Two words: . By 2009, free, instantly updatable, and multilingual content made paid, physical-media encyclopedias obsolete.
Microsoft Encarta was first launched in 1993, and by the time rolled around, it was a mature, polished product. It represented the pinnacle of the "multimedia encyclopedia" concept. It wasn't just text; it was an experience. microsoft encarta 2005 download
By 2005, the seeds of Encarta's destruction had been planted. Wikipedia was growing at an exponential rate. While Encarta had a team of paid editors and a finite amount of content (around 60,000 articles), Wikipedia had millions of unpaid volunteers adding content every minute. Two words:
: 26,000+ photos, 3,000+ sound clips, and 400+ videos and animations. Interactive Maps : A world atlas with 1.8 million locations. It represented the pinnacle of the "multimedia encyclopedia"
Microsoft sold Encarta’s content to years ago. For a similar all-in-one reference: