Customer Reviews

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2000 [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought another Microsoft software-The Bookshelf first before I found out about the Encarta. The Encarta is the best reference I've ever had. Comparing with the paper version of encyclopedia, this CD version is compact and gives you a lot of connections to homepages and other sources. The thing I like most is the audio-visual part, including animations, Einstein's and Chairman Mao's short speeches, Lindbergh's takeoff on the Spirit of St. Louis, just to name a few. Above all, the content is so well organized that it is very easy to use. I use the Encarta a lot in teaching a college course. I also own a Britannica CD-ROM, but it's too complicated and the letters are so small that I can hardly read. If you are looking for a comprehensive, useful, well documented, and interesting source of knowledge, Encarta is the best choice. You will also receive free updates from Microsoft, to keep the info on the CD from outdated.

I have bought Encarta the last couple years and it just keeps getting better. This version is perfect if you have internet access as it grabs a lot of extra materials online, making the program seem that much bigger, and it can offer so much more material. It is great for reference. I have done many reports with just using Encarta, it has that much to offer. It is also a great learning tool, not just for adults, but for all ages. It has many interactive features that make it a joy to use. Everything is well laid out, and it is easy to find what you are looking for. I have tried most of the other encyclopedia programs on the market, and Encarta is the best by far.

It seems like Microsoft has spent a lot of time on this software, and it has paid off. It has all of the regular annual features returning (like articles, videos, audio, virtual tours), but also has many new features, such as the monthly yearbook and web link indexes, a homework help center, thousands of pieces of new content, more sidebars, cross references to the Web in articles, and even a special section on millennium and the celebration of time to commemorate the year 2000. This was a very helpful reference and I would recommend it to anybody who may refer to one (which is just about anybody...)

I didn't expect this program to be as entertaining as it is! I thought I was purchasing a simple reference work, but I've spent literally hundreds of hours in front of my computer reading about new things, and just skipping from topic to topic as something interesting catches my eye. ('course I used to to this with the paper-based encyclopedias as well, but this involves much less page flipping!) I'm particularly impressed with the virtual 360 degree tours. I visited Rome in October 1999, and the virtual tour of the Roman forum included on the CD is a really neat experience. (Not quite the same as being there, but the CD costs a lot less than my trip!) One of the features that absorbs a lot of my time is the monthly update. New articles are downloaded as a package every month via the internet. I found the material to be extremely current and interesting. It's like having someone preparing new fascinating information for you on a monthly basis. I'd recommend this CD for families with kids of all ages, and any curious people who like answers to the questions that occur to them from time to time. Also, be sure to note that the 2001 version of the encyclopedia ships on Aug. 18, 2000. You might want to hold off your purchase until then.

Not sure who's going to read this now, but this product and the accompanying atlas and dictionary helped spark my desire for knowledge and my love of computers.

Pity it doesn't run well on anything later than Win 2K.

Hello, Please take out my review. I was wrong. Galapagos Islands info is great, I just looked for it not carefully enough.

My apologies.

This is the best CD-ROM Encyclopedia I have ever bought. I am really glad we bought this and I suggest it to anyone!

I tried to find an article on Galapagos Islands, it showed a poor quality picture and one paragraph of text. In order to expand the picture I had to switch CDROMs. I could not find any history of the islands, climate and animals. It's not what you expect from Encyclopedia. Finally I went to a web site britannica.com and got more than enough on the subject, much faster and for free.

If you want to have an Encyclopedia, DO NOT buy this. My daughter and I just tried to find 'dragon fly'. There is no dragon fly at all. We tried to look for 'lady bug'. No lady bug! Instead, there is 'ladybird beetle'. Is this word more general than lady bug? I completely do not understand why this software is being sold as an encyclopedia.

I was dissapointed with this software. It crashed my computer within minutes of installation. What I was able to see of the program looked great but as I said it was very short lived. A subsequent disk we got crashed as well. I won't be purchasing this software again.