Some of the reviews weren't good, but I downloaded it for an easy tread ...
595402
Some of the reviews weren't good, but I downloaded it for an easy tread when I am on the treadmill.  It was a good story and I enjoyed it.
2443986
A rating from an adult user - I'm surprised at all the low ratings this got.  Maybe my expectations were low to begin with because of the price, and because it's an educational title  ;)  Also, I expected this to be not so fun, it was more something I bought for self improvement, so I was braced for forcing myself to play in order to better myself.  I mean, it's Geography, and I got D's in it in school.  It's rote memorization, so I'm not sure how fun it can really be.

My big complaint is that on the most useful minigame to me, TouchFast, my copy would lock up about 20% of the time.  In Touchfast they list a country and you must use the stylus to touch that country, state, or continent. So it is a memory game.

However even with that one minigame locking up, I've played the game about 3 hours today with interest and I would say, I've actually learned something.  I really don't doubt that within a week or two of playing this, my Geography skills will have soared.  I bought this with the intention it would teach me where countries are in relation to each other and I do think it will succeed in that.  But I also think that I will learn the different flags of the countries.

I'm a big reader, and I enjoyed this method of learning way more than memorizing in a book or a workbook.  At least it's interactive.

But it's not perfect.  I've played both Touchfast, and the Geography puzzle one several times today and I haven't seen ONE puzzle yet on all the countries of Africa or of Asia.  I don't think the software is sophisticated enough to be holding back those continents for later study.  Yet for someone like me who was starting at such a low bar anyway, I'm still going to learn something.

Graphics: Yeah, don't go comparing this to any Nintendo flagship titles. Again for $15 bucks and an educational title I didn't expect much.

Music: Repetitive, but not annoying or anything.

Reading Level: Yes, reading well required for several of the games.

Writing this review has got me thinking.  It's a little sad I didn't expect much.  Maybe this means there's an market for a really kick ass developer to fill that niche of awesome learning games.  But in the end, I will learn something I've been trying to learn for YEARS and it hasn't been painful.  I've enjoyed my time with this game and it was worth what I paid for it to finally learn country locations.
4506024
It was free so I always approach carefully with my reviews as no cost is such a big influence but this was surprisingly interesting with some colourful characters particularly our strong and feisty lead. It was fun, and the story a little novel at least at this stage of the series.

I am not always keen on such a lengthy series so did some review reading of the books to follow and decided this was not going to be my cup of tea.  From the blurbs and the reviews I could see a lot of either repetition or too much time to get to the point.  These factors wear down my connection to the story and the characters. Most of the reviews however were very positive but  not enough to interest me as they discussed the very things that do wear me down and it all happens in six month?  In all fairness this is purely a personal feel towards the book and only intended to help others that think as I do. And bear in mind it is for young adults who may not feel so critical.  I will read the final in the series and hope it may prove me wrong and if it does I won't hesitate to go back and read the rest.
1366172
Awhile ago I had decided to buy this product, then read the reviews.  So I put it off.  I didn't really care about the internet availability of the data ... I just wanted a local network hard drive that didn't need a computer to be turned on.  Anyway, it went on sale a few months ago and I bought it.  It is slower than I think it should be, but it has otherwise been reliable.  I keep all the stuff on it that I want readily availabe on both of my computers.  It took a fair amount of time to transfer the files to it, but they are available quickly enough for me.  I gave this three stars because of the speed and internet restrictions (even though I don't use that part).
15900
I was skeptical about buying this software and tried to do a lot of research by reading and asking a lot of questions.  I went ahead and ordered it.  It was delivered quickly, and that's 1 positive thing.  I had Vista on my laptop.

I installed it with almost no problems - it did go into a loop cycle, but after deleting a few programs that it was telling me wouldn't work with Windows 7, it did go into full upload mode.  All was going well, until the enter the Product Key Code.  I entered it, it accepted it and I thought "Phew, it worked".  Nothing to worry about.  Ha!  When I go to check my Windows info, I see a red highlighted area, that says activation needs to take place within 3 days.  There is a place to enter the Key Code (again).  So I enter it, and sure enough, it comes back, as "The Product Key you typed cannot be used to activate Windows on this computer" .  Hmmm - starting to worry that it is a pirated, illegal copy.  Not good.

I go back and re-read a few reviews and see where one other poster did the Digital Automated Verification option and that it worked.  So I did that as well, and I did get another, very long, confirmation code to enter.  Thinking this must be a legal copy, so good!

