Amazon.com, on the other hand, is one customer-oriented company!

You buy this and loose customer support
Do you know if u ever need to get support, or to download a patch for your paid Roxio software, registration IS required from their website?! Yes everytime you need an software update/patch, you need to login with password. Registration needs an valid email address and your ROXIO software key. Thanks to this COMPULSORY registration I need to keep record for one more login/password combination. And Pray that you don't loose your cd key.

BTW if your cdburner came with a bundle Roxio Easy creator, forget any update / support from roxio since you dont get a cd key. Somehow this is one evil way ROXIO try to get your business. if one day you upgrade your operating system and need to update for the bundle roxio software, you have to BUY the retail version Easy Creator.

Great with Windows 2000/XP; at least partially(!)...
For DVD-Video editing/creating, I use Roxio's VideoWave 7 Professional. For everything else this is great! I've had great success with win2000; it's designed for XP/ME/98 as well. 2000/XP users w/NTFS partitions will be best off; ANY user w/FAT32 partitions will likely experience some craziness! I use Norton Ghost for backup/imaging: so even if my computer spontaneously combusts(!), I can rebuild it pretty quickly. My Fave's- attractive interface, excellent html help, Creator Classic with Disc Copier, AudioCentral, Label Creator, and Drag-to-Disc: these are amazing! With *just these* components & a DVD+/-RW drive, this software *should* actually be pretty stable- it works great on my system! (AthlonXP 3000+; 512MB memory.) Disc Copier copies CDs/DVDs that aren't copy protected, yet I've copied a few store-bought items: a music CD; a cheap PC game CD; an instructional DVD(!); a foreign NTSC DVD(wow!). Creator Classic makes all kinds of discs- Data, Music, MP3, Enhanced, Mixed-Mode, Bootable & more! AudioCentral effectively rips, burns, converts & manages MP3s, WMAs, WAVs & OGGs. It's even greater now with the new mp3PRO Plug-in encoder available at Roxio's website (highly recommended!). I've converted audio tapes, with my analog-in sound card, into high-quality MP3 CDs with professional looking labels! Drag-to-Disc is especially important to me because win2000 (my favorite OS) can't write to CDs/DVDs without extra software help. This is a tremendously versatile package! For most of my CD/DVD needs, this product is all I need! Official Caveat Time- *PLEASE BACKUP YOUR COMPUTER BEFORE INSTALLATION!* Glitches, bugs, hangs & crashes can be experienced all throughout this product. Make sure Windows is up-to-date with all recent service packs & patches. If you install the entire product to see what it can do, then decide you can do without a few features, it's best to uninstall the whole package, restart the computer, and then reinstall only the needed features with their corresponding updates. Check Roxio's support page for common issues/problems to evaluate risk! (Especially win98/ME users!) ... Read more

Asin: B0000899WB
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Graphics    3. Multimedia    4. Edit (Editing)    5. CD Recording (Burning, Burners)    6. CD Labeling (Labels)    7. Music    8. audio    9. Creation    10. Sequencing    11. Video    12. Composting    13. Effects    14. Editing   

WinDVD Platinum
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (20 March, 2003)
list price: $79.95
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Editorial Review

WinDVD Platinum is a simple-to-use DVD player that combines all the features of a standard consumer DVD player with advanced audio and video functions. With this version you get all the features of WinDVD 4, like time stretching, screen capture, and TV-out support, along with dozens of new extras.

Get started with DivX support which allows you to watch DivX movies off the Web, but with all of the advanced features of WinDVD. Replicate 5.1 surround sound over just two speakers for a rich sound using Dolby virtual speaker technology. Plus, WinDVD Platinum also adds 24 bit/ 96kHz audio support for studio-quality audio.

Experience improved video using WinDVD Platinum's new Movieffecter filter. It improves images on computer monitors with sharper lines and cleaner edges. Advanced deinterlacing translates complex video streams into the best image possible. WinDVD Platinum also features support for DTS, gamma correction, SRS Headphone, LanguageMate, Windows Media support, video effects and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

satisfying but...
This piece of software has some very interesting features such as the video desktop mode where you can watch your dvd as it plays in the background on your desktop thus allowing to keep on working while watching. Another great feature is the capture mode that allows you to "photograph" a video frame while listening to the movie

But one problem does come to mind, dispite having more than the minimum requirements for the player sound playback is uneven. The player frequently seems to be a fraction of a second behind or in advance when compared with the movie. ... Read more

Asin: B00008OE4U

Encarta Reference Library 2004 DVD
Average Customer Review:
DVD-ROM (30 June, 2003)
list price: $69.95
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Reviews (15)

Light Content, but still Useful
As the previous reviewer notes, this reference library is light on content.

For example I did expect to find some mention of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which has been around for 20 - 30 years, but isn't mentioned here.

Under the section about hypnosis, many people from the history of hypnosis are mentioned, except the man who has made dramatic contributions to the field and is considered the most significant hypnotist of the 20th century - Dr. Milton Erickson.

On the other hand, I do appreciate multimedia segments.For example, instead of just reading a description and seeing an image of a musical instrument, you can also hear a piece of music played on this particular instrument, so you end up with a much better understanding.

I also appreciate the multimedia segments in sections dealing with anatomy, chemistry, quantum mechanics, etc. as they do help in bringing to life different concepts.

I am happy with the dictionary and the thesaurus.I very much like the convenience of electronic dictionary and am thrilled that one can also hear the words pronounced.It would be lovely if one day, they'd add pronounciation to Spanish, French, Italian and German.The dictionary also provides etymology.

