I haven't tried any of these to test for compatibility with screen reading software.

>Smarter CD-ROMs
>
>Latest encyclopedias are generally good; you should pick the one that works
>best for your needs
>
>
>Email this
>to a friend
>
>By Mike Langberg
>SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
>
>Watch out what you wish for, at least when it comes to encyclopedias on
>CD-ROM, because you just might get it.
>
>CD-ROM encyclopedia prices have fallen so low -- to "free" in one case,
>after mailing in a rebate coupon -- that publishers may not be making
>enough money to maintain editorial quality. And consumers are getting
>barraged with confusing marketing gimmicks as publishers attempt to squeeze
>us for a few more desperately needed dollars.
>
>I'm pleased to report, however, that all five of the major contenders --
>Britannica, Compton's, Encarta, Grolier and World Book -- have released
>1999 editions that mostly maintain the quality level of earlier years. And
>these '99 editions are doing a better job of linking to the biggest
>encyclopedia of all: the World Wide Web.
>
>Here are the details on CD-ROM encyclopedias for 1999: Britannica
>
>Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. (800-747-8503; www.eb.com), the biggest of
>the print encyclopedias, presents 32 volumes of text, photographs and
>charts in the $99 "Britannica CD 99 Multimedia Edition" for Windows 95,
>Windows 98 or Windows NT on three discs; one disc for the installation
>software and two for the encyclopedia contents. The one-disc "Standard
>Edition" at $65, with pictures but no multimedia, works with Windows 3.1
>and up, as well as the Macintosh. The $149 "Britannica Ultimate Reference
>Suite" adds a dictionary and atlas to the Multimedia Edition.
>
>For those who don't want to buy the discs, a subscription to Britannica
>Online runs $85 a year, or $8.50 a month. There's also an intriguing
>"one-for-ten" pass. For a single payment of $9.95, you get to use the
>online service on 10 separate days of your choice, for a full 24 hours each
>day. This could work well for occasional users who don't do enough research
>to justify purchasing CD-ROMs. Compton's
>
>The Learning Company's Mindscape division (617-761-3000; www.mindscape.com)
>offers only one version at retail: "Compton's Encyclopedia 1999 Deluxe," on
>two discs for $39, running on Windows 95-98. A single disc standard edition
>is sold to personal computer manufacturers for software "bundles" included
>with new machines.
>
>America Online subscribers can access the full text of Compton's, although
>the articles are not updated fully, at Keyword "COMPTON'S." An updated
>online version is available on the Web for $29.95 a year. Encarta
>
>Microsoft Corp. (800-426-9400; http://encarta.msn.com) offers the two-disc
>"Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 99" at $59 for Windows 95-98-NT. There also
>are the one-disc "Encarta Encyclopedia 99" with less multimedia for $35,
>and the five-disc "Encarta Reference Suite 99" for $99, with an atlas and
>the "Microsoft Bookshelf" compendium of reference works. DVD-ROM versions
>of Encarta Deluxe at $69 and Encarta Suite at $99 are due in mid-November,
>putting the contents of multiple CD-ROMs on a single DVD-ROM. Microsoft
>opted not to provide a Macintosh version of Encarta 99, but continues
>selling the Mac version of Encarta 98.
>
>Some retailers have been marking down the standard Encarta to $25 and,
>thanks to a $25 rebate recently offered by Microsoft, advertising the
>CD-ROM as free. It's a great deal, although not truly free -- you still
>have to pay sales tax and the cost of postage to send in your rebate
>coupon.
>
>On the Web, Microsoft provides a greatly abbreviated "concise" version of
>Encarta for free. Grolier
>
>Grolier Interactive Inc. (203-797-3530; http://gi.grolier.com) shipped the
>two-disc "1999 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Deluxe Edition" for $59 in
>two versions -- one for all types of Windows, another for the Macintosh.
>Due in late October or early November is the $89 "1999 Grolier Multimedia
>Reference Suite" adding an atlas, almanac and book of quotations. Early
>next year, the suite will be released on a single DVD-ROM for $99.
>
>The encyclopedia's contents also are available online for $59 a year. And,
>in an interesting wrinkle, buyers of the CD-ROM encyclopedia get online
>access to two other encyclopedias: Americana and the New Book of Knowledge.
>Many articles on the CD-ROM display links to one or both encyclopedias;
>clicking the link automatically launches your Web browser and, if you're
>connected to the Internet through a modem or network, displays the relevant
>article. World Book
>
>IBM (800-426-7235; www.worldbook.com) markets and distributes the two-disc
>"1999 World Book Deluxe Edition" for Windows 95-98-NT and "1999 World Book
>Deluxe Macintosh Edition" for the Mac. Both are $59. A single-disc
>"Standard Edition" is mostly distributed through software bundles with new
>PCs. The "1999 World Book Family Reference Suite" is a three-disc package
>at $99, for Windows 95-98-NT only, that adds IBM's "ViaVoice"
>speech-recognition program for controlling the encyclopedia through voice
>commands.
>
>There is no online version of the World Book for now, although IBM says it
>is developing an online package for next year.
>
>Overall, I'd rate World Book as the No. 1 choice for children, with Encarta
>as a strong second. Britannica, although it's writing style is often dry,
>would get the nod for adult users. Compton's and Grolier, although both
>good products, are a few steps behind.
>
>What should you do?
>
>If you're not sure whether you need an encyclopedia, start by consulting
>one of the free online versions. Should you or your children find
>yourselves turning to these sources frequently, then it might be worth
>shelling out for a CD-ROM. If you got any one of these five encyclopedias
>free with your computer, see how much your family is using the discs you
>own before buying a 1999 edition.
>
>For those who decide