5 stars (Looking for something good for my kids...) - I am constantly on the lookout for science software that's fun for my kids. When I saw that Children's Software Revue gave Starry Night Complete Space & Astronomy Pack 4.5 stars out of five and called it "the ideal package for either novice or expert astronomers who want to know a bit more about their backyard view of the universe," it was a must-buy for my household. My kids LOVE this program. They are on the computer all the time now looking at the planets and the sun or doing one of the guided tours. I totally recommend this! 5 stars (Great Way to Pass on a Love for Astronomy) - I pride myself on being a fairly experienced amateur astronomer and I've been a very happy and enthusiastic user of Starry Night Pro 4.5 for close to a year. My 10-year old niece got her hands on the "Atlas of the Sky" DVD and I was excited to see in her reaction the signs of the astronomer within. I knew SM Pro was more than she needed, so I got her the Complete Space & Astronomy Pack for her birthday and it fit the bill exactly. The encyclopedia-like content is fabulous to feed her ever-growing curiosity and the visualization powers are just awesome and keep her coming back for more. She's hooked and now I've got a partner in crime. This product gets high marks from a happy aunt. 5 stars (Best Way to Learn About The Universe for Adults and Children) - What can I say except - The Best! I bought this for myself as a reintroduction to an old hobby. The package surpassed all other programs I'd ever seen. It was intuitive, informative and included material I'd never seen before. Needless to say, I'm considering buying a telescope now! The depth of information on deep sky objects was my favorite feature. However, when my 5th grader got his hands on Starry Night, I couldn't get him to go to bed for a week straight. The best software out there for all users. Highly recommended! ... Imaginova :: Science (Sciences) :: Reference :: Education (Educational) :: Kids (Children) :: Computer software (programs) :: :: Starry Night Complete Space -amp- Astronomy Pack
5 stars (It makes me happy...) - I was an astronomy enthusiast without any tools, until now. This is a great program, runs smoothly, and is as fun and educational as everyone raves. With 700 million light years of space to explore, the point and click option makes any visit possible. I have not made any successful landings with the spaceship mode; that takes a little practice, but I have successfully collided with many deep space objects which has made my flying attempts rewarding all the same. So, I would recommend this program with great enthusiasm. May you have Clear Skies (An astronomer's blessing) 4 stars (shakey start but well worth the wait.) - Okay, the discs that came with the box delivered would not install. Getting a hold of Tech Support required scouting for the 416 number in Canada and leaving a voice mail message - not the best first impression. I did receive a return call about 4 hours later from Claire at Starry Night Tech Support. She said this was a known manufacturing problem affecting a small batch of product that went out, and she promised to send me a replacement set once I provided proof of purchase (a copy of Amazon's confirmation e-mail sufficed). Now that I have the program installed, I am quite pleased. It's graphics are stunning especially compared to my old DOS version of Skyglobe. The Local View, which I use most frequently, has options to turn on or off Daylight, Local Horizon, Local and Distant Light Pollution. Of these, the 1st 2 provide dramatic differences in the realistic view of the sky. The latter two don't really impress. Solar System objects are selectable too - Asteroids, Comets, Meteor showers, Planets and Satellites can all be turned on or off as are their labels. Constellation Options include Auto Identify, Boundaries, Illustrations (artsy, but superfluous in my view), Labels and Stick Figures. The last of these offers five flavours, so most of you can find constellation stick figures to suit your taste. ... Imaginova :: starry :: night :: enthusiast :: 5 :: 0 :: astronomy :: software :: win-mac :: imaginova :: home :: education :: teaching :: tools :: starrynightenthusiast5 0astronomysoftwarewin-mac 03 sep :: Starry Night Enthusiast 5 0 Astronomy Software Win-Mac
1 stars (save your cash) - Please be aware that this program is not nearly as stable as version 4.5. Here are the issues I have with this new version, besides the crazy price: 1.) After repeated attempts to install the program from the provided DVD, I had to copy the contents to the hard drive to get the installation to work. 2.) Registration is now FORCED. In the past Imaginova provided the registration number with the product, not anymore. 3.) I have the latest video card on the market, yet any attempt to view the Milky Way results in a program crash. 4.) The new interface takes up too much space...and what happened to the slider bar on the zoom!? Poor handling of how to adjust time and date. Generally I suggest that this software is significantly overpriced. Add to that the take-it or leave-it attitude with the Imaginova staff, and your better off saving your cash. Get the cheaper version or just go to the now updated RedShift. 5 stars (It is great!) - This software has everything that you could ever want. It is very useful. ... Imaginova :: starry :: night :: pro :: plus :: 5 :: 0 :: astronomy :: software :: win-mac :: [dvd] :: imaginova :: home :: education :: teaching :: tools :: starrynightproplus5 0astronomysoftwarewin-mac[dvd] :: Starry Night Pro Plus 5 0 Astronomy Software Win-Mac [DVD]
