#ENCYCLOPEDIA
24 messages in this thread
I am interested in a comment from anyone who has the Encarta version of the
Encyclopedia. I have the software toolworks version and then tried to
Grollers version. As nearly as I can tell these are the same. They have
the same sounds,pictures, and information. The information matches the AEE
on compuserve. I am wondering if the Microsoft verson is very different
and worth the $.
Phil, the Grolier and Software Tool Works encyclopedias are indeed the
same. The two companies have what STW calls an "alliance." STW is the OEM
publisher and world distributor for Grolier.
Encarta isn't out yet, look for it in March/May. Going by what I saw at
COMDEX, and by other Microsoft CD-ROM titles such as Bookshelf MM,
Cinemania, Beethoven etc., I would say it will be quite a product. My
concern is that it is based on the Funk and Wagnall's — which I don't hold
in high opion. Microsoft says they've updated/added thousands of articles
so it might be okay. Cheers!
Its interesting to follow the thread of replies to what CD ENCYCLOPAEDIA is
better. There were a lot of replies.
Another CD encyclopedia which has gotten a lot of attention is Compton's
Interactive Encyclopedia. It's available on platforms from Mac & PC to
CD-I. The interface is very good, and the content is probably meatier than
Grolier's. I found Grolier's to be very superficial, but it is intended
more for the primary school level. Compton's is what I'd consider middle
to high school material. I'm just waiting for the Britannica to come out
on CD(s) in an interactive, hyperlinked format.
Kathy <<– The One-Off CD Shop MidSouth, Inc.
Katherine, I have Grolier's and Compton's Interactive and my assessment
would be the opposite. I find Compton's written to a younger user with what
I would call almost a "Gee whiz!" style. Could you give me some examples of
articles where you've found Grolier's to be superficial compared to
Compton's? I'd like to run through them for my own interest — for some
darn reason I just haven't had the time to read all the articles in both
encyclopedias yet. Who said computers would make things easier? <G>
Seriously, you are the first person I've seen say that so I would like to
make a comparison. Cheers!
Jim —
Best way to compare these two encyclopedias is to take a look at their
paper-based counterparts. Most public libraries will have both on the
shelves in their reference section.
You're correct, BTW…Compton's IS aimed at the younger market and always
has been. Grolier's is aimed at the high school-to-adult market. Grolier's
is a good general-purpose encyclopedia for people who don't want/need the
all-inclusive, mega-articles of Britannica III. Compton's is more of a
late-elementary through middle-school product, which Britannica bought to
provide a complimentary product to their flagship after they dropped the
old "Britannica Junior."
–Bill
Thank you, Bill. I agree with your assessment of the two encyclopedias —
not sure if I totally agree that the best way to compare is to look at the
paper-based counterparts. Now with animation and audio etc. the paper and
CD-ROM versions are becoming very different animals indeed. That is more
true with Compton's than with the Grolier as yet. And hopefully it will be
even more true with the Funk and Wagnall's-based Encarta. Never was very
impressed with it. Cheers!
Concerning the best way to compare the encyclopedias is to compare their
paper versions — egads! Don't say that!
-Dennis McDonald (I'm with Online Computer Systems — retrieval software
developer for DOS, Windows, and Mac versions of Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia).
Your message: "Concerning the best way to compare the encyclopedias is to
compare their paper versions — egads! Don't say that!"
Heh, heh. Alright Dennis, I won't. In fact I didn't.
I think the comments you might have seen were either made by someone else
or were my reply to them. My statement was that the paper/CD-ROM versions
of the encyclopedias are really different animals. In the case of Funk and
Wagnall's/Encarta I hope very different animals.
Fear not, I think your job is safe for the nonce. <G>
Bill,
The way I always judge large reference works is to look up some subject
that I know lots abot and see if they are on the mark there.
Also, I don't agree that Britannica has "all-inclusive, mega-articles" –
all encyclopedias are simplifications for the mass market and all (even on
electronic media) are out of date. That's my opionated view anyway <g>.
Regards,
Gerard.
>> encyclopedias are simplifications for the mass market and all (even >>
on electronic media) are out of date.
