Microsoft Dinosaurs, 1993

School Science and Mathematics, Jan 1998 by McDonald, Jacqueline

Publisher: Microsoft Corporation, http:// www.microsoft.com

Program Overview

Microsoft Dinosaurs is a large database which can be explored from several different perspectives. From the Contents page, you can select the Atlas, which allows you to select different geographical locations. The program then introduces you to the dinosaurs that have been found in that region and to historical events in the area of paleontology which occurred in that region. The Timeline option shows you the major geological eras and epochs. From this point, you can study the dinosaurs alive at a given time point. The Families option allows you to explore related groups of dinosuars. The Index provides an alphabetical and pictorial listing of the dinosaurs in the database. It also includes the major topics related to dinosaurs that can be accessed through this program. These four tools allow the user to explore independently.

Sixteen guided tours are also available. They include"Fabulous Flyers and Stupendous Swimmers," "Let's Dig up a Dinosaur," "Dinosaur or Not?" and "Friend or Foe?" These tours have an audio narration that supplements the information presented on the screen. Six dinosaur movies are available. These animated sequences include "The Hunt," "Birds and Dinosaurs," and "Dangerous Dinosaurs."

Over 90 dinosaurs and other animals from their time periods are included in the database. With each animal is an information page that includes interesting information about the animal, links to related sections of the program, and a sound button giving you correct pronunciation of the name. A "facts" link pulls up an information box, giving you locations, time period, length, hip structure, and family identification.

Favorite Features

This is not a planned instructional package. It is designed for individual exploration and discovery. The information about any single animal is brief. However, a wide variety of information is available. There is a sound link that provides pronunciation of names. This was an excellent help. The guided tours are interesting and informative. They are often accompanied by historical photographs. The photographs augment the artwork and add more variety to the program. The illustrations are clear and interesting.

The options menu gives you access to a picture gallery and a sound collection. The pictures can be copied for use in other programs. A slide show of the program's artwork and a collection of the various sounds created for the program are also available.

Technical Features

On a Power Macintosh 7500, there were no technical problems with this program. The sound was excellent. The animated sequences were Quicktime movies and had the jerkiness inherent in that format.

The authors identify cases in which information is scant. For example, they explain that only a few skeletons of the Polacanthus have ever been found; therefore, there is no consensus on its appearance, and other scientists and artists might interpret its appearance quite differently.

Next Version

Some key pieces of information are touched on only lightly. For example, the difference between a lizard-hipped and a bird-hipped dinosaur is explained and even emphasized as a significant fact. However, the sketches which accompany this are of complete dinosaurs with a pointer to the hip area. It is impossible to see the difference clearly. This section could include animated close-ups of the hip joints which would greatly improve the information available to the user.

Microsoft Dinosaurs provides the home and school user with a broad, informative, and interesting look at the world of the dinosaur.

Editor's Note: Jacqueline McDonald's postal address is Adelphi University, School of Education, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530, and e-mail address is mcdonald@adlibv.adelphi.edu.