Customer Reviews

The National Audubon Society Interactive CD-ROM Guide to North American Birds (National Audubon Society Interactive CD-ROM Series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A previous reviewer indicated that this CD ROM does not run under Windows 98. This is not accurate. It does require you to set your display to 256 colors, but this does not mean it cannot run! The color was fine on my computer - it was rich and deep - no problem at all. Setting the display to 256 colors does cause strange effects outside of the program, so I simply reset it after I use the Audubon program. A previous reviewer also said they were unable to get the sound portion. This is not a problem with the program. The sound comes through perfectly and is gorgeous.

I found this program fantastic. As for the content,being able to hear 700 bird call examples at the touch of a button is in itself an absolute pleasure. Pictures of birds can be zoomed in, so great detail is possible. Special features like testing your knowledge and keeping a life list are wonderful. My 3 1/2 year old grandson was absolutely entralled for 3 hours straight. He also remembered a lot of what he heard and saw. I highly recommend this program.

This magnificent bird guide utilizes the potential of multimedia more than any other product on any subject I've seen, and is a great resource for anyone seriously or even casually interested in birds. It truly eclipses any book on the topic.

The heart of this multimedia gold mine is the individual species profiles. Excellent photographs labeled with common and scientific names are the base for further exploration of each species. Click a button to hear the bird's call; with over 700 sound files, this feature ALONE is worth the price of the program. Click another to see a range map that includes permanent, breeding and winter ranges along with a listing of habitats. Click a text icon to read all about the bird; a "Field Guide" link gives the basics, a "Master Guide" link goes in-depth. Family information is available as well. Some species have links to additional images such as females and immature specimens. If you've seen the bird, a click will add it to your life list; multiple life lists can be created to accommodate all users.

Information on a specific species can be rapidly located. A browse mode lets you view thumbnails of all 723 species included, which can be clicked to access the bird's profile. If you know the name of the species, you can search for it by the common or scientific name. Or, if your search is broader, you can search for a family by the term thrush, for example, or Muscicapidae.

If you've seen an unfamiliar bird in the wild, and want to identify it, a user-friendly Identification graphical interface is provided which allows searching by any and/or all of the following criteria: life zone (wetlands, desert, Eastern forest), location (Arizona, Michigan), season ( fall/spring, winter) color (up to three), shape (hawk-like, swallow-like) and size (10"-20" or same size as American Crow).

An Ecology section permits exploration by Life Zones, such as desert, grasslands and Western forests. A click on Wetlands, for example, leads to links on habitats including bogs, marshes and Southern swamps. These in turn provide lists of species found in each habitat, which can be clicked to view the bird's profile.

Short videos with voice-overs are provided on the topics of migration, reproduction, evolution, anatomy and flight. A trip planner describes 20 top birding spots around the US. Not up on your ornithological lingo? No problem: a comprehensive glossary will help you add terms from accipitter to zygodactyl to your vocabulary. The "Skill Builder" component tests what you've learned with visual and audio quizzes on species identification. Tips for new birders and an extensive bibliography round out this comprehensive multimedia treasure.

Some reviews have mentioned technical concerns. I have none. I thoroughly tested this on both the Mac 8.5 and Windows 98 platforms, and found performance perfectly acceptable on both. It is true, however, that sky backgrounds on some of the images appear pixilated, like an over-compressed .jpg file, even with the monitor set to 24 bit color, but even in those occasional photos ALL image quality of the birds themselves is excellent. To make an issue of this, however, would be like complaining that you don't like the floor mats in a Rolls Royce.

In summary, this is an excellent, information-packed, user-friendly product that can provide a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. Now if I could just get my seven year old son to give me a chance to use it.......

This looks to be the only bird guide software available in the Macintosh format. Sadly, it's an old program, and requires you to run in Classic environment. On my G4 (OS 10.1.5), the program was slow and pixelly, and while it wasn't quite what I was hoping for, I was happily on my way to creating a Life List when -- all of a sudden -- my mouse disappeared. I haven't been able to see my mouse when using the program since then, so back it goes. Quite a disappointment.

I didn't get very far before my mouse disappeared, but I didn't see obvious ways to create audio or visual tests for yourself, which is what I was really hoping for. On the positive side, the sound cues are really long and detailed.

While this CD-ROM is interesting and has a number of good points, there are several problems with it. Good points: very complete, with much information about each species of bird listed. Interesting video, text, sound, and pictures. Bad points: most important, this CD-ROM DOES NOT RUN under Windows 98 (although it works with Windows 95). It requires you to reset your display to 256 colors, with a corresponding lack of color depth in the included pictures - frustrating in this age of high powered graphics adapters. Sound files are overly loud and some were recorded at too high level, causing noticable distortion. This CD-ROM would benefit greatly from a makeover.

Even though the pictures and sounds are wonderful, if you have a graphic accelerator video card (most people do)you must go into your advanced settings in "my computer" and manually turn off the card. Then you must reboot the computer. After you are finished you must do the entire procedure over again. It's a shame because it ruins the software's usability. I wouldn't have bought it if they had advertised the problem. You don't know until you own it. Hope you learn from my mistake.

I really loved this software and used it often, but my version requires that you set your display to 256 color and this will not work with my new current monitor. I have a new NEC/Mitsubishi flat screen monitor and I just learned the hard way that resetting your display to the requirements for the CD-rom will cause you some minor (but fixable) problems if you have a flat screen monitor. Now I am looking for a newer version that will work with WIN '98 and that does not require resetting display properties.

I read the comment about the CD not working with modern computers' video cards. I have a Dell purchased 9 months ago running Windows XP Pro and everything works fine. I'm using a 21" monitor at 1280x1024 resolution, 85Hz refresh rate and true color.

So far after a week of using the CD I'd say it's an adequate product. Nothing spectacular, but it works for what I'm trying to do, which is to identify birds after I've taken pictures of them (see http://www.pbase.com/gordeaux/birds). I don't need a field guide to take into the field.

The database related features are easier to use than cross references in a paper book, as I hoped.

When my XP machine wouldn't adjust to the required 256 colors, I almost gave up on this program. But Windows XP has a means of running legacy programs. After installing the program, start Windows Explorer and navigate to the directory where the program is located (C:\Audubon by default) and right-click on the file birds.exe. Go to "Properties" and then click the "Program Compatibility" tab and check the box for 256 colors. Click "apply" and then close out of Explorer. The program should run properly, but if not you could try other compatibility options, such as checking the box for Win 95 compatibility and/or 640x480.

Although the program is good the copy protection that makes you have the CD in the drive to run the program is not 21st century. I have a mini laptop with an external CD that I usually don't have hooked up. To use the program I need to hook up the external drive. To me this CD is totally USLESS

This is a very expensive product. I would expect clearer pictures, we get clearer pictures on junk Email. So far, I am unable to get the sound portion, which is why I wanted this program in the first place. Be sure you have a compatible sound card BEFORE you open the CD-ROM. I am told the Peterson version is better.