CD ROMS AND BOOKS
Name Price Rating Comment Win 95 Win 3.1 Supplier Tel no Issue Page Additional comments, notes
CD-ROMs
3D Landscape £49.95 llllmm Useful garden designer, though intrusive interface. Y Y Fast Track Software 01923 495496 20 161
20th Century Video Almanac £180.00 lllmmm American oriented view of the last hundred years. Y Mindscape 01444 246333 7 242
95 Companion £19.95 lllmmm Plenty of material in this shareware compendium. Y N Almathera 0181 687 0040 14 180
100 Years of Motoring £49.95 lllmmm Disparate contents let down a good interface. Y Y Kock Media 01252 714340 10 156
500 Nations £40.00 lllllm Fascinating. Lots of information content. Well produced. Y Microsoft 0345 002000 13 163 recommended
A Passion for Art £50.00 lllllm A true educational experience. Corbis 0171 278 1387 13 164 recommended
Alices Adventures in Wonderland £19.99 lllllm Delightful electronic journey into Lewis Carrol's world Y Europress 01625 859444 9 149
Ancient Lands £45.00 lllllm An excellent tour of Egypt, Greece and Rome. Y Microsoft 0345 002000 7 240
Anglo Saxons £105.00 lllllm A marvellous educational CD-ROM. Y Koch Media 01252 714340 7 242
An Introduction to Classical Music £59.00 lllmmm Too simplistic for adults and too frustrating for children. Y Attica Cybernetics 01865 791346 6 245
Art of Singing £39.95 llllmm A beautifully presented introduction to the world of singing. Y Y Notting Hill Software 01634 297123 21 163
A stroll in Xxth Century Art £44.99 lllmmm No substitute for a real art gallery. Y Y Matra Hachette Multimedia 0181 600 6023 16 155
Atomic Age £19.99 lllllm A sobering look at modern atomic power. Excellent interface. Y Y Softkey 0181 789 2000 11 148 recommended
Beethoven's Fifth £39.99 lllllm Worth every penny. Y Mindscape 01444 246333 6 246
Best News Interactive Bible £29.99 lmmmmm A poor interface and bugs make this CD one to avoid. Y Y Kingsway 0800 378446 21 162
Cannes Film Festival £39.99 lllmmm Looks impressive, but very shallow. Y Y Koch Media 01252 714340 15 140
Cinemania 96 £29.99 lllllm The best film CD-ROM available. Y N Microsoft 0345 002000 17 152 excellence
Cinemania 97 £40.00 lllllm Few changes from '96, but this is still a must have disc. Y N Microsoft 0345 002000 25 214 recommended
Collins Dictionary of Quotations £20.00 lllllm A gem for users of quotations including facility to add your own. Y Y GSP 01480 496666 23 179
Composer Collection £85.00 lllllm A valuable aid to students. Y Microsoft 0345 002000 6 244
Corel All Movie Guide £58.00 llllmm Staggering amount of information but uneven reviewing. Y Channel Marketmakers 01703 814142 13 162
Corel Gallery 2 £93.00 lllmmm 15,000 clips, 500 fonts and more. Y Y Channel Marketmakers 01703 814142 8 184
Crazy for Ragtime £50.00 lllllm Broad in scope, packed with information, excellently designed. Y Macmillan Interactive 01256 302683 25 220 recommended
Critical Mass £49.99 lllllm A steady and sober look at the development of the atom bomb. Y Y Corbis 0171 278 1387 20 158 recommended
Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed £53.00 llllll A thorough investigation of a fascinating topic. Y Technomatic 0181 205 9558 10 155 recommended
Dogs £29.99 llllmm Not up to Microsoft's usual high standards. Y Y Microsoft 0345 002000 21 162
Driving Instructor £19.99 lllmmm Basic lessons and patronising. Buy a driving lesson. Y Y Europress 01625 859444 16 156
Driving Skills £24.99 lllmmm A good backup to the hghway code, but not interactive enough. Y Y HMSO 0171 873 9090 24 206
Encarta 96 £49.99 lllmmm Mediocre encyclopedia with monthly online updates. Y N Microsoft 0345 002000 17 153
Encarta 96 World Atlas £50.00 lllllm First class interactive atlas that truly breaks new ground Y N Microsoft 0345 002000 19 152
Encyclopaedia of Space and the Universe £40.00 lllllm An excellent, well organised CD with a great interface. Y Dorling Kindersley 0171 753 3488 25 219 recommended
Escher Interactive £50.00 lllllm Well designed and interesting guide to Eschers life and work. Y Y Thames and Hudson 0171 636 5488 23 180 recommended
Events that Changed the World £40.00 llllmm Stylish but a little overpriced. Y Y Dragon's World 0171 630 9955 22 176
