microsoft encarta reference library download

Log on to the online Math Center through MSN Encarta Premium, and the service walks students through algebra or geometry problems that are similar, although not identical, to the ones they have been assigned for homework. Last year, Microsoft included Cliff Notes-like literature guides, and this year it's helping students with math. Kid-friendly: the new Encarta Kids sports a simpler and more user-friendly interface for younger students.įor older kids, Encarta also added more Homework Help features.

Encarta Kids also includes a games section that allows kids to play educational games, such as naming dinosaur photos and placing state-shaped pieces into a United States-shaped jigsaw puzzle, plus 500 new articles. For example, searching for the word pilgrim in Encarta Kids delivers just a few entries, as opposed to the hundreds found in Encarta Premium. To remedy this, the company has bundled a separate application, the aforementioned Encarta Kids, which offers a simpler, friendlier interface. The Visual Browser does a good job of presenting a lot of information onscreen, but it can be overwhelming for elementary-school-age children. Installation and setup are a snap, and the latest version will look familiar to current users since Microsoft stayed with its Visual Browser interface, which offers previews of related text, video, and audio sources on thousands of topics. The single DVD (a CD version is also available at the same price for those who don't have PCs with DVD drives) contains the encyclopedia, atlas, dictionary, thesaurus, chart maker, searchable index of quotations, and the new Encarta Kids. At $70, Encarta 2005 is a valuable addition to a family's reference library.

With the release of Encarta Reference Library Premium 2005, the company has made it easier for children as young as 7 to use the library and has delivered a few enhancements for older users as well, such as an integrated search bar and, of course, more-current information.

Although Microsoft offers online updates to its best-selling Encarta Reference library nearly every week, once a year it puts out a major upgrade.

Microsoft encarta reference library download