| Microsoft Encarta | Microsoft Corporation / Microsoft Home | 1993 | |
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This is a digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation released in multiple editions from 1993 to 2009. As of 2008, the complete English version, Encarta Premium, consisted of more than 62,000 articles, numerous photos and illustrations, music clips, videos, interactive contents, timelines, maps and atlas, and homework tools, and was available on the World Wide Web by yearly subscription or by purchase on DVD or multiple CDs. Many articles could also be viewed online free of charge, a service supported by advertisements. Microsoft published similar encyclopedias under the Encarta trademark in various languages, including German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese. Mic Its articles are integrated with multimedia content and may have a collection of links to websites selected by its editors. Encarta's articles in general are less lengthy and more summarized than the printed version of Encyclopaedia Britannica or the online Wikipedia. The popularity and scope of the latter, ironically, was one of the reasons Microsoft discontinued making Encarta. Like most multimedia encyclopedias, Encarta's articles tend to provide an overview of the subject rather than an exhaustive coverage and can only be viewed one at a time. Due to increasing size of the editions, which later came to include extras such as an extensive world atlas, Encartas came to be divided up into separate products. There was the main encyclopedia portion, the world atlas and, for a time, an Africana Edition focusing solely on African culture. In addtion to being a terrific reference guide, there are additional interactive activities. For adventure gamers specifically there is Mind Maze: a mix of a quiz and a maze game. It is sure to be a delight and is in all editions up until the 2008 Encarta which saw it removed. Despite no longer being made by Microsoft, who discontinued the line in the face of stiff competition from Wikipedia, the Encarta software series is still a terrific source of information and education. | ||
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