Definitely agree. I lost a lot of faith in encyclopediae back in the
mid-'60s when I occasionally wrote articles for an encyclopedia that shall
remain nameless since I'm not positive of the name. It seems a local
professor was subcontracting out work to people like myself- literate,
reasonably bright, but absolutely without credentials. The easiest way to
crank out these articles was to read three other encyclopediae, take notes,
and regurgitate a new article. Of course, for 3 cents a word you tried not
to spend too much time doing research. Jim
Jim,
Can I get back to you on that? Don't want to put you off, but I've got tax
junk to do tonight and tomorrow, then a major presentation to assemble for
next week.
If I don't put something up about it within a week or so, please remind me.
Kathy
Its interesting to follow the thread of comments on this subject. It looks
like eveyone would like to have someting better and is disappointed with
the content of what is available. I am suprized that compurserve doesn't
have more than the AAE available (IQUEST is to expensive).
I think you have to look at the economics where CIS is concerned regarding
what they make available in the basic services. AAE is pretty basic stuff,
but who's going to use it? Probably 4th to 8th grade kids doing homework
is my guess (or their parents). To put a reference online as a "free"
service requires one that is not going to be in such high demand for
outside sales that the online version would compete with them. Is AAE
available in computerized form other than as an online database or paper?
Kathy
Re: "Is AAE available in computerized form other than as an online database
or paper?"
Katherine, the AAE (American Academic Encyclopedia) is the Grolier's we've
been talking about. Cheers!
Welllllllllll….. Guess my ignorance is hanging out for all to see.
TFTI.
Kathy
Katherine Cochrane wrote: "Welllllll…..(etc.)"
Kathy, that very definitely was not my intention. If it makes you feel any
better I had to check my files to make sure I was correct in my own
assumption. Cheers!
Jim,
Very kind of you to say so. I do sometimes pop off without checking my
facts, and I shouldn't, of course. But I don't mind admitting it if I'm
wrong.
Thanks,
Kathy
> I'm just waiting for the Britannica to come out on CD(s) in an
> interactive, hyperlinked format.
Katherine, I was walking around in a local mall recently and was accosted
by one of those Britannica salespersons insisting that my life wouldn't be
worth contemplating anymore without a set of his books. I asked when
Britannica was going to come out on CD-ROM. He looked at me, turned and
waved his arms in a sweeping motion across the shelves of books, and said
"Now, you don't think there's any way they could get all these books on one
of those tiny little disks, do you?" I told him I'd wait until "they"
figured out a way.
Allen
Allen, I believe the problem isn't getting "all these books on one of those
tiny little disks." Well, maybe two tiny little discs.
I think the real problem is how to get the salesman into your house with
one of those tiny little discs — and a CD-ROM player, and a 386+ computer,
and a keyboard, and a monitor and a….
I can see Britannica bundling the disc(s) with their own drive and sending
salesmen into homes with the tiny little disc, the drive with an external
interface — and the standard two hour sales pitch.
No matter what happens I think you can count on the two hour in-home sales
pitch (and very high sales commission) for some time yet. People think the
OED has a neat way to keep their prices up. It is nothing compared to
Britannica. Cheers!
Don't overestimate the difficulty of doing demos with a portable CD-ROM
system. I do it all the time. My latest system is an NCR 3170 Safari
sub-notebook computer with a cable-attached battery operated CD-ROM drive
— the CD-ROM drive is bigger than the computer!
Ohhhhhh! Tell us about the interface please. Are you running SCSI out of a
parallel port? OR……?
Hello again, Dennis. Oh, I don't overestimate the difficulty of doing demos
with a "portable" CD-ROM system. My point was taking a computer plus "tiny
little disc" into the home. It was made somewhat tongue-in-cheek — I guess
I'll have to start using more "smilies" in my copy :-). Okay?
Still, I think while portables are already substantial sales tools, it is
going to be a while before they get into the home encyclopedia sales area
because of their screens.
Why? Well may you ask! The LCD screens I've seen so far are fine if you are
right in front of them but in a home setting the family would have to get
far closer to the salesman than I have ever wanted to get to any salesman
—
just to see the screen.
🙂 <———– Please note! Cheers!
I guess Huntsville gets a more technologically aware class of encyclopedia
salesmen — when I asked one at last year's IEEE computer show that
question, he said they're working on it, but the hyperlinks were just going
to be so all-ecompassing that it is taking awhile to develop it. It would
be interesting to know if in fact there really is such a project.
Kathy