I bought this CD in my local bookshop a couple of days ago, and I must say I'm not at all satisfied with it.



*** EDIT: ***

---You can check the screenshots I uploaded and judge the program by yourself ---





*First, it looks like a program from the windows 95 era:



Basically,there are two frames, one for the controls and the other for the pages, and there's no way to change the size of either frame. The pages' frame is just a window that displays the pages of the book (which, by the way, are simple images of the book Familia Romana) and the controls are buttons (simple squares) with text written inside. To move the pages forward, you just have to click on the page, however if you want to move backwards, you'll have to type the number of the page in a circle on the right corner, there is no other way. Apparently, they forgot to put arrows. In the toolbar menu you'll find no options to change anything but the chapter, and some charts. It comes with audio files of the pages, read by the author (probably). Unfortunately, you won't have a time bar to forward/rewind. Instead, you'll have some buttons to skip some sentences.



*Second, the CD-Rom is not exactly interactive, and has several problems with the usability:



You can select the pages you want to read, and then move the file sound until it is in the correct part. I would have expected to have that done automatically, but it isn't, so if you move to the middle of a chapter, you'll have to spend some time untill you find the correct part of the audio file.



Also, you won't be able to listen to individual sentences or words, nor repeat them. That would have been a great feature. The only interactivity you'll find will be in the exercises section, Pensa. But there you won't be able to learn from your mistakes, they present you some sentences that you must complete either with endings or with full words. If you answer correctly, you'll move to the next, if not, you'll have two additional chances, and if you fail, the correct answer will be given, with no notes at all. Also, the program won't be able to remember your scores (nor your preferences nor any other thing).



The program contains no way to bookmark a section, so every time you open the program, you'll be taken to the first chapter, which I find annoying.



*Third, about the contents:



The book in general is good if you use it together with a grammar book, like Wheelock's Latin or some other book that helps you figure out grammar rules. You can listen to the entire book, which is in theory a good thing. The reality is that it is read in a rather monotonous tone. Even the parts that are supposed to be dialogues are read by the same person. The book was not adapted to fit an interactive CD-rom, I would like to see some more people reading at least the dialogues.



It is supposed to be used for self-taught people, however it does not include any recommendations on how to use it. Should I read/listen one chapter every day? Half of a chapter? How about the inflection charts?



My conclusion is that it could have been a great tool, however this book is simply an audio book with a few exercises. It would be better to download some free podcasts from the internet, like those produced by Yle Radio. They contain the most recent news read in latin with their transcriptions, just google Nuntii Latini.