General notes:

        Generally, I avoid cyber books, for few of them are proof against bumble-headed computer illiterates such as me. But all one has to do is pop this CD into the drive, and the rest is as easy as one could ever imagine. Indeed, I have to say that no written product I have ever purchased or seen can compare with the breadth and scope of the visual renderings that this CD has to offer. The graphics offer wonderful 3-D line drawings and photographic representations of all the major Russian vessels involved in the Russo-Japanese war, and a lot more. But let us first deal with the contents, which include the following major category titles, each of which is hyperlinked to a set of data tables (e.g. armor, armament, potted histories, etc.), drawings, 3-D graphics, and/or rare photos:

1.        Naval warfare Day-by-Day line (587 pages);
2.        Major Sea Battles and Actions line (14 pages);
3.        Warships line (286 pages);
4.        3D Renderings line (52 pages);
5.        Photos line (80 pages);
6.        Shipbuilders line (44 pages);
7.        Ship Classes line (20 pages);
8.        Ship Types line (112 pages);
9.        General Information line (14 pages).

       One will not find much narrative text here, for this product is composed of dedicated and heavily interlinked databases.  What I find most captivating are the 3-D graphics. My goodness, this is a model-makers delight! I spent 3 hours when I first fired up the CD just checking out the 3-D drawings of Russian ships. Every page of drawings has several perspective angles of a given ship, and clicking on each rendering will reveal a large graphic of the shot in question. The color of the 3-D graphics is a muted gray for the most part, and this allows details to stand out that are of great value for modelers.
      I wish the author would also do 3-D drawings of the Japanese ships, although colored 2-D drawings are included of all the major Japanese and Russian vessels that fought during the Russo-Japanese war. Moreover, future 3-D and photographic updates can be added by those who purchase the basic CD.  These can be easily downloaded as new material becomes available. So this is a book that can grow, which I find a neat feature. As for now, the painting clues the drawings provided compliment the details of the 3-D renderings very well.
     The photos are excellent, for the most part, and some appear unique. One or two shots of each major vessel are usually available, and clicking on these will reveal a very large blowup that one can scroll across and examine in detail. This can be great fun. However, please remember to click off each picture after you are done viewing it. I tend to leave too many windows open, and end up getting a bit lost at times. But the information the pictures provide is first rate!  For example, I had no idea the Russians painted the lifeboats white on some of their black-hulled ships, but I have some great evidence that this was the case in various vessels. Yes, one can learn a lot from these pictures.
      The biggest joy was the relatively low price of $44.95 per CD. During a time when many texts that offer lesser graphics cost over $100.00, I found the cost was more than outweighed by the graphics alone.  Currently, CDs of the Russo-Japanese Naval Warfare (1904-1905) are available only from Morning Sunshine Models (MSM1250@aol.com or call 814- 861-1768).