Then I decide to check to see if it can be verified by Microsoft as authentic, and guess what, it can't be.  And what else is really weird, is that when I do a Check for Updates for Windows, it just goes into a loop.  And never does come back and say if there are any updates.  Almost like it is not recognizing it.

Needless to say, I am afraid that this isn't a legal copy.  I contacted the seller, but haven't heard anything back yet.  Will phone Amazon as well, as I don't suppose they read these reviews!  Anyone else experience this?  Any ideas as to what else to do?  Thoughts & opinions appreciated!
830720
Well, it certainly worked and with a minimum of setup. It gives odd names to the files when it saves an image but that's easily fixed after the fact in Windows Explorer.
There's a manual included in the CD that comes with it, and so far I haven't learned how to control resolution -- I just take the defaults, which are black and white and relatively low-res. However, I was off and running very fast.
I was at first concerned that it might give trouble because I was using it with Windows 10. However, that didn't cause any obvious hiccups. I have not tried it on graphics yet, but it is more than adequate for documents, which was my main intention for it. Guess I'm a satisfied customer.
4922984
After reading the reviews, I decided to take a chance and download the game. I did not run into any problems downloading or installing the game. Amazon and Origins do a great job of explaining how to download the game it took about 45 minutes total.
837112
The topic seemed promising, and the reviews were rave.  My recommendation:  download the sample first, and if you don't mind the run-on sentences spliced together with commas, then go for it.  I'm just glad I only bought it as a daily deal and didn't waste much time or money on it.
4080694
Excellent game at a great price and the download was moderate.
44264
This was one of those books I got for free because I'm a prime member.  I thought I would give it a try since it got some good reviews.  I enjoyed the plot line and it was a quick read.  It was entertaining.  It wasn't the best book I've ever read... but I would recommend it if you are looking for something quick and easy.
4893479
I knew in advance that this was only a collection of links, but figured that it was worth the money for the amount of time it would save me.  I have windows xp. The usb stick would not download properly, but the download on-line seemed to be working.  Took forever.  Once it was downloaded, everytime I clicked on the icon, nothing would happen.  I quickly removed the program.  I wished I had read all the reviews on the internet before purchasing this item.  Kind of grateful really.  Now I am going to have more free time on my hands.
1581865
I read the really bad reviews of this novel--but as is my habit I didn't read them until after I read the book. I don't agree with most of them.
I have no issues with omniscient narration so I don't find the differing points of view to be distracting. There were many characters but I managed to keep them straight, mostly. I liked the characters and was interested in the plot.
One reviewer wrote all this has already been done; I can't speak to that as I don't often read this genre.
Another reviewer said all the good reviews must have come from friends and relatives, I'm neither!
There's a detailed sex scene at the end, caution for those who don't like that a plus for those who do!
In regard to actual criticism I would like to see more character development of the protagonist and maybe even more in the antagonist. I enjoyed this story and read it in a day.
4153718
A very simple premise ... and a stern warning from history ... translates into a firm call to action. I was hoping for a little more depth to the examples, but other than that, I'm glad I downloaded it.
4400169
I was concerned given some of the negative reviews.  But, overall I am satisfied.
3679441
I don't often rate or review stuff, but I am for this book because I really enjoyed it.
1382403
I was hesitant to download the Sims 3 after mediocre gameplay reviews and all the bad download reviews on Amazon, but I ended up succumbing to the temptation and purchased the game on July 14. I have actually loved the game and had no problems downloading it through wifi. The only complaint I have is that it really heats up my MacBook Pro even when extra measures are taken to promote fan/ air flow. However, this is a hardware issue, not a software or Sims 3 problem.

Perhaps Amazon fixed earlier downloading issues....?? All and all, I'm satisfied with my purchase!
4180285
I read countless reviews and sites trying to determine if the download or cd-rom would work on my computer. I finally gave in, realizing my only hope would be buying it and finding out for myself. I went into the download assuming that I had thrown away 28 bucks, but came out very pleased. EA has included a new patch, though the download time now takes about 3 hours rather than 2, and the game works perfectly on my Mac. No, it doesn't play in full widescreen, it's a square, but I really don't need 13 inches of the screen anyway. The colors are fine, no blurring bodies, etc.
The game itself is a blast. I played Sims back in the day of version 1 and have considered trying it out ever since. I am entirely pleased, though I do miss some of the old features that now cost money, such as excessive amount of decor items. The game comes with 1,000 Sim cash and a free city to download. It's worth it, and I can guarantee I will buy the expansion packs over time.

For those wondering about my system requirements: Mac, bought in September 2011. Software: OS X Lion 10.7.2  Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB Memory: 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 Processor: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5