Why Encyclopedia Software?

Humankind has an innate desire to discover and explore the unknown and with the help of encyclopedia software, you can bring a world of knowledge into your home. With it, your family can research foreign lands, cultures, plants, animals and history for a school project or just for the sake of learning.

Encyclopedia software is so much more than the encyclopedia print sets of old. These software suites include all of the same articles and valuable information, but now offer heaps of other features like maps and multimedia, including videos, animations and sound and music clips. Software suites will never become outdated, you'll have access to current articles and most suites have article updates as new information becomes available.

Encyclopedia software also has user-friendly tools to help you uncover the information you desire. You can search for a specific phrase or statistic. These programs even help organize information and aid in writing a report for school or work.

In this site, you'll find articles and comprehensive reviews on encyclopedia software that will help you make an informed decision on which software package is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research so you don't have to.™

What to Look for in Encyclopedia Software

Encyclopedia software puts thousands of years of knowledge at your fingertips. The program's library should be all-inclusive, providing easy-to-search information on all topics. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate encyclopedia software:

 

  • Ease of Use – Encyclopedia software should be easy-to-use, organized and include troubleshooting documentation in case you have any questions during the installation process.
  • Feature Set – The program's reference library should offer articles and pictures; the library should also include an atlas, timelines, dictionary, thesaurus, article database, videos and other tools to aid in research.
  • Search Capabilities – Search tools should be user-friendly and perform searches by title, category, name, by keywords within the text and more, so you can effortlessly find the facts you seek.
  • Ease of Installation – The installation and setup process should be simple and include step-by-step instructions so a computer novice can successfully install and run the encyclopedia program.
  • Help/Support – The encyclopedia software should offer sufficient customer support and may include tutorials, knowledge bases, a FAQs page and email and phone support to address any queries. Customer service ought to provide helpful information and respond quickly.

Click here to read the review on our #1 pick for encyclopedia software, Britannica's Ultimate Suite, and begin your exploration today.

 

 
TopTenREVIEWS
Encyclopedia Software Main Image
 

Encyclopedia Software Review 

Discover New Worlds from Your Desktop

From atoms and cells to galaxies and ecosystems, encyclopedia software can take you there. Imagine an entire reference library conveniently stored on your PC to satisfy your hunger for knowledge.

Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6
Excellent score   Excellent
Very good score   Very Good
Good score   Good
Fair score   Fair
Poor score   Poor
Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite Britannica Deluxe Britannica Standard Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Webster's Millenium Encyclopedia Oxford World Encyclopedia
Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite Britannica Deluxe Britannica Standard Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Webster's Millenium Encyclopedia Oxford World Encyclopedia
Reviewer Comments Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Lowest Price Buy Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite 2009
$39.99
Buy Britannica Deluxe 2009
$29.99
Buy Britannica Standard 2008
$19.95
Buy Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 15
$9.95
Buy Webster's Millenium Encyclopedia 3
$4.99
Buy Oxford World Encyclopedia 1.3
$19.99
 
Overall Rating Excellent Excellent Very Good Good Good Good
Ratings
Ease of Use Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Good Excellent
Feature Set Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Fair Fair
Search Capabilities Excellent Excellent Excellent Fair Good Fair
Ease of Installation Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent
Help/Support Excellent Excellent Very Good Fair Very Good Fair
View Specifications Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
View Screenshots View Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite screenshots View Britannica Deluxe screenshots        
Encyclopedia Content
Articles 100,000 82,786 40,000 39,000 50,000 0
Photos & Illustrations 19,000 13,106 9,000 15,500 6,000 0
Maps 2,500 1,638 1,500 1,200 6,000 0
Videos & Animations 550 160 77 200 0 0
Sound & Music Clips 127 96 76 750 Check Mark 0
Features
World Atlas Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
Dynamic Timelines Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark
Games & Puzzles Check Mark       Check Mark  
Additional Features
Search Bar Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Dictionary or Thesaurus Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Research Organizer Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
Distance Calculator            
Reports Wizards Check Mark          
Article Updates Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
Pre-Selected Website Links Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Magazine Articles Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark
Miscellaneous Features
Hard Disk Install Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Indexed Timeline Entries
Architecture Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Art/Sculptures Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Childhood Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Daily Life Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Ecology Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Exploration Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark  
Geography         Check Mark  
History         Check Mark  
Literature Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Medicine Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Music Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Religion/Humanity Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark  
Physical/Life Science Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Sports/Recreation Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Technology Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Women Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Help/Support
Phone Support Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark  
Help Manual Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
FAQ Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Knowledge Base Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Tutorials       Check Mark    
Download Updates Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Link to Manufacturer Homepage Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark
eMail/Online Form Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark  
Supported Configurations
Vista       Check Mark    
XP Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
2000 Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
NT       Check Mark Check Mark  
ME Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
98 Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
95       Check Mark   Check Mark
Macintosh            
 
Reviewer Comments Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Read Review
Lowest Price Buy Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite 2009
$39.99
Buy Britannica Deluxe 2009
$29.99
Buy Britannica Standard 2008
$19.95
Buy Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 15
$9.95
Buy Webster's Millenium Encyclopedia 3
$4.99
Buy Oxford World Encyclopedia 1.3
$19.99

Ask & Answer

Type your question below and put your question in front of our entire community of users and experts.

Think You're a Guru?

Answer Questions
Visit our Ask & Answer Center to answer Questions.
Ads by Google
Sponsored Ad: