Australian Satellite Map DVD     $24.95

This DVD data disk contains two satellite images of the Australian coast. It is a mobile solution for those who want to view satellite imagery without an internet connection when at sea or on the road. One dataset covers inland Australia.

Fishermen, hunters, miners, water borers, bushwalkers and others will find practical uses for this disk. Fishermen who work the Great Barrier Reef will find this disk particularly useful.

As an internet connection is not required to run the program, it is faster than internet-based solutions and cheaper for users who are paying for downloads.

It is fully mobile for use in laptop PCs in your car or boat - an internet connection is only needed if you wish to obtain a key to unlock the full-blown version of OziExplorer if you choose to upgrade. Once the key is downloaded you do not need the internet to run this disk.

The DVD combines the best coastal imagery from two 25m-pixel satellite image datasets of Australia, including one dataset of the whole Australian continent.

The two images are provided in natural colour schemes, giving different perspectives of the coast and providing an alternative clear view in small areas where cloud cover might obscure land on one image.

Small billabongs and creeks are easy to see. Many vehicle tracks through the bush can be seen, as well as shallow reefs, sandbars and weedbeds.

While the image is not 3D, mountain ranges, watersheds, hills and rocky outcrops can easily be recognised. In remote areas the image quality is often better than currently provided by online image suppliers.

The ECW image file is packaged with ER Viewer software and a trial/freeware version of the superb OziExplorer mapping program. Users can zoom in and out, take GPS positions and measure distances using the ER Viewer software, or use the huge range of extra functions available with the OziExplorer trial/freeware software, including real-time GPS connectivity. The freeware software can easily be converted into the full version by connecting to OziExplorer online.

The software requires a computer with Windows 98 or later, at least 32meg of RAM and a DVD drive. The software is loaded on your computer, but the image stays on the DVD, unless you have approx three gigabytes of hard drive space to load the image. Click on the cover picture above to see a larger version of the front cover and some sample images.