Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I buy ENCARTA every year, and BRITANNICA from time to time. This is my opinion:
TEXT: Britannica's writing style is more sophisticated, and its authors are very well known. However, Encarta is not bad written at all, its authors are good and the contents are more or less the same, or better in the last versions.
You can update Britannica over the Internet free for a year, but only quarterly (4 times). Encarta is updated EVERY WEEK with new articles and additions to the old ones.
MULTIMEDIA and FEATURES: Encarta devastates Britannica with a lot of animations, interactivities, videos, music and sounds, pictures, literature sidebars, new translation dictionaries, Atlas, 2 D and 3 D virtual tours, timeline, games ... It's not only the quantity and quality. It is the easy access you have to all the multimedia, and that text, multimedia and features are completely integrated.
NAVIGATING: Encarta wins again. You only have to type a phrase, a word or de beginning of a word to see all the articles and multimedia that contains it. If you have typed the name of a small village lost in Senegal (e.g.), you see it in the Atlas without clicking again. If Encarta does not find anything, it gives you alternative spellings and you meet with what was looking for. To go "jumping" from article to article is very easy and quick, because you have a lot of links and the "Related Articles" section. If you need to copy text or pictures, the integration with Microsoft's WORD is perfect.
Navigating with Britannica is different. You do not get crazy, but ... I only say that, if you do not know the exact and correct spelling of a name or word, it does not help you with alternative or similar spellings.
My computer is Pentium III 1000 Mhz 256 RAM, and I have copied Britannica into the hard drive (the same with Encarta). The fact is that it is very slow, and that takes a lot of RAM (50 % more or less). If you have other programs open, perhaps Britannica does not work. With Encarta, you do not have any problem.
I hope my opinion is helpful for you.
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Microsoft's Encarta Reference Library 2003 delivers acomprehensive research and reference station to your desktop. Perfect for everymember of the family, this premier reference on CD-ROM combines current andcomplete information with homework tools that let students spend less timesearching and more time learning. Encarta also integrates thousands ofInternet resources, so the learning extends beyond the Encarta library.And with its extensive multimedia resources, Encarta Reference Library2003 provides a powerful tool for learning and exploration at home orschool.
Nine great resources round out Encarta Reference Library 2003, includingEncarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2003; Encarta Interactive World Atlas;Encarta World English Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Book of Quotations;Encarta Africana, the authoritative source for black history and culture;Encarta Researcher; new learning tools, including Chart Maker, LiteratureGuides, and Homework Starters; and new translation dictionaries.
Easy to use, this reference library's encyclopedia is always up to date. TheUpdate Encarta feature automatically keeps the content in EncartaEncyclopedia Deluxe 2003 current. Explore dynamic media presentations,including hundreds of engaging videos, animations, maps, and other tools. Learnabout historical events using interactive timelines and live streaming media,including news from MSNBC. Plus, Encarta's Web Center offers editoriallyselected Web links and sidebars.
And with your purchase of Encarta Reference Library 2003, you can becomea Club Encarta member. You'll receive free content updates until October 31,2003, as well as a free newsletter--Club Encarta Connections--withmembers-only specials, tips on using Encarta, and more.
Click here for more information about Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2003
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