Encarta 2004 versus Britannica 2004
I have bought both Encarta and Britannica for years (EB in printed edition too: 32 volumes, 32.000 sheets). This is my opinion in brief: Encarta is excellent in all aspects, but Britannica's authoritative text (sometimes outdated) makes interesting to buy both.
TEXT: Britannica is a superb encyclopedia in text (not in visual aid) since 1768 (you know: an article by Einstein and so on...). Text in electronic version differs from printed encyclopedia (very large articles have been shortened). Britannica claims that it has more items than Encarta, but this is a joke: articles like "Mexico" are only one (with a lot of subdivisions) in Encarta, while in Britannica subdivisions are unconnected, and you must "jump" from one subdivision to another, which is slow and very annoying, especially if you want to copy it in "WORD". Very often, the text is not updated.
In the other hand, Encarta's text is not bad at all. Most articles have the name of their contributors (professions, works...): They are not John Doe. You can find large fragments of literary works, literature guides, a lot of sidebars and thousands of quotations. "Encarta Africana" is included. The Pop-Up (double clicking a word) Dictionary and Thesaurus has sound for correct pronunciation (by the way, it can read aloud, with a robotic and ugly voice, a whole article). The "Translation Dictionaries" to Spanish, French, German and Italian must be improved, because they are minimal. It gives you a lot of "Internet links", even if you are not connected. With Britannica you must be "on-line" and it searches in an EB Web page.
In theory you can update Britannica over the Internet free for a year quarterly (4 times), but this does not work: You can not find new files. Encarta can be updated free EVERY WEEK with new articles and additions or corrections to the old ones (till October 2004). With Encarta updating really works. Technically, is amazing to see the changes in old items.
ATLAS Britannica has not a real atlas; only a worlds map whose maximum detail is the States of USA. Statistics are very poor. Encarta's Atlas is like another encyclopedia, with a great detail (1 cm/ 4 km all over the world) and 20 types of atlas presentations (statistical ones can be counted by dozens). If you look a geographical article (city, river...) you can see in a corner where it is placed and, with only a click, open the atlas. In articles of cities, if you are on-line, you can see in another corner the weather of this place in that moment. If it is a USA place, you can read the latest news.
MULTIMEDIA: They say that "serious" or "adult" readers do not care about "pictures"; that multimedia is only for kids. I do not agree, because I think that, sometimes, "A picture is worth a thousand words". Works of art, anatomy, historical maps, diagrams ... Encarta devastates Britannica with a lot of photos, paintings, drawings, charts & tables, animations, interactivities, videos, music and sounds, pictures, 2-D and 3-D virtual tours, 360-degrees views, timeline, games... It is not only the quantity and quality. It is the easy access you have to all the multimedia, and that text and multimedia are fully integrated.Britannica is not really multimedia. It has photos and videos, but they make the program slow and sluggish. They should edit an alternative version with only text, as they did with the first edition in 1995. It worked fast and easy in old computers.
INTERFACE AND PERFORMANCE: This is the worst side of Britannica. With Encarta you only have to type a word or the beginning of a word to see all the articles and multimedia that contain it. If Encarta does not find anything, it gives you automatically alternative spellings. Even if you write the name of a small village lost in any country, you see it in the atlas. If you need to copy text or pictures, the integration with Microsoft WORD is perfect. It has additional ways to find content, including subject or multimedia browsing, "related articles" and the standard A-Z method. The "Research Organizer" is very helpful too. Encarta's TEXT FONT is very clear (Britannica's...) and you can choose 3 sizes.
Navigating with Britannica is different. 2004 edition is better than 2003 one, but still it is disappointing. I will only give you an example: if you do not know the exact and correct spelling of a name or word, it does not help you with similar spellings (unless you open a window and fight with it). As I said before, the program's performance speed is very slow and sluggish, and it must be dramatically improved. To go "back and forward" you do not find any icon and you need to open a "menu".... One "pro" for Britannica: they say it works with Macintosh.
I repeat my modest piece of advice: Encarta is excellent in all aspects, but Britannica's authoritative text (sometimes outdated) make interesting to buy both.

Light on Content and Yet Still Biased
If you are looking for great presentation, lite content, and biased history, by all means by this product.I reviewed both Encarta and Britannica and found Britannica to more in depth and less biased in its history.Many of Brittanica's articles are by people Encarta only writes snippets about (i.e., you get their point of view not some political hack.) If you are looking for content and a fairer presentation of history buy Britannica. ... Read more

Asin: B000096L6Z
Sales Rank: 1985
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Kids (Children)    3. Reference    4. Encyclopedia (Encyclopedias)    5. Dictionary (Dictionaries)   

Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (25 October, 2001)
list price: $19.99
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Editorial Review

Beginning with the release of Windows 95, Microsoft has made a habit of augmenting each new operating system with an add-on package of assorted enhancements and goodies. The latest such supplement to come to market is Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP, a collection of graphic and audio utilities, rudimentary games, screen savers, and desktop themes specifically designed for users of Microsoft's latest and most robust OS. But whereas the Windows 95 and Windows 98 Plus! editions blended several genuinely useful applications such as disk management tools and virus checkers with the usual stable of multimedia tweaks, Plus! for Windows XP offers more fluff than substance. Although newbies will undoubtedly find much of the collection quite compelling, veteran users may not be so impressed.

The program is divided into four distinct categories--Digital Media, Games, Screen Savers, and Themes--each of which may be accessed through a single, convenient graphical interface. Of these, the Digital Media component is clearly the deepest and most interesting. Its handy utilities include an MP3 audio converter for transforming disk-hogging WAV and MP3 files into space-efficient WMA format, a music playlist organizer known simply as Personal DJ, an exceedingly capable CD label maker, 20-plus Media Player skins, and three animated Media Player visualizations (including one culled from the Xbox game Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee).

Music and video fans in particular will immediately gravitate to the Voice Command for Windows Media Player module, which allows users to operate most Media Player functions by issuing verbal commands into their computer microphone. Even when faced with garbled enunciation and loud background music, Voice Command faithfully recognizes commands such as "Volume Up" and "Pause." Sadly, Microsoft's seemingly innovative Speaker Enhancement tool is ultimately little more than a glorified tone control that often hinders rather than improves the sound of your speakers.

Of the three games included in the package, the most intriguing is Russian Square, a deceptively addictive puzzle affair that plays like a one-dimensional offspring of Tetris and Rubik's Cube. Far less involving are the arcade bowling knock-off HyperBowl and the three-dimensional Labyrinth, a virtual take on the real-life game that involves a tilting table, metal ball, and lots of ball-gobbling holes. Eight animated screen savers and four desktop themes complete the package, the most notable of which is the stunningly lifelike and absolutely gorgeous underwater screen saver called "Aquarium." Otherwise, the program's themes and screen savers are no better than those that can be downloaded free of charge from various Web sites.

