In the name of Allah, the Compassionate Source of All Mercy.
Screen Shots from IGCD 2000
Islamic Gateway succeeds in the primary facet for a good program- ease of use. The interface that is used will be familiar to many: the internet. The familiar underlined words are placed through out the program. With many people already familiar with the navigation of the web it was logical to construct an entire program based on that architecture. I felt at home as I made my way through topics that varied from an illustrative guide to the Janazah prayer to cooking recipes. I was so at home that I began to notice something; I'd seen some of this information before. Where? Why the web!
Islamic Gateway is a Cd that is primary compromised of web pages linked together in a palatable format- a multimedia encyclopedia. Now, there may some some who may feel cheated at such a notion. "Why should I spend money on something that I can get from the web for free?" However, think of the advantages. As opposed of going through the trouble of searching and cataloguing a database of Islamic information on varied subjects, Islamic Gateway has done it for you. Video and audio clips that take some time to up load in the internet, appear instantly from the Cd. Moreover, everything is broken into subjects already. It's all here: 2 full Qur'anic translations, full Qur'anic recitation, lectures in Arabic, film clips, and even Islamic responses to issues like abortion and homosexuality. There are, unfortunately, some drawbacks to such a product.
On a minor level, the "database," as it were, is being given to you. You are not in charge of the internet articles that are presented in the Cd. The recitations are by 15 sheikhs! This lacks continuity to say the least. A major drawback is something that should not have occurred on the Cd: broken links! Some links in the astronomy section actually show you the "this page cannot be accessed" warning. If it happened just once, I wouldn't be too shocked. Mistakes happen. Maybe two got through. However, there are many pages that lead to nowhere. Better care should have been taken to ensure a more secure viewing experience. There were a few other setbacks that I found with the program.
Although I applaud Islamic Gateway's use of a simple interface, I was rather upset at some simple functions that were missing. There is no way to "shrink" Gateway's window so as to access another program. This may seem inconsequential for some, but if the Cd is to be used as a reference tool for studying and the like, what good is it if I have to close out of the program every time I want to bounce back and forth between my word processor and Islamic Gateway? Another problem I had was the program's "irritability." It crashed my computer several times. When I contacted their tech-support, I received a very prompt response and a simple solution. Alhumdulillah! That's great service.
All in all, Islamic Gateway is a good program that has many redeeming qualities found in more expensive programs.
Opening page screen shot
Moon Calc 5.0 screen shot
History page screen shot
Multi-media screen shot
focusing on Martial Arts