Microsoft Encarta Premium 2008 puts a multimedia-rich encyclopedia at your fingertips. With over 60,000 detailed articles, 25,000 images, and 800 videos to choose from, finding information with this program is both easy and fun.

Encarta has long been a mainstay in software-based encyclopedias, and this new version offers both new features and a refinement of existing capabilities. A special kid-friendly area called Encarta Kids is geared towards children ages 7 through 12; this section is designed with bold colors, large icons, and large print, and is a safe place for kids to explore age-appropriate content.

Encarta's user interface is clean and easy to navigate. Topics are organized neatly into categories that are easy to browse. If you're in a hurry, you can use the search feature to locate specific information. Navigating entries is similar to navigating a Web site, with forward and back buttons and a list of recently viewed pages. When you find or select an article, you will see links to related information, including other articles, photos, Web sites, maps and dictionary entries.

Encarta Premium 2008 also includes a world atlas, with political, physical and statistical views of each country. You can also choose a satellite view of a map and, depending on the area covered by the map, view it in daylight or at night.

One of the main concerns with any encyclopedia is the accuracy and timeliness of its content; Encarta both gains and loses points here. On the plus side, all information has been reviewed by an editorial board, which should provide for more reliable content than is available from Wikipedia-style web sites, which allow anyone to add or edit information. Unfortunately, because Encarta's content is subject to this editorial control, it may take time for updates and corrections to become available.

Software-based encyclopedias are rapidly becoming yesterday's news, but Microsoft Encarta Premium 2008 provides a wide range of information targeted at the needs of today's family.


Pros: Well-designed user interface, rich multimedia content, content updated automatically whenever you go online
Cons: Limited to Windows XP SP2 and later, Encarta Kids requires additional hard drive space