With Plus! for Windows XP, Microsoft has assembled a multipronged mixture of useful and not-so-useful multimedia tools and lighthearted amenities into one easily accessible compilation. If you aren't the type to scout around the Internet for individual components and feel the need to spruce up your XP audio-video environment, it may be for you. --Gordon Goble ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Great fun at a great value
Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition is not something necessary for the enjoyment of life, but, then, neither is a computer, a cell phone, or a TV, unless you are a diehard couch potato.What this collection of utilities does is add some fun to Windows XP, and it's stuff no other operating system enjoys.I personally use Photo Story and Analog Recorder often, because they are both easy to use and a blast to use, too.The games collection could have been better, but, hey, for a little over ten bucks, why complain?

Not Worth Buying!
While the idea behind this product is great, it just doesn't come out that way in the end.I recently upgraded my video card to GeForce 4 MX 5200, and now the Plus! screensavers (i.e. the aquarium and others) do not display correctly.

The games are okay, but only the Labyrinth is worth playing.There is a link on Microsoft's website to download for free more bonus levels for Labyrinth, but everytime I download the free upgrade, the levels never get installed into the game.The download .exe file is a self-extractor, so there's no way to control it.I have tried to get the extra free levels three times now, and it NEVER works!

If you want the aquarium screen saver, buy the boxed version from SereneScreen!It is EXACTLY like the one in Plus! and only costs $19.oo!This is what I did last week, and the SereneScreen aquarium screensaver works fine on my computer with the new graphics card!

Someone in another review said that Microsoft Plus! was a good example of "bloat-ware".I agree 100% -- lots of pretty packaging, lots of hype, lots of teaser write-ups on the box, but in the end there just isn't much to the package.

It's OK
Don't get me wrong--this isn't a BAD product, but it really isn't very useful, either. I find the dancers are fairly amusing for a while and the analog recorder makes a really easy way to record old tapes, but that's about it. Also, the recorder ONLY records in proprietary Micro$oft .wma format instead of offering a useful-for-editing format like .wav. Because of this, the only time I ever use it is when I am feeling lazy and I have it set my recording level for me.

I would only recommend this product if:
1. Like me, you can get it "Free after rebates" (don't forget about taxes and shipping). Don't even think about paying more than $5 (after taxes, etc) for it.
2. You already know you like a certain feature (like the dancers)--don't get this hoping for something great because you will probably be disappointed
3. You have a lot of extra space on your hard drive and
4. You have a fast internet connection (Downloading dancers requires up to 20MB or more PER DANCER!) ... Read more

Asin: B00005OL4U
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Graphics    3. Multimedia    4. Edit (Editing)    5. Utilities    6. Screen Savers (Saver)    7. CD Labeling (Labels)    8. Music    9. Audio    10. MP3   

Battlefield: 1942
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (11 September, 2002)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

In Battlefield 1942, you're a WWII soldier on a true-to-life battlefield, equipped with weapons that look and sound authentic, able to storm the beaches on foot or seamlessly jump into and out of any of 35 vehicles of war. The depth is incredible. While on foot, you play as one of five specialized classes (assault, medic, scout, antitank, or engineer) with varying equipment and abilities. The choice of vehicles ranges from a selection of tanks, jeeps, and other fairly standard mechanized land vehicles to exotic craft like battleships, submarines, and dive bombers. Best of all, you can pit yourself against your fellow man in objective-based online battles in four distinct WWII theaters of war: North Africa, South Asia Pacific, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe. This is everything that World War II Online should have been. This is Tribes 2 with better code, graphics, control--everything, and without the cheesy sci-fi trappings. This out-WWIIs Medal of Honor and Return to Castle Wolfenstein. This game is like the ultimate sandbox, with all the best toys. ... Read more

Features

• Machines of War. Other games force you to choose from a machine gun, rifle, grenade, or pistol as you enter a combat zone. Battlefield 1942 also lets you get behind the wheel of 35 historically accurate WWII vehicles and fight a raging battle on land, sea or air! Pilot a heavy bomber over the drop zone or engage in a dogfight in a swift fighter. Fire the guns of a mighty battleship or prowl the sea-lanes in a silent submarine. Charge across the desert in a powerful tank or transport troops into
• Battle Online. Go online with up to 64 players to take part in a raging battle that requires teamwork and cooperation from each member in order to achieve victory.
• Choose Your Side. Enter the war as a soldier in one of five different armies - US, German, British, Russian, or Japanese.
• Specialized Character Kits. Enter the battle as one of five specialized character classes -
• assault, medic, scout, anti-tank, engineer - each with unique strengths and weaknesses.

Reviews (274)

Best WW2 Game Ever
This is easily my favorite WW2 Game ever made.

I haven't even played online play yet, but I already like this game.

Whoever said they rather play Medal of Honor over a Single-Player game of this really has low standards.I'd rather play against an unpredictable army rather than the highly-predictable opponent in Medal of Honor.You can play Medal of Honor a hundred times, and the enemy AI will always be in the same spot.At least in a single player game of Battlefield 1942, the enemy opposition is constantly on the move.And no, the enemy is not lousy.I've played human opponents at Goldeneye who are 10x's worse than the AI opponents in Battlefield.

The only bad thing about this game is this: I just bought a brand new computer a few weeks ago, and I still can't run this game the way it was designed to be played.I have to limit the amount of bots, and I have tweak visibility (among a few other things) in order to run this game smoothly.

Also, when I bought the Anthology pack for Battlefield 1942, the packaging was incredibly pathetic.Why did the packagers not put these CDs into CD cases?Because of the crappy packaging, I've already scratched the back of Disc 1.

Anyways, I'd easily recommend this game to anyone who enjoys WW2-themed games.Yes, even if you don't play online, get this old game before it disapears from shelves.

This is a very fun game. WWII historians, get this game!
Now, it's true that WWII was a tragedy. But with this game you can feel like you are really in these bloody battles! This game is better than most FPS games. This game is mostly online play, but if you have to stay away from your internet allies or axis, then fight on multiplayer maps with bots in them! Aww... Too bad this game doesn't have any campaigns. But I can live without them. You can make a war torn area. You can be on over 5 factions: The Japanese, the Americans, the Germans, the British, and the Russians. Each have their own different looks.

You can use over 35 vehicles (EA Games really means looks I guess) You can fly planes and bombers (What's WWII without bombers?) It's hard flying airplanes unless you have a joystick (no, for all types of vehicles!) I have a hard time using them, but that's not all. You can drive jeeps, tanks, and more nice looking vehicles that will drive your computer wild!

