Title:
Mathcad 8 Professional
Source: MathSoft
Playing Time: N/A
Date: 1998
Cost: $499.95
http://www.mathsoft.com/webstore/
Number of Players: 1
Special Equipment/Facilities Needed: CD-ROM,
(good video card and monitor is recommended)
Subject Area: Math
Objectives: To learn to do Math Problems.
Brief Description: This product is a tool
to help in all areas of math. It can do kindegarten map, up to college
graduate work.
Entry Capabilities Required: It has a
easy installation and a very thick manual which will take a lot of time
to read to figure out all its options.
Rating: (1-5)
Relevance to objectives: 5
What more could you ask for, a product that does almost all math
calculations.
Provides practice of relevant skills:
5 It can almost all math problems that can be solved using
numbers.
Likely to arouse/maintain interest: 5
I could spend all day making up problems of intrest, and getting them solved
for me.
Likely to be comprehended clearly: 4
Has a fairly easy to use interface, but would be a little hard to comprehend
to younger students
Technical quality (durable, attractive):
5 The use interface of this is set up very neatly and easy to use.
Game: Winning dependent on player actions (rather
than chance): N/A
Simulation: Validity of game model (realistic,
accurate depiction): 5
Has a lot of tools to help in manor that you want to simulate a problem.
Evidence of effectiveness (e.g. field-test results):
5 It tested high in all these reviews.
Review in the February 1998 Desktop Engineering
February 23 Computer World: Union Pacific Girds Bridges with Mathcad
Review in the January 1998 Computer Shopper
Review in the December 1997 Personal Engineering and Instrumentation News
Review in PC Magazine, October 7, 1997
Clear directions for play: 5 The
manual is very well set up and can follow easily so you can get going pretty
quick
Effectiveness of debriefing:
5 The Product is just really free flowing.
Strong Points:
The product is setup very easy to use. The tools are right there
in front of you. It is just easy to use and can solve problems very
quickly. And it runs really fast on the computer I tested it on.
Weak Points:
It has too many features and would take forever to go through all of them.
Reviewer: Gary E. Howard
Position: Under Grad Student
Date: 9/16/98
Computer System Reviewed on: Dell 450
MHZ Pentium II, 128 MB 100 MHZ DIMM RAM.