Microsoft Encarta

Encarta put a multimedia encyclopedia on family PCs, full of maps, videos, timelines, and a globe worth spinning.

Encarta made reference material feel like something to explore on a computer. Reading an article could sit alongside looking at images or following related subjects, turning research into an experience with a recognizable interface rather than a row of books on a shelf.

Its place in memory is closely tied to schoolwork and the family PC. The move toward web-based reference changed how people looked up information, but Encarta preserves the feeling of a substantial, self-contained resource that was already there when it was time to learn something.

Microsoft ended Encarta as free, constantly updated online information became the norm.