Kidware: Educational software for children.
"Kidware is a collection of 6 educational activities that helps children 9 to 14 years practice skills learned in the classroom. Includes: 1) a word recognition game that lets you guess a jumbled word. Edit the words or add your own words; 2) a math program to practice adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing; 3) a typing tutor; 4) a charting program that lets you understand percentages; 5) a game of logic that helps you develop mathematical reasoning skills; and 6) a logic puzzle game. (Requires Windows 3.1)." This is how Kidware is described at the Vetusware website, where you can download the software.
The download is a floppy diskette image. The diskette contains a setup program, that you can launch from Windows File Manager. The screenshot shows the startup of the installation program.
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The setup program creates a group item in Dashboard (resp. Windows Program Manager). The names of the launchers for the different applications included are rather badly chosen, and if you intend to use the software, you should perhaps change them.
The launcher named "Kidware" starts the application Math wizard, a basic arithmetic operations trainer. Very simple, but without any doubt useful for small kids, in particular because the user may not only choose the operators to use, but also the range of the operands.
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As you can see on the screenshot, Kidware was not freeware, and had to be registered. It seems however, that not registering it does not terminate the 30 days trial period, the applications continue to work as before. And, no legal issue either, as the software has meanwhile become abandonware.
The application Numero is a math game, that consists in moving around number tiles in a grid, until they are in the correct sequence.
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The launcher "Pie.exe" starts the application Pie Charts, that draws a pie chart using the data entered by the user. The purpose of this activity is to teach the understanding of percentages.
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To note that this application fully supports the 1024×768 256 colors SVGA driver.
The application Stones is a classic Nim game, that may be played against the computer, or against a second human player.
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The launcher "Typer.exe" starts the application Type Writer, a type writer tutor, that consists in displaying a text (poems, actually), that the user should try to enter without looking at the keyboard. The application includes a simple editor. It also allows to use your own texts instead of those included with the program.
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The launcher "WordWiz.exe" starts the application Word Wizard, a word recognition application, that lets you guess a jumbled word. Available words are stored in a dictionary, that you can view and edit; you can also add your own dictionary.
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This application also includes a Word Finder game, where you have to find some words within a grid of random letters. This game is not interactive, but intended to be played with a pencil on the printed version of the letter grid.
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