Pangea offers schools free software

I am usaually a let sleeping dogs lie kind of person, but why to schools need these games on their computers? Oh, wait it is so the kids will ask mom to buy them. That is deplorable - like putting caffene in soda so you get headaches when you stop drinking it or Microsoft. Just make better games, these look very much like 1990s game play.

First off: The goal here is certainly *NOT* to drive more sales of these games. If you investigate further, you will discover that most of these games have at one time or another shipped for *free* on Consumer machines from Apple. The Marketing folks at the mothership liked the products so well - how they were non-violent, how they showed off the capabilities of the latest generations of computers at the time, etc. - that Apple purchased the rights to include these on their iMacs, iBooks, and eMacs.

And regarding the comment "make better games"???? Pangea's software is some of the best software out there - creative, great-looking, and above all else: FUN. If you're looking for the latest run-and-gun splatter-fest FPS game, you certainly should look elsewhere. if on the other hand, you are looking for a beautiful, involving, entertaining diversion, you need look no further than most of these offerings from Pangea.

It's amazing how some people can take a story about a very-generous offering from one of the Mac developer community's most prolific and well-respected authors, and somehow turn it into something negative.

Kudos to Brian Greenstone and the others at Pangea for this very altruistic contribution to the Education community. I hope most who learn of this are a bit more understanding of what an unselfish act it really is.

What is the benefit to the school or the student to have these games on their machines? None.

This is not altruism. This is capitalism. 'The first one is free' tactics of a drug dealer are all to common in todays society. It even happens with educational discounts for engineering software. Students learn only how to solve their problems with a piece of software and then they are locked into a platform that will cost them $1000s every year for the rest of their career. They don't have education in mind. They see dependancy.

Also, please explain why these games were offered for free from apple - It was not benevolence - it was with the intent to sell more games. Plain and simple.

This is no different than Pizza Hut or McDonalds or Coke taking over the school cafeterias and vending machines. They don't have the health of students in mind - they have profits and expanding customer bases in mind.

Show me how the students or school benefit from the offer and I will rescind my statements.

I am an elementary school librarian/media specialist with a lab of 25 iMacs. Nanosaur and Bugdom from Pangea came on the iMacs and are very popular with the kids. Since I am using Mac Manager, I can control access to the software and make it available during recess and other special times.

Enigmo is particularly good to use with the kids since it is a puzzle game rather than a blaster/chase game. It ties into the science/engineering classes we have. Pangea is to be applauded.