Mac-like InterfaceĪlthough greatly improved from the 1.x and 2.x versions of the software, the interface still requires users to memorize a series of icons that look alike to be able to control the program.

The find object feature works well but lacks any animation to show you how the point of view shifts you simply click OK and you’re there. It takes an annoyingly large number of clicks to get from one place to another or to change modes, obviously a holdover from the program’s PC origins.

This function is improved somewhat with a more versatile and controllable interface for moving one’s position, direction, and so on. Maris is not planning (or even thinking about)a port of the version 4 software to the Mac, in either Classic or OS X mode. Furthermore, RedShift is at version 4 for the PC but is stuck at version 3 for the Mac. It is implied that older versions are still available, but no mechanism is available to purchase them. (This is a problem for PC users wishing to find an older version as well.) In general, the website is poorly maintained, slow loading, and offers no way to immediately purchase the product. If the vendor is identifiable, a visit to the vendor’s site shows they do not carry the product. The links to purchase the older versions of the software do not work. Maris, Note: Netscape 4.x loads the pages slowly due to background graphics being Netscape-unfriendly. To purchase this product you will need to search for it on eBay and can probably get it for $10 or less. Maris no longer publishes RedShift for the Mac as far as I can tell (see below). This review is of the latest Mac version in existence, version 3, last published three years ago in 1998. Why review an obsolete program? Because RedShift for the PC is currently on sale at version 4, and is still being marketed.

While the mechanism for Internet updates still seems to be in place, I was never successful in getting it to display any data due to lack of response from Maris’s outdated and slow Web servers. If you can find a copy of RedShift 3.0 for Mac on eBay, it’s a good value if you pay less then $10 for it. RedShift used to be included in the Apple education software packages, but it has since been replaced by Starry Night. Maris has completely abandoned the Mac platform. Flaws in the earlier 1.x and 2.x releases were corrected in the 3.0 release – but good luck finding a copy of the program.

Internet connection for full functionalityĪt one point in time, RedShift was the premier planetarium program for the Mac or the PC, offering the most versatile feature set and the best looking simulations available.

Planetarium software, at a minimum, simulates the appearance of the night sky given certain parameters such as the date, time, and observer location. 2001 – This is the first in a series of reviews of planetarium software for the Macintosh, with emphasis on its use in schools.

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