A world of info at your fingertips. (computer programs) (Sharepak) (evaluation)
by Richard C. Leinecker

When you bought your computer, you made a list of things you'd do with it so everyone would be convinced you were making a wise purchase. Make good on your resolutions with this month's SharePak. It's packed with programs that will edify and entertain active minds. These programs put a wealth of information at your fingertips and bring you money closely in touch with the world around you.

If you had to scour the online services for these same programs, you'd pay many times the price of this month's disk. We pay the online charges, and we devote hundreds of hours to screening programs so that you can have the very best for your software collection.

Our United States

How much do you really know about your own country? Can you spout facts about the good ol' U.S.A. with authority and assurance? Or does your command of the facts leave - ahem - something to be desired? Develop your knowledge of landmarks around our country. Go even further and have a great time learning and impressing friends and family by playing Our United States. It's a terrific trivia-style game about our country.

Sure - you could buy a board game or use flash cards. But this game's colorful screen effects and distinctive sounds make playing and learning much more fun. Each problem has a time limit that's depicted toward the top of the screen as a decreasing bar graph. The problem timer adds just the edge needed to keep your adrenaline flowing, your heart pumping, and fun-filled excitement coming in waves.

If you're smart enough to get an answer right, the game offers you some extra tidbits of trivia on the screen. Answer quickly and correctly, and you'll qualify for bonus points.

You'll find that the game is easy to play. All of the instructions fit in one help screen that you can view with the press of a key. And if your score is high enough, you'll qualify for the high-score list. Then your friends and family can try to beat your score and earn a higher rung on the list of all-time great players.

Trivia Whiz

Those trivia board games are hard to beat for fun and entertainment. But you can't always find people who have the time when you have the itch to play. That's where Trivia Whiz comes in.

When the urge strikes, just turn on your computer and run Trivia Whiz. Colorful, well-planned menus give this program a truly professional look. Questions appear randomly on a variety of topics such as sports, general interest, and science. A timer gives you just enough time to think (a few seconds) but not enough time to dwell on any one question.

Don't worry if you're a little rusty. There's a nice mix of easy and hard questions. And if you play long enough, you'll find that there's nothing trivial about how much you've learned and how adept you've become at answering these questions. If you prefer to focus on certain subjects, you'll find a good mix of those, too; so you'll get plenty of what you want.

For exciting fast-paced trivia action that will make you a quiz whiz, this game is a must.

Word Whiz

Like body language, your vocabulary reveals more about you than you might be aware of. Are you well educated, ambitious, polite, or aggressive? Mastery of the language gives you a substantial advantage as you present yourself - and as you analyze others. Word Whiz will advance you toward that goal.

More than just a vocabulary drill program, Word Whiz is an effective and entertaining game. It keeps score and even gives you bonuses for doing well. This easy-to-use, professional-quality program will keep you and your family on the edge of your seats for hours.

If you want to knock 'em dead with your brilliant vocabulary or just have some fun learning more about words, this program will give you hours of satisfaction.

The World

Imagine the world at your fingertips. Now you can have it with this comprehensive world map, atlas, and information program. Plan your vacation, do research, and prepare school assignments with this feature-packed package.

The choices seem endless. View a specific latitude and longitude, see an entire area of the world, look for a city and state in the United States, view cities of note, and find capitals of every nation. There's something for everyone who has a geographical question.

You can get plenty of information by pointing to a spot on the world map and pressing Enter. You'll see a blowup of that area with information about it. If you keep pressing Enter, the area will become more and more magnified, giving you a detailed view of a small area.

For the geographically curious and the scholastically inclined, this program will fill an important need. You won't have to wonder where Madagascar and Malaysia are anymore; just use The World to easily find and learn more about them.