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Alpha Mathematics

PC

Stemax, $79.95

Review: Peter Eley

Auckland company Stemax has got its act together with its latest StudyBuddy programmes.

Although they have always been educationally sound, early versions suffered from technical glitches and a complex interface.

The breakthrough came when they joined Longman, New Zealand's leading textbook company, and translated their products on to CD-Rom.

The latest in the series, Alpha Mathematics, covers the third-form curriculum - such delights as geometry, algebra and statistics. It is based on a test/revision structure with the ability to randomise more than 1000 questions, keeping track of a student's strengths and weaknesses.

Stemax products aren't cutting-edge technology but they do cover the essentials of the New Zealand school system.

Alpha Mathematics comes on the same CD-Rom as the fourth-form equivalent, Beta Mathematics.

Stemax is still persevering with an ordering method where a customer has to get a user number either online or from an 0800 number and then use it to unlock the programme after installing the CD-Rom.

Manager Steven Lazarus says the system is a guard against piracy in what is a small market and helps to keep costs down. Alpha and Beta Mathematics cost $79.95 each, or $119.95 for the two.

Stemax products also cover School Certificate and Bursary subjects.