Exploring Ancient Cities £59.00 lllmmm Let down by lack of up to date information. Y Y W H Freeman 01865 726975 11 149
Eyewitness Encyclopaedia of Nature £59.00 lllllm Superbly designed view of the natural world. Y Y Dorling Kindersley 0171 753 3488 12 169
Eyewitness History of the World £59.00 llllll Unbeatable view of human history and achievements. Y Dorling Kindersley 0171 753 3488 12 167 recommended
Great Artists £44.99 llllll Informative and well presented. Y Y Attica Cybernetics 01865 791346 9 150
Great Generals of the 20th Century £30.00 lllllm An informative disc with great presentation. Y Y FlagTower 0500 486 500 23 181 recommended
How Your Body Works £39.99 lllllm Stimulating collection of facts well presented. Y Children's Computing 10 155
Hutchinson Multimedia Encyclopaedia £47.00 lllmmm Too many ahort articles and a quirky interface. Y Y Hutchinson 01865 204204 21 161
Ideas that Changed the World £40.00 llllmm Stylish but a little overpriced. Y Y Dragon's World 0171 630 9955 22 176
Infobank £212.00 lllmmm Little depth of information. Lots of product demos. Y Y Infobank 01753 799501 15 140
Infopedia 96 £40.00 lllllm A comprehensive multi volume encyclopaedia. Y Softkey 0181 246 4000 25 218
Isaac Asimov's The Ultimate Robot £45.00 lllllm Recommended to SF and robot fans. Y Microsoft 0345 002000 8 186
Julia Child: Home Cooking with Master Chefs £29.99 llllmm Down to earth and easy to use. Y Y Microsoft 0345 002000 17 154
Learning Visual Basic 3 £24.99 llmmmm Poorly designed and put together. Y BVC 01874 611633 13 164
Learning Excel 5 £24.99 llmmmm Poorly designed and put together. Y BVC 01874 611633 13 164
Learn Windows 95 £39.95 llllmm Good for beginners. CRT Multimedia 0181 743 9900 13 165
Macbeth £34.95 llmmmm Buggy interface and superficial student notes. Y Y Guildsoft 01752 895100 11 150
Makers of the 20th Century £45.00 llllmm Fantastic presentation but only sporadically interesting content. Y Y News Multimedia 01525 852813 23 182
Makin' Music £24.99 llllmm Useful compilation of shareware and free audio clips. Y Y CD Exchange 01603 261060 11 149
Masterclips 35,000 £41.00 lllllm Superb value collection of 35,000 pieces of clip art. Y Y IMSI UK 0181 581 2000 23 178
Material World £25.00 lmmmmm A look at ordinary folks' lives and posessions. Y Y AOS 0171 389 8555 19 155
Monsters and Mythical Creatures £30.00 lllmmm Very atmospheric visuals and sound, short on information. Y Y Kock Media 01420 541880 20 159
Multimedia Library £39.95 lllmmm Large choice of sound and visual clips, but variable quality. Y Softkey 0181 789 2000 9 149
Music Central £40.00 lllllm Great interface and lots of content. Hard to resist for music fans. Y Y Microsoft 0345 002000 18 138 recommended
Music Central 97 £30.00 lllllm Smooth and stylish with no real competition. Y N Microsoft 0345 002000 25 216 recommended
National Geographic Picture Atlas of the World £69.00 lllmmm Light and superficial. Will appeal to children and tourists. Y Y Koch Media 01252 714340 15 142
Oceans £30.00 llllmm More of the same from Microsoft, patchy and predictable. Y Y Microsoft 0345 002000 24 206
Oregon Trail II £19.95 llllmm Looks good, but superficial content. Y Y Iona Software 0181 296 9454 14 182
Our World £140.00 lllmmm A mass of information poorly presented. Y The Green PC Company 9 148
Perfect Plants £36.00 lllllm Good design and plenty of information. Y Y Macmillan Interactive 01256 302683 24 204 recommended
Presenter's Power Pack 1 £39.99 llllmm Well rounded collection of presentation graphics. Y Y One Stop Direct 0181 947 1001 15 143
Push CD 95 £99.00 lllllm Informed look at the tricky business of choosing a university. Y Koch Media 01252 714340 10 154 recommended
QuickVerse Bible Reference £99.00 lllllm A must for the casual or serious bible student. Y Y Guildsoft 01752 895100 15 142 recommended
Rockbase £50.00 llllmm Not flashy, but highly useful for the rock connoisseur. Y Y Cravenplan Computers 01895 444603 18 140
Rolling Stones; Voodoo Lounge £29.99 lllmmm Stylish but lacking in substance. Y Y Virgin Interactive 0171 368 2255 17 155
