[Rockhounds] Fw: SOFTWARE FOR INDENTIFYING MINERALS

[DonH]

Kreigh Tomaszewski wrote:

> Don,
> 
> I'm with Horst on this one. I too would like an expert system software
> package to help with mineral identification. 


Oh I agree!  I was offering a "reality check" regarding what it takes to 
ID most minerals.

And on that note, Minsearch 4.00, the software that comes with Mineral 
Identification: A Practical Guide for the Amateur Mineralogist, recently 
published by Mineralogical Record, has a lot of the search logic that 
people here have been talking about (or does no one believe me???)  The 
book itself has a lot of information on how to ID minerals at home 
without fancy equipment, though some chemicals are required for reagent 
tests.

I'd like to see someone else who has the book and software, and has used 
them, comment on it.  I think it provides much of what people have been 
asking about for years.

And I really don't receive any proceeds from the sale of the book 
(except a free copy).  But i wouldn't have put my name to the Afterword 
if I hadn't thought it would be very useful to the collector community.


best,
Don