Encarta Reference Library 2002 (UK & Ireland edition) from Microsoft includes three titles: Encarta Encylopedia Deluxe, Dictionary and Thesaurus and an Interactive World Atlas. It also boasts two features: Encarta Researcher, which is a way to pull together topics, articles, clips and so on, and organise them by topic, and Encarta Online Deluxe, which gives access to the online "magazine"-note that this requires sign-up to Microsoft Passport. The interface itself is quite easy to get to grips with, although stylistically just a little bit boring. It is clean and uncluttered however, and because of this it moves quickly from screen to screen. The search is very good, and offers the functionality surfers are used to on the best search engines, such as word substitutions in case of misspelling, and lists of similar entries. The content of the three included packages are well integrated, offering results from all three, the atlas, dictionary and encylopedia, on each search. The Advanced Search functions like a filter, which lets the user search by type of entry, for example, Virtual Tour, animations, or charts and graphs, based on the search terms entered in the left-hand bar. Those familiar with the Windows operating system will find navigating this software very easy. At the top is the usual toolbar, with File, Edit, View, Features, Tools, and so on. The easy reach of these menus make moving around the software simple, and stress-free, as well as quick to learn. [+]

This is an interactive version of Stephen Hawking's internationally bestselling book A Brief History of Time, which is often credited with having started a craze for books on science. His book was also the butt of many jokes about the number of people who bought it-but never managed to read it. This was because its subject matter can be obscure for non-specialists. Now, this excellent CD offers a helping hand, and guides you through the difficulties. The work covers 10 fields of astro-physics-from particles to the nature of time, and from the origin of the universe to the nature of gravity. It also covers the history of peoples' understanding of the universe from the ancient Greeks to current theories. Using the CD-ROM, these topics can be approached in a linear or topic-based way, and you can choose to read the text on screen, have it read to you by Hawking himself (the slowness of his distinctive delivery is actually an advantage as it gives you time to absorb the material) or through rather Monty Pythonesque animated cartoons. The cartoons can be irritating at times, but, along with the many video clips and other animations, they're a great help in understanding concepts. The system requirements are a mere 5Mb of disk space, double-speed CD drive and Pentium-type CPU. The software design is easy to use and the package provides a remarkably low-priced introduction to the secrets of the universe. [+]

Encarta Encyclopaedia Plus 2003 is an extraordinarily comprehensive CD-ROM that will be an invaluable resource to students, writers, researchers and those who simply want to have comprehensive information at their fingertips. The promotional material claims that the package contains more information than a 55-volume print encyclopaedia. However, what is most impressive is not just the volume of the material but the manner in which it is presented. As with Encarta's two other CD-ROM packages-Standard (the most basic), Encarta Premium Suite 2003 CD and Encarta Premium Suite 2003 DVD (the most comprehensive)-the material takes full advantage of Encarta's connection to Microsoft, with an excellent multimedia element that really is the distinguishing feature of this collection. If, for instance, you want to find out more about identifying birds, this package gives you not only a digital image of the bird and a description of its habitat, but also an audio clip of its birdsong. Excellent video images and computer graphics also complement the text entries, and this, combined with the audio element, makes the material especially attractive to younger readers and a significant aid to learning. With more sound clips, more entries and the Times Archive due to add to its own entries, this three-CD package enhances what is available through Encarta's Standard collection. In order to run this product you need Microsoft 98 and Internet Explorer 6. 0, as well as a minimum of 64 MB of RAM (128 MB of RAM for Windows 2000 or Windows XP). With a fully multimedia-enabled PC, this package will certainly make for interesting and enjoyable information access. [+]