In some FPS games, all you have to do is grab weapons and not having a class of special abilities. That makes me sick! In this game you can choose 1 of 5 different soldier classes. You can be for example a scout. They may not be the most powerful, but they have a sniper (which is good in some perilous times.) And if you get a chance, you can snipe someone and they don't even notice because their dead! You can be an engeneer (Bob the Builder is gonna love this part!) Engeneers can repair vehicles which is good for the love of it. Anti Tank units, well you know what they do.. So as far as that, this really is a good game.

The maps are excellent! I saw some old WWII pictures and movies, they look 3D and look alike to these movies and pictures. The terrain of these maps have deep water, jungles, hot islands, even streets! Now mostly, you just capture command posts, but it's fun. You just captured then you get some old neigbors against you. Hehehe.. I think veterans of the real WWII might like this game. So far I wish this game should get more medals.

Now if you don't have a new XP, then you might be in trouble. I recommend that you get an XP that has good cards, and some other stuff. I never got any errors so don't be crying to me if you have a problem. However if you are off line lagging, then you could tweak the graphics a little bit. If you don't have any problems, then that's wonderful and you can continue the battle instead of having it interupted by problems :-)

Multiplayer was ok, but once again, like Halo, swearing, rarely trash talking soldiers in multiplayer. Everytime it lags they scream 4 letter words just because a game lags. That makes them kind of dumb doing that. Even though real WWII people screamed these bad words, come on people! It's not WWII anymore. Halo Multiplayer is a lot worse than Battlefield 1942! If you are a young person who plays Halo and can't take the swearing on multiplayer. Then get Battlefield 1942. Battlefield 1942, the all-time FPS game in the entire world!

Battlefield 1942
Battlefield is the best online FPS since Counter-Strike. No doubt about that in my mind. The fact that you can controll any vehicle, man any weapon, and do whatever the hell you want is awesom. The maps are varried and each are fun to play. The weapons ok. Yes only ok. In the retail version, the Russians have the same weapons as the Americans. Since when did the Russians have a BAR? Another thing, there is no MI Garand in the retail version! What the hell is up with that??? The MI was the most used gun in United States Military History! (Later Patches give the M1 on the Pacific maps) These are all minor gripes, so here are the big ones...

Now while it is in fact a steller game it has its problems. For one, the system specs are WAY to high for how the game looks. It looks ok, but with games like UT2003 that came out at the same time, it looks old. There are some minor balancing issues with the weapons(which are changed in lator patches) But other then that, its awesom.

Concept- Make an epic online fragathon that is fun and easy to play.

Presintation- 9.0- The Menus are a bit odd and hard to navagate, but other then that, good.

Graphics- 8.4- The game looks believeable, but the system specs are way too high for how it looks.

Sound- 9.2- The sound is great. Could have used more abient sounds though

Playability- 9.7- All the vehicles are easy to use, except the airplanes. (You have to practice with those) Its not realistic, verry arcade like, but EXTREAMLY fun.

Entertainment- 9.4- Extreamly fun and impossible to put down. The best online multiplayer game right now.

Replay Value- 10- The single player is week, but that doesnt matter. Its all about multiplayer baby. Whith this good of multiplayer, who needs single player???

... Read more

Asin: B000067O0Q
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Military (Tactics)    4. Strategy (Strategic)    5. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    6. Military (Wargames    7. Simulations    8. World Building (Builders)    9. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Battlefield 1942 Expansion: The Road to Rome
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (04 February, 2003)
list price: $9.99 -- our price: $9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

For fans of large-scale team-based first-person shooters, Battlefield 1942 scratches precisely where we itch. The game comes with sprawling maps, massive teams, and a huge assortment of player-controllable vehicles up to and including battleships, tanks, and fighter planes--all wrapped up in a World War II setting with authentic voices, phrases, and uniforms. To be honest, I didn't think that Battlefield 1942 could get much better. Being wrong has never felt so good.

The Road To Rome is virtually a Platonic example of what an expansion pack should be. The six new maps are set in Italy, and include the Battle of Anzio, Operation Husky (in Sicily), as well as conflicts at Monte Cassino and Monte Santa Croce. Most of the maps tend to be hilly, which makes for exciting play and presents great opportunities for surprise attacks. There are eight new vehicles, including a tank with two turrets, a large bomber, and a new APC with a heavy gun turret. The expansion pack includes a single-player mode with nonscripted AI, which is useful to practice against when you're learning the new maps and vehicles before heading online--but there's no question that multiplayer is where Road To Rome shines.

It's hard to identify any weak points in this expansion pack. If I had to nitpick though, the multiplayer network code, though improved, still remains a little flakier than it should be. And there are one or two maps that have capture points that one side or the other will be mysteriously unable to recapture once they've been lost. It would help if there was some word from EA on whether those points are set to remain uncapturable by design or are the result of a bug.

There's no excuse for any self-respecting Battlefield 1942 owner to not pick up The Road To Rome. It has more of the elements you enjoyed in the original, conveniently condensed into solid, CD-shaped form. RTR is a shining example of what an expansion pack should be. --Jon "Safety Monkey" Grover

Pros:

• Great new maps are both a hoot and a holler
• Tons of cool new vehicles
• Really, really fun

Cons:

• Net code could still use a little work
• A few capture points on some maps inexplicably seem to be unable to be recaptured once one side has them

... Read more

Features

• Six new maps from the Sicilian and Italian campaigns including Operation Husky (Sicily), and the battles for Anzio and Monte Cassino.
• Eight new vehicles including the German BF-110 and British Mosquito fighter-bombers.
• Two new fighting forces including the Free French forces and Italian army.
• New hand-held weapons including the Italian Breda assault rifle, British Sten SMG and bayonets on rifles.
• Proprietary Refractor 2 engine raises bar for graphics and 3D rendering.

