Encarta Deluxe Encyclopedia 2004

Other products by Microsoft

Product Features

• Browse over 60,000 articles on every conceivable subject, from aardvarks to zoology
• Information changes with the times, and so does the encyclopedia entries -- constant updates keep Encarta fresh and accurate
• Interactive multimedia helps you explore the world through complete multimedia displays - dynamic timelines bring history and current events to life
• Watch live media online - everything from live radio broadcasts to weather reports from around the world
• Discover thousands of authoritative articles and images on every conceivable subject, on this complete CD set!

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B000096L6V
• Item model number: 450-00443
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 16, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #875 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Software > Children's Software > Reference
  #6 in	Software > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Easy-to-use Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2004 provides a wealth of up-to-date information for work, home, or school. This Deluxe edition includes more articles, more sound and video clips, more illustrations, and more virtual tours than the Standard Edition.

• Get instant access to information that changes with our changing world. Update Encarta keeps the reference materials in Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2004 both timely and accurate.
• A wealth of relevant information. With one search, access up-to-date, rich and reliable content and multimedia including articles, live streaming media, web links, maps and further reading.
• Go beyond the encyclopedia. Secondary sources are readily available through sidebars and web links. Web Center provides editorially selected web links to take research beyond the encyclopedia.

Product Description
Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2004 has everything you need for a rich and reliable research experience. It's an incredible wealth of current information on nearly every subject!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pay attention to what you purchase, January 8, 2004

By	x_bruce (Oak Park, ILLINOIS United States) - See all my reviews

There is no doubt that the [$] price is a good incentive to give Encarta Deluxe 2004 a try. Before you do spend a bit of time examining all the available encyclopedias and most important put time into figuring who will be the primary user. If research and detail is required consider spending a few dollars more and getting the Encarta 2004 Reference Library or consider Encyclopedia Britanica; possibly even World Book.

I mention this because Encarta does a reasonable job as an encyclopedia but as others have discussed, is brief to the point of being unsatisfying. Where Encarta makes up for the lack of detailed text is in it's multimedia content and interface.

Microsoft has done a fine job of making a Encyclopedia for the casual user and has outdone itself in areas like interactive tours. The good side of brevity is the way Encarta holds one's interest without being terribly challenging. For middle school students Encarta Deluxe 2004 is a good choice as it makes learning fun. It's negative side is important as well. Compared to Encyclopedia Britanica the articles are too brief and simply lacking for adult content. Users from High School Juniors through University students will need more details not to be found in Encarta or it's additonal web content. The links, however, are substantial and useful to those of all age and learning styles.

In conclusion, Encarta Deluxe 2004 is fun to browse and is engaging in a way Britanica is not. If you are a visually oriented user that doesn't need adult level discourse or the sometimes stuffy writing style found in Britanica. if you enjoy tooling around 2D and 3D areas of importance then Encarta is your encyclopedia.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but better Encarta Reference Library, May 29, 2004

By	Billy Budd "an_encyclopedias_addict" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

It is better to buy Encarta Reference Library, because it has more text and features (Atlas and so on). I have reviewed it if you want extra information. The system requirements are about the same.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Teen Loves It As Much As I Do!, October 24, 2003

By	Geezer Guy (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

My 10th grader wanted an update on our Encarta 2000 and I noticed that the Encarta Deluxe Edition 2004 was available from Amazon for under $20 after rebates. What a deal! This is a great reference source featuring panoramic location photos, instant bar graph country comparisons and loads of historical information. It sure beats paying hundreds of dollars for a set of dust collecting book encyclopedias and it is a heck of a lot quicker than spending hours surfing the net for basic research and background information. Microsoft uses the Collier encyclopedia for much of the information. Encarta also has a search engine feature which accesses the internet for the most current information on a topic. Old newspaper articles and other sources are also available when relevant. All and all, this is a solid product and a great value worthy of your consideration.