Kidview Computer Explorer
© 2004 Hoopah
This browser and desktop manager for kids gives your child a window to the Internet or your computer's inventory of installed programs, by way of a password protected management system that makes it easy to add new sites of your own choosing. We liked how easy it was to set up this software -- you can give each child an icon representing their own set of sites, and the management system makes adding up to 150 sites (along with a thumbnail graphic) easy. Sites are shown in frames,with a scrolling set of icons (one per site) on the top of the screen. Other features include a timer, a popup blocker that worked fine in our tests, and the option of disabling, or enabling the depth of the external links. This latter feature needs to be used carefully, as it can render a site useless. Drawbacks include a complex installation routine that includes a forced online registration, a poorly designed animated game that is too hard for the intended audience. For providing managed, limited access to the Internet, this program does an effective job. September 2005 Update: This was reviewed in the Fall '04 issue. The publisher made the following changes to software: Desktop screen added to a kid's environment for personalization; Kid-Easy email now included free: parental controls updated; additional 200 activities added to database; content can now be categorized by subject (math, language arts, & science); and there are now Hoopah Plus Packs available to add additional content.
$40, Win 98, Win XP
Teaches: an Internet and desktop management utility for parents and teachers