Reviews (68)

World War II in a box!!
** Get the most complete Battlefield 1942 Game with add-ons by choosing Battlefield 1942: World War II Anthology. If it is not available then you need to get the three games in this pack - Battlefield: 1942, Battlefield 1942 Expansion: The Road to Rome and Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII Expansion Pack that work out a little more expensive. Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition has 1942 original and Road to Rome. So all you need with the Deluxe Edition is to get Secret Weapons. To be honest the steepest it works out at is. The Anthology is $30.00 and is the same price as the Deluxe Edition plus Secret Weapons. Getting all three separately will cost you nearly $40.00 so get the best deal in bundle packs.**

Want to play the best war simulation? Go play the old Operation Flashpoint and pray that the spring 2006 Operation Flashpoint 2 deadline will be met with the best war multiplayer simulator ever conceived. Want to play a single player war game that matched the experience of Medal of Honour: Allied Assault? Then go play Call of Duty and get the expansion pack Call of Duty: United Offensive. Want to the play the best SWAT type tactical one on one? Then go get Half-Life 2 and play Counter-Strike. Fancy a futuristic sci-fi multiplayer with huge maps? Then get the latest Unreal Tournament. So what else is there? Well to be honest Battlefield 1942 is straight up probably one of the best multiplayer games I have played, but be warned, the simulation experience does call for infinite amounts of patients and the game is extremely buggy to install. There is very little good technical support except for what the community offers, updates can be patchy, people end up can't playing it, and it suffers from fatal spawn point easy target syndrome that has rendered many of the maps unplayable... however new maps are updated, but just don't expect the BF1942 community to be as responsive as let's say STEAM. The bottom line here is that even single player mode is not supported. The game comes pretty much as it is served so expect to spend more than a day, maybe a week, to get it to work on your machine with lots of google searches for your problem. The solutions should be found in forums troubleshooting guides. Be prepared for discs that don't appear to like firewalls, anti-virus checkers and other background processes. This is the game of games in terms of installation bugs and crashes. In short - Requires broadband INTERNET.

Single player like we said is not supported. Multiplayer is one big CAPTURE THE FLAG, but what a game of CTF! Problem right away is the lack of classes that looks restrictive but it is actually okay, with five types of soldiers to choose from - sniper, machine gun, rockets, medic, engineer... so it is closer to Team Fortress than Operation Flashpoint that allows full configuration of up to twenty classes. Having said that it does not reduce the impact of the game, but does leave the realm of simulation, deviating into more Unreal Tournament territory where there is very real possibility of just leaving your team behind and going on a frag-a-thon across the map. If you are into that sort of thing then maybe the more recent, but certainly not as good, Battlefield Vietnam, can offer you that type of solo bush mission multiplayer experience like Far Cry with lesser graphics, but if it is Pearl Harbor, Petersburg, German Forests, French Country, Operation Overlord, multiplayer style, where you can pilot lots of vehicles, and use a little team commands, then sir, Battlefield 1942 is really what you should be playing across that 1MB connection you got jacked into that modem.

So limiting by its nature of being a multiplayer only game, with a difficult install, that is quite old'ish by today's standards, still manages to provide the best World War II multiplayer entertainment you have ever seen with Operation Flashpoint beating it for realism and detail as a simulation, but this is the war game that people play online, and it still has quite a large community, meaning plenty of 60 (30/30) servers are still up and running with Battlefield 2 coming out sometime in 2005 (hopefully early) you can still live with getting this just because it offers world war II as you want to play it, on-line. I must say that even though I am an avid CS:S player, this one has stolen it for a bit. Battlefield 1942 really is worth it, after you get it running, and after you have the patients to actually play it like a solider ---- crawl for 2 minutes before sniping 3 enemy over the space of 10 minutes with guys above you on a score of 44... patients is the virtue while playing this if you want to win.... Or if you have the skill, grab a bomber and go drop some bouncers on a spawn building for mass kill. Personally I prefer to play to the sneaking sniper. You know I 0wned u. 

Pros:
-Multiplayer must-have.
-Fairly realistic simulation experience that you will play again and again.
-The only World War II simulation worth playing on-line right now.
-Good game engine. Solid playing.
-Replaces Operation Flashpoint as best on-line war simulation game.
-Really big player numbers of servers.


Cons:
-Harsh reality of enduring install problems and updates.
-Expensive.
-Needs broadband.
-Spawn points have exploit bugs.
-No voice-com.
-Not much of a team communication interface either.
-2002 graphics... but still nice. Models need work.
-There is a bit of a learning curve.
-Not as vast as Operation Flashpoint.

TOTALLY WORTH YOUR MONEY!
Blast away at elite german troops or snipe with the new semi-automatic sniper rifle. Either way, this game rocks! Best game in the world. Awesome multiplayer usage. Worth ten dollars completely so get it and play multiplayer at gamespyarcade! I will be there to play you Weston. Yes. This is your friend Bryce.

Lag and Bugs too much a hindrance to keep it immersive
Too much choppy gameplay prone to lag and control issues. Icky first person gameplay compared to most any FPS. Great ideas controlling the vehicles ships and planes. Lopsided gameplay that heavily favors pilots.Communication a hindrance without real time mic chat built in and a terribly late typed messages. Sometimes almost impossible with skipping key inputs and garbled messages. Therefore any real strategy on a grand scale against the enemy is laughable. Most kids online just 'rambo' and grab a vehicle or plane and take off on their own agenda. ... Read more

Asin: B00007LVJA
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Shooters (Shooter)    4. Military (Tactics)    5. Strategy (Strategic)    6. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    7. Military (Wargames    8. Mechanized action    9. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (12 November, 2001)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

A long time ago, an awesome real-time strategy game set in Earth's pastnamed Age of Empires II was unleashed on an unwitting public. Almostimmediately, it took its place among the best games of its genre. GalacticBattlegrounds takes many of the elements that made Age of Empires IIso good and gives them a complete Star Wars makeover. The gameplay is sosimilar, it's hard to recommend it to anyone with a copy of AOE II.However, if you haven't played AOE II, or you're a hard-core StarWars fan, you might just find this game to be strong in the Force.

Battlegrounds offers you the chance to become a leader in deciding someof the most important battles of the Star Wars mythology. As in otherreal-time strategy games, you'll concern yourself with such things as keepingyour troops fed, advancing technology, and trade. And, of course, keeping yourbase from getting completely wiped out is generally considered a plus.

