Recommended Audience
There is no indication what age level this product is intended for other than the words "for curious young minds" on the back of the package. Children from elementary age can enjoy the sounds, pictures, and short video demonstrations of how things work t
o teenagers who can learn about the historical aspects of technological advances throughout the world. There is no doubt that adults, too, would find this product immensely enjoyable, but, the slowness of it from one concept to another had me dragging mo
st of the time. It was hard for me to stay interested just going through its sections. Yet, would I have wanted to know about a particular machine, I could see myself using The Way Things Work as an encyclopedic resource. The educational value o
f this product could be great due to its endless array of information to follow and absorb.
Back to Menu
System Requirements
The requirements needed for its use are clearly stated. It is available in Cross Platform for Windows and Macintosh computers, but there are very minimal instructions for setting up this program. I did not have any trouble, but it was not as straight fo
rward as the directions indicate. I used this program with Windows 95 so I cannot say how it performed on earlier versions of Windows or in a MAC environment. I was very pleased with the Windows 95 performance. By registering, you will receive informat
ion about upgrades, upcoming CD-ROMS, and special offers by DK Multimedia.
For WINDOWS ®
You will need: A multimedia PC, with 486DX/33MHz or higher
microprocessor, 8Mb RAM (12Mb recommended for Windows ® 95),
MPC-compatible double-speed CD-ROM drive and sound card, mouse, SVGA 256
color display (16-bit color preferred), loudspeakers or headphones, and
Microsoft ® Windows ® version 3.1x or Windows ® 95.*
For MACINTOSH ®
You will need: An Apple Macintosh ® 68LC040 25MHz computer or
above, that supports a 640 x 480 pixel monitor displaying 256 colors (thousands of colors preferred), 8Mb RAM, a double-speed CD-ROM drive, and System 7.0 or later.
Back to Menu
Recommendation
Overall, I liked this software for its ease-of-use and its multimedia fun. However, I felt it was too slow for me to use on a regular basis unless I was looking for specific information. Due to its low price and compact storage requirements, it far exce
ls any print version of this type of information. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is interested in the history of machines and technology.
Shannon Egan
February 10, 1997
Other Reviews
MacWeek Review
"I expected more from a CD than I would get from David Macaulay's
excellent books. But the multimedia opportunity was squandered on goofy
animations of embarrassed prehistoric animals, with only bite-size facts that left me longing for a full meal." NOVEMBER 27, 1996
Cdmag Page 1
"The perfect answer to a questioning child."
Back to Menu
Another interesting aspect of this product is its "mammoth.net" web connection. Although this may be DK's way of jumping onto the "web"wagon, it does provide an avenue for keeping the consumer always coming back for more. Mammoth.net allows for a more f
ocused view of things not featured on the disc. In the Inventor's Club, a new inventor is featured each month and Home Inventor presents ideas of projects to do at home. Mammoth Fun Zone and Mammoth Mail allow for interaction from the consumer. Mammoth
Classroom is for teachers and students with ideas for lessons. Navigation is simple with clickable buttons for easy movement within the site.