Welcome to the Sketchpad Field-Test

This site is for beta-testers of The Geometer’s Sketchpad, version 5.1. The Macintosh version is fully 64-bit, supports Apple Silicon natively, and is compatible with operating systems through macos 26 (Tahoe). The Windows version, new in 2026, is compatible with operating systems through Windows 11.

Version 5.1 is functionally similar to Version 5.0 but includes several new features primarily supporting easier and more powerful activity development. This video previews several of these features.

Download. Existing Sketchpad customers and other field-testers can find the latest field-terst version available to download here. If you are already using a field-test version of GSP 5.1 you can also choose Check for Software Updates from Sketchpad’s Help menu to access the latest version. New versions are released periodically.

Test. Be aware that field-test versions are not commercially-supported software and contain defects ("bugs") both known and unknown. The purpose of the field-test is for you to identify the unknown bugs and report them to us, so that we can fix them in later versions. This means you use the software at own risk, and you should backup your documents before using them with beta versions of software.

Your normal use of Sketchpad is an excellent way to "test" this version; it is designed to behave normally!

Report. To report defects or problems in any field-test version of Sketchpad, please report the defect by e-mail here. In this e-mail, please include:

  • the build number of the field-test version you are using (a four digit number such as 3022 that you can find on any beta version’s application name, or on the application’s startup screen)
  • a description of the perceived defect (including steps to reproduce, if possible)
  • any screenshots you can take documenting the appearance of the defect (a picture’s worth a thousand words)
  • any Sketchpad document that you care to attach that demonstrates the defect

We will respond by e-mail if we need more specifics on your report. Your feedback is very valuable; it’s why we host a field-test! So if you see something wrong, please report it!

Questions? If you have questions relating specifically to this field test, please contact Daniel Scher at McGraw-Hill Education..