Among the few enhancements Battlegrounds makes to the Age of EmpiresII engine is the bigger technology tree (more stuff to invent and play with)and air and anti-air units (TIE fighters, X-wings, etc.). Most of the favoriteraces, machinery, and characters of the films are also well represented.Wookiees, Jedi, the Trade Federation, Darth Vader, Luke, and the rest of thegang (including Jar Jar) are all there for you to command in the campaign mode.Those looking to wage war in the battles seen in the films might be somewhatdisappointed, as many of the missions, while no less important, take placeparallel (and usually very close to) those shown in movies.

Thankfully, a few of the better-known skirmishes have been incorporated in thegame--just don't expect to significantly alter Star Wars history. Forexample, when controlling Imperial forces in the Battle of Hoth (the snow battlefrom The Empire Strikes Back), you lead your troops in an effort toannihilate Rebel scum before they can flee the planet. Can you change theoutcome of the battle seen in the films? Aside from losing your commander andimmediately losing the game, no. But the stories behind the skirmishes depictedthroughout Battlegrounds do fit well into the Star Wars myth andare usually fun. There are also quite a few standalone missions, a random mapgenerator, and tools for creating your own battles. It's enough to keephard-core Star Wars fans ignoring their earthly responsibilities for a good longtime.

Battlegrounds is, at its core, a modification of Age of Empires IIand it plays about as well as can be expected. Fortunately, despite its somewhatoutdated graphics, Battlegrounds' famous characters and locales add justenough Star Wars flavor to help make it a solid game in its own right.

Pros:

• Puts you in command of AT-ATs, stormtroopers, and Jedi
• Familiar Star Wars locales, characters, and music
• Uses the familiar (and very good) Age of Empires II interface
• Interesting main campaign that spans the films and goes beyond Return ofthe Jedi

Cons:

• Outdated graphics lack definition and are rather flat
• AT-ATs too small, TIEs and X-wings hover instead of fly

... Read more

Reviews (127)

Star wars galactic battlegrounds is awsome!!!!!!
Star wars galactic battlegrounds is awsome!!!!!! the game has good grafics and is fun to play. they teach you how to play in the menu.
to make it better you should get an expantion like star wars galactic battlegrounds the clone compainion.

Great game, but lacks a certain something
Let me preface my review by stating that I am an enthusiastic Star Wars fan, and bought this game because of it. The gameplay is fun and interesting and the SW locals are great; however, when compared to AOE II (the game from which this is derived), there is a slight lack of cohesion and balance. It is harder to find unit combos that work seamlessly together, and there are too many top-heavy units (AT-AT and the rebellion tank, for example) which don't cost enough to make (it is VERY easy to build 15-20 AT-AT's and steamroller across a map). The flying units are a mere annoyance, lacking any real power when faced with anti-aircraft, and a sheild generators and towers make uber-strong defensive combos that take eons to remove, especially in the face of defensive siege weapon emplacements.

To summarize: This is a good game, but if you are playing someone who has a similar skill level, prepare to be playing a LONG time.

Good game
I had a lot of fun playing this game. There really was only one problem. This would be that it is a total clone of Age of Empires 2. It is the AoE game engine set in a Star Wars galaxy. The units are exactly the same. For example, there is a unit in AoE that is called the ram, it is resitant to arrows and destroys buildings. In Star Wars there is a unit called a pummel. It is resitant to lasers and destroys sturctures. This sounds pretty similar, right? I suggest that you buy Age of Empires, and you love it, to buy this game. You should try AoE out first. ... Read more

Asin: B00005LABJ
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Space Simulators (Simulation)    4. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, scifi)    5. Strategy (Strategic)    6. Star Wars (Starwars)   

Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII Expansion Pack
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (03 September, 2003)
list price: $9.99 -- our price: $9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Unique Battlefield experiences, ranging from nightfall in Prague to a winter battle in Norway
• Expansion for Battlefield 1942 lets you control the most bizarre and lethal top-secret weapons of World War II
• Wield the Wasserfall Guided Rocket, the Natter Rocket Plane, and the revolutionary Rocket Pack
• Drop from a cargo plane behind enemy lines with one-shot kill knives, new machine guns, and more
• Eight new World War II campaigns, including combat missions at a V2 research facility and Hitler¿s hideaway, the Eagle's Nest

Reviews (68)

World War II in a box!!
** Get the most complete Battlefield 1942 Game with add-ons by choosing Battlefield 1942: World War II Anthology. If it is not available then you need to get the three games in this pack - Battlefield: 1942, Battlefield 1942 Expansion: The Road to Rome and Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII Expansion Pack that work out a little more expensive. Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition has 1942 original and Road to Rome. So all you need with the Deluxe Edition is to get Secret Weapons. To be honest the steepest it works out at is. The Anthology is $30.00 and is the same price as the Deluxe Edition plus Secret Weapons. Getting all three separately will cost you nearly $40.00 so get the best deal in bundle packs.**

Want to play the best war simulation? Go play the old Operation Flashpoint and pray that the spring 2006 Operation Flashpoint 2 deadline will be met with the best war multiplayer simulator ever conceived. Want to play a single player war game that matched the experience of Medal of Honour: Allied Assault? Then go play Call of Duty and get the expansion pack Call of Duty: United Offensive. Want to the play the best SWAT type tactical one on one? Then go get Half-Life 2 and play Counter-Strike. Fancy a futuristic sci-fi multiplayer with huge maps? Then get the latest Unreal Tournament. So what else is there? Well to be honest Battlefield 1942 is straight up probably one of the best multiplayer games I have played, but be warned, the simulation experience does call for infinite amounts of patients and the game is extremely buggy to install. There is very little good technical support except for what the community offers, updates can be patchy, people end up can't playing it, and it suffers from fatal spawn point easy target syndrome that has rendered many of the maps unplayable... however new maps are updated, but just don't expect the BF1942 community to be as responsive as let's say STEAM. The bottom line here is that even single player mode is not supported. The game comes pretty much as it is served so expect to spend more than a day, maybe a week, to get it to work on your machine with lots of google searches for your problem. The solutions should be found in forums troubleshooting guides. Be prepared for discs that don't appear to like firewalls, anti-virus checkers and other background processes. This is the game of games in terms of installation bugs and crashes. In short - Requires broadband INTERNET.

Single player like we said is not supported. Multiplayer is one big CAPTURE THE FLAG, but what a game of CTF! Problem right away is the lack of classes that looks restrictive but it is actually okay, with five types of soldiers to choose from - sniper, machine gun, rockets, medic, engineer... so it is closer to Team Fortress than Operation Flashpoint that allows full configuration of up to twenty classes. Having said that it does not reduce the impact of the game, but does leave the realm of simulation, deviating into more Unreal Tournament territory where there is very real possibility of just leaving your team behind and going on a frag-a-thon across the map. If you are into that sort of thing then maybe the more recent, but certainly not as good, Battlefield Vietnam, can offer you that type of solo bush mission multiplayer experience like Far Cry with lesser graphics, but if it is Pearl Harbor, Petersburg, German Forests, French Country, Operation Overlord, multiplayer style, where you can pilot lots of vehicles, and use a little team commands, then sir, Battlefield 1942 is really what you should be playing across that 1MB connection you got jacked into that modem.

So limiting by its nature of being a multiplayer only game, with a difficult install, that is quite old'ish by today's standards, still manages to provide the best World War II multiplayer entertainment you have ever seen with Operation Flashpoint beating it for realism and detail as a simulation, but this is the war game that people play online, and it still has quite a large community, meaning plenty of 60 (30/30) servers are still up and running with Battlefield 2 coming out sometime in 2005 (hopefully early) you can still live with getting this just because it offers world war II as you want to play it, on-line. I must say that even though I am an avid CS:S player, this one has stolen it for a bit. Battlefield 1942 really is worth it, after you get it running, and after you have the patients to actually play it like a solider ---- crawl for 2 minutes before sniping 3 enemy over the space of 10 minutes with guys above you on a score of 44... patients is the virtue while playing this if you want to win.... Or if you have the skill, grab a bomber and go drop some bouncers on a spawn building for mass kill. Personally I prefer to play to the sneaking sniper. You know I 0wned u. 

Pros:
-Multiplayer must-have.
-Fairly realistic simulation experience that you will play again and again.
-The only World War II simulation worth playing on-line right now.
-Good game engine. Solid playing.
-Replaces Operation Flashpoint as best on-line war simulation game.
-Really big player numbers of servers.


Cons:
-Harsh reality of enduring install problems and updates.
-Expensive.
-Needs broadband.
-Spawn points have exploit bugs.
-No voice-com.
-Not much of a team communication interface either.
-2002 graphics... but still nice. Models need work.
-There is a bit of a learning curve.
-Not as vast as Operation Flashpoint.

TOTALLY WORTH YOUR MONEY!
Blast away at elite german troops or snipe with the new semi-automatic sniper rifle. Either way, this game rocks! Best game in the world. Awesome multiplayer usage. Worth ten dollars completely so get it and play multiplayer at gamespyarcade! I will be there to play you Weston. Yes. This is your friend Bryce.

Lag and Bugs too much a hindrance to keep it immersive
Too much choppy gameplay prone to lag and control issues. Icky first person gameplay compared to most any FPS. Great ideas controlling the vehicles ships and planes. Lopsided gameplay that heavily favors pilots.Communication a hindrance without real time mic chat built in and a terribly late typed messages. Sometimes almost impossible with skipping key inputs and garbled messages. Therefore any real strategy on a grand scale against the enemy is laughable. Most kids online just 'rambo' and grab a vehicle or plane and take off on their own agenda. ... Read more

Asin: B00009V3NX
Sales Rank: 600
Subjects:  1. Military (Wargames    2. Great Deals (Outlet store)    3. Computer Games    4. Action    5. Shooters (Shooter)    6. Military (Tactics)    7. Mechanized action    8. Strategy (Strategic)    9. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)   

Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (14 May, 2002)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Clone Campaigns expansion for Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds is inspired by the large-scale battles in Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones, as well as the classic and expanded Star Wars universe. Clone Campaigns features 14 original single-player combat scenarios, new civilizations, environments, vehicles, and more than 200 new units. By adding the expansion pack to Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds, players can mix and match civilizations from Attack of the Clones with those from the classic Star Wars universe in both skirmish and multiplayer modes.

Clone Campaigns, like the base game Galactic Battlegrounds, is built upon enhanced engine technology from Ensemble Studios' Age of Kings. The Clone Campaigns expansion pack features numerous technical improvements, including upgraded shields, power cores, and new effects.

Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns requires a copy of the retail version of the original game (Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds) in order to be played.

... Read more

Reviews (34)

Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds
While Galactic Battlegrounds gets on the right RTS road, it doesn't go the distance. In a nutshell, it feels like an AoE mod more than a stand-alone game. A few improvements to the unit AI and some tweaking of structural hit points and we just might have a solid Star Wars RTS on our hands.

GGGRRREEEAAATTT GGGAAAMMMEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I got the first galactic battle grounds I was astounded: easy controls, several great civilizations, and more! But when the clone campaigns came out, I went crazy. It's not a game you play once, then put it away forever. I got that game 2 years ago, and I still play it.

unfortunately, every game has pros and cons.
Pros
-Great, unique units for every civilization
-Over 35 missions
-Computer players can be set toeasiest,easy,medium,and hard

Cons
-Computers at times can be dense
-Melee fighting graphics not realistic
-Some of your own weapons can hurt your own soldiers

But, Overall, great game.

STAR WARS ROCKS
If you like stratigy games you'll love this.The Graphics are awsome and the campains are so well told.I always play it when I can some times I even sneek down from my room to play it.It is so realistic.It's like you'r in a huver car watching and comarding you'r troops.You'll have to see it for you'r self to beleve me.So click on BUY!!! ... Read more

Asin: B000065EUJ
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Strategy (Strategic)    3. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, Scifi)   

Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (27 March, 2002)
list price: $19.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

In the tradition of the multi-award-winning Star Wars: Jedi Knight, Star Wars: Jedi Knight 2, Jedi Outcast features rebel agent Kyle Katarn in exhilarating first-person action. Several years have passed since Kyle avenged his father's death and saved the Valley of the Jedi from Jerec and his band of Dark Jedi. Allowing his Force powers to languish for fear of falling to the dark side, Kyle entrusted his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker, vowing never to use it again. But when a new and menacing threat to the galaxy emerges, Kyle knows he must reclaim his past in order to save his future.

LucasArts is developing Jedi Outcast in partnership with Activision's critically acclaimed Raven Software. Players assume the role of Kyle as they employ a unique mix of weapons, Force powers, and the lightsaber in both single- and multiplayer modes. Jedi Outcast features expanded and enhanced use of the lightsaber, with new attack and defense moves. Tap into the powers of the Force, including jump, push, Jedi mind tricks, and more. Employ combat or stealth, depending on the situation. When a fight is necessary, be at the ready with an arsenal of weapons: stun baton, Bryar blast pistol, and blaster rifle to name but a few.

Explore breathtaking Star Wars locales such as Cloud City, the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Nar Shaddaa, the smugglers' moon--plus some never-before-seen locations. Multiplayer options include deathmatch, saber-only deathmatch, and team capture the flag. ... Read more

Features

• Expanded and enhanced use of the lightsaber features a slew of attack and defense moves
• Tap into the powers of the Force including Jump, Push, Jedi Mind Tricks and more
• Employ combat or stealth, depending on the situation. When a fight is necessary, be at the ready with an arsenal of weapons: stun baton, Bryar blast pistol, blaster rifle to name but a few.
• Explore breathtaking Star Wars locales--Cloud City, the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Nar Shaddaa, the smugglers' moon--plus some never-before-seen locations
• Multi-player options including, deathmatch, saber-only deathmatch, and team capture the flag.

Reviews (337)

THE BEST STAR WARS COMBAT GAME EVER!!!
I LOVE THIS GAME TOO MUCH!!! BUT WHICH IS BETTER=OUTCAST OR ACADEMY!!!!!

Mac users can be Jedi!
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is one of the first games I bought for my Mac.Gameplay is challenging and fun!The single player storyline is entertaining and pulls you into the game and keeps you there.After a slow start with no Force Powers or light saber, you really will begin to feel like a Jedi Knight.Kyle Katarn's character is one of the best characters I've seen in any game, and could easily be a film character in a Star Wars movie.Some of the most memorable levels for me are fighting as a Jedi alongside Jedi Master Luke Skywalker against a half dozen or so Reborn Dark Jedi, fighting criminals in Nar Shadaa where you really must make use of your arsenal of cool weapons, and the two key battles against Tavion and Desann.I have other, newer games, but Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is the game I keep coming back to play.

The multiplayer matches are fairly standard Quake 3 Arena fare, with one exception, the one-on-one Lightsaber Duel.You may think you're a Jedi Knight after dispatching hundereds of storm troopers and Dark Jedi in the single player game, but the real creative battles happen in Lightsaber Duels against real people online.Just please remember to fight with honor and bow before combat.

Jedi Outcast has reasonable system requirements will play well on any modern G4 or G5 Mac.

Jedi Academy
As other people have said, the plot for one-player mode is very...Well, almsot pathetic. It left me confused, it didn't explain alot. But the game is still enjoyable, the graphics are OK.

In Multi-Player, you can fight other players. You can choose what you want you charecter to look like and change it as much as you want and pick your light saber. My only complaint about Multi-player mode is everyone there is rude. Well, almost everyone. There are certain clubs and "cults" where they go around calling non-members of their club/cult "Lamers".

Overall, it's a pretty good game. ... Read more

Asin: B00005LABK
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Adventure    3. Action    4. Shooters (Shooter)    5. Space Simulators (Simulation)    6. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, scifi)    7. Star Wars (Starwars)   

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (16 September, 2003)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Unique level selection system allows players to choose their own path through the game
• First-person Star Wars action/adventure, with a story-based singled-player campaign and a variety of multiplayer combat modes
• Learn the ways of the Force from Master Luke Skywalker
• Customize your character by choosing species, gender, clothing, and physical attributes such as hair and facial features
• Create a custom lightsaber by choosing hilt design, blade color, and style: single, double, or dual sabers

Reviews (91)

I CANT WAIT TO GET IT
I want this game so much it sounds like fun espically the plot. Im looking foward to playing out my favorite battle in the series the battle between maul,qui gonn,and obi-wan!!I WANT THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

best internet play ever!!
this games play is good.i was just finished with another game and board so i looked through my games i came acrose jedi academy i thought hmm could be good then i saw the multiplayer option and i was hocked!!! i ended up playing loads this game is ot only fun i realised it was also addictive.starwars fans or people who like slashing people with light sabers this is for you!!!!!!!!

Fun, awesome star wars action, one complaint
first the complaint.I just bought myself a Dell Dimension 8400 with P4 3.0 Ghz, 512 MB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon X300 SE with 128MB of Video Ram.This is a powerhouse computer.

I played Call of Duty, which graphically is a more advanced game than Jedi Academy, and finally had it play perfectly smoothly.It was such fun to do so.I then popped in Jedi Academy to test its performance in a faster environment (before I had a P4 2.0 Ghz, 64 MB NVIDIA GeForce 4, and 256 MB of RAM), and I was disappointed.I put the highest settings (1024x768, 32 bit color, high graphics) and the game ran choppy!I put it on "normal" settings, and the game STILL ran choppy.How is it possible that Call of Duty runs perfect, but Jedi Academy runs choppy?It doesn't make sense...

Anyway, you can set the graphic settings to the lowest (which is what I did), and it will play smoothly, but you won't get any of the graphics benefits.The game, however, is fun. ... Read more

Asin: B0000A2MCN
Sales Rank: 32
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Shooters (Shooter)    4. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)   

ADS Technologies API-800 Pyro Drive Kit
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $189.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Data-intensive files such as digital video and multimedia projects require a tremendous amount of storage. The PYRO1394 drive enclosure is the perfect external storage solution that features FireWire connectivity.

The PYRO 1394 Drive Kit features an external drive enclosure that enables users to convert an IDE Ultra DMA/33 or 66 drive, ATA-100 Drive, CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD-RAM drive into a FireWire drive simply by plugging into the ADS Native Bridge Board inside the enclosure. At 400 MBps, you will get the maximum data throughput for your external drive.

Plug and Play and hot swappable, the PYRO Drive Kit is ideal for users who need a faster bus than USB but do not want the installation hassle of SCSI devices. Now your hard drive is portable and can be easily plugged into any FireWire port.

The PYRO 1394 Drive Kit is a storage solution that includes a 1394 drive enclosure to accommodate almost any type of storage device. ... Read more

Features

• Add multi-gig storage to your PC or Mac
• Instantly enhance almost any IDE hard drive, ATA-100 drive, DVD drive, or CD drive