Romeo and Juliet £49.99 lllllm Terrific critical content. Y Y Attica Cybernetics 01865 791346 16 154 recommended
Silver Platter Cookbook £46.99 lllllm Good enough to have a computer in the kitchen. Y Y Softkey 0181 789 2000 12 168 Recommended
Tchaikovsky's 1812 £39.99 lllllm Excellent interface, worth the money. Y Mindscape 01444 246333 6 246
Telepower Pro £40.00 lllmmm Poor user interface lets this phone directory down badly. Y Y TDS Information 0345 697630 18 141
The Planets £40.00 llllmm A refreshing and enlightning look at heavenly bodies. Y Y Macmillan Interactive 01256 302683 23 180
The Road Ahead £17.50 lllllm An insight into the future. Y 19 154
The Unexplained £30.00 llllmm Well produced and interesting look at enigmas. Y Y FlagTower 0500 486500 24 205
Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright: America's Architect £45.00 llllll Excellent guide, includes a mini CAD element. Y Y Microsoft 0345 002000 8 185
Ultimate Einstein £40.00 lllmmm Informative and well rounded, though lacks interactive parts. Y Y Macmillan Interactive 01256 302683 24 204
Ultimate Video & Animations Movie Collections £30.00 lllmmm Collections of video and animation, rather like clip art. Y Multimedia Factory 01734 595047 25 218
Vietnam: A Visual Investigation £41.00 lllllm A powerful look at events we must never forget. Y Computer Manuals 0121 706 6000 7 241
Viking Opera Guide £41.00 llllll A joy to use. Detailed and precise. Y Attica Cybernetics 01865 791346 6 245
Vikings! £30.00 lllllm An unbeatable overview of the vikings. Very impressive. Y Y AOS 01603 615151 20 160 recommended
Virtual Reality Cat and Bird £30.00 llllmm Visually stunning, but slightly lacking in information content. Y Y Dorling Kindersley 0171 753 3488 19 153
Volcanoes £50.00 lllllm Superlative exploration of volcanoes. Dramatic and compelling. Y Y Corbis 0171 278 1387 22 177 recommended
Windows 95 Secrets and Timesavers £47.00 llmmmm Disappointing. Replicates Windows own online help. Y Y Burgess Video Group 01874 611633 16 156
Wine Guide £40.00 lllllm Superb content and presentation. Y Microsoft 0345 002000 10 156 recommended
Wine, Spirits and Beer £40.00 llmmmm Disappointing guide to booze requiring hard work for little gain. Y Y Notting Hill Software 0171 229 0591 23 178
Women in Business £65.00 lllmmm Sloppy programming but useful. Y Gwent Tertiary College 01633 816868 12 166
World Atlas and Almanac £60.00 llmmmm Overpriced and clumsy. Y Y Mindscape 01444 246333 22 176
World of Flight £30.00 lllllm Fun interface that really aids learning. Y Y Microsoft 0345 002000 18 139 recommended
World of Illusion £29.99 lllmmm Good starting point for learning magic but poor presentation. Y Y Kock Media 01252 714340 16 157
World Reference Atlas £59.00 llllmm Ambitious and well designed atlas. Y Y Dorling Kindersley 0171 753 3488 14 181
World War II Encyclopaedia £49.95 llllmm Comprehensive, detailed and well presented. Y Attica Cybernetics 01865 791346 7 241
Also Released (short mentions)
Apollo 13 £26.00 llllmm Video footage and animation on the great accident. Y Y Deverill 01202 722554 18 141
Blockbuster Video Guide £20.00 lllmmm Well constructed and cheap. Y Y Centresoft 0121 625 3388 19 155
Get Connected 96 £30.00 llmmmm Very easy to navigate but quite basic information content. Y Y CRT Multimedia 0181 743 9900 19 155
International Athletics £39.95 not rated Real athletes, classic clips, and training databases. Y Y Notting Hill Software 01634 297123 21 163
Nelson and his Navy £30.00 not rated The history of Nelson and the navy he worked in Y Y AOS 01603 615151 20 161
Scrutiny in the Great Round £40.00 not rated Interactive art. Y Y Macmillan Interactive 0345 697008 20 161
The Space Race £30.00 llllmm Interactive documentary on the race to the moon. Y Y Flagtower 0500 486500 18 141
Wide World of Animals £39.99 not rated Lots of sound, video and animation, and fascinating content. Y Y Creative Wonders 01753 549442 21 163
World War II £40.00 lllllm Good product on the people and events that shaped WWII Y Y Flagtower 0500 486500 18 141

Last Update: 15/10/96

Name: PC Pro