Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia from Scholastic has some of the features we looked for in encyclopedia software including article updates, a research organizer and links to pre-selected websites.

The opening screen allows you to choose whether you want to look at articles, atlases, media, timelines or start a research project. Once you select one of these categories then Multimedia Encyclopedia provides you with a list of options to choose from in that category or search a topic.

You can only perform a word search using the search bar; there are no custom searches or other options.

We couldn't find any product support; only a user's manual and some frequently asked questions.

You must have QuickTime installed on your computer to use all of the features offered by Groiler Multimedia Encyclopedia. When we tried to install this program, everything ran smoothly until we tried to access some of the components of the software. We received an error saying that QuickTime was having problems. In short, we had to uninstall and reinstall QuickTime to get Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia to work.

Overall, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia has some good features but isn't in the same league as some of the more comprehensive software packages. If you're looking for a more extensive reference suite, look at the gold, silver or bronze reviews.