120 years of National Geographics

A few years ago, a friend who was moving to his country gave me his collection of the National Geographic magazine that, complete and with moths, now takes a good portion of my bookshelf; so when it was announced a digital version for a 160 GB hard disk, I got that mania of not passing it up. After browsing for many years, to know how it was announced the best computer in 1972 and finding that every time so often resulted in the same subject but with more research, I recognize that this has been an invaluable acquisition.

The content

120 years of material, from 1888 to 2008 content in a 160GB hard drive, although the content reaches only 100 GB and 60 of free space left for anything wasted. It is also much more practical than the DVDs collection that bothered by having to change two from each three searches.

You can search by year, with this unfolds a catalog that shows the covers in carousel’s form. Then you can select, browse and zoom as online journals do a now fashionable characteristic.

You can also search by geographic area, which displays a Bing map (formerly Virtual Earth). Once located in an area, refine your search thematic, indicating a mile radius. This option requires to be connected to the Internet, it’s rather slow map’s deployment but it’s expected an improvement in the future that could well be a larger window.

Search by keywords is a marvel, for example, if you would like the flags of the States of the United States, I have to put only flags states America and ready, it was published in October 1917.

Je, je see what curious is the coat of Colorado. I would swear that I’ve seen it somewhere.

There is also a search for collection and a marking feature called reading list, where it can be put marks as tags according to the interest. For example, as I’m navigating, whenever I find an interesting map, I can upload it to the tag “maps of interest to Geofumadas” or “Mexico maps” so it can be find with a click anytime.

The usability

It is built on Adobe Air, so online update is a delight, features that old encyclopedias could not overcome. The first time it ran, it took its time downloading a new build, but runs like a wonder.

The functionality is rather strange, because the data access menu, the reading list creation and navigating back and forth is very unfriendly. After an addictive couple of hours it feels better, but it would not hurt a side panel to make easier to navigate on the content and some improvements to understand how to go back.

The price

It can be purchased online for U.S. $ 199, which seems high but if we break down, assuming they had been 12 journals per year, it would be:

160 GB hard drive: $ 80.00

Recorded on the disk name: $ 9.00

120 years of magazines: $ 110

With this, each magazine digital applies:

• 8 cents
• or 5 cents of euro,
• 1 new Mexican peso,
• 39 Chilean pesos
• Or 1.53 Honduran Lempiras

In conclusion, it’s a great acquisition. My son loves it; his innocence has touched my soul:

Will you give it to me when you can no longer hold it?