Amiglobe 2006

Though it can't compete with the best digital atlases, Amiglobe 2006 contains a wealth of geographical information. The main window displays a topographic map of the world. As you zoom and scroll, Amiglobe downloads additional information as needed (you'll need an Internet connection to use the program effectively). Dots on the map show the location and relative size of cities; camera icons indicate where you can click to see photos from Corbis's online image database. With a couple of clicks, you can pull up country information from the CIA World Factbook. Other features allow you to find the distance between two points, play a country's national anthem (as a MIDI file), and show in real time where sunlight is falling on the Earth. Amiglobe can draw the world map flat, as a Lambert or Mercator projection, or as a sphere you can rotate with the mouse. It even includes a handful of games that test your knowledge of country shapes, flags, and capitals. A particularly cool feature color-codes the map according to a particular geographical characteristic (fertility, for instance). Sadly, National Geographic, DK, and other companies offer identically priced programs that do much more and look far better. Amiglobe may be the little atlas that could, but it's no match for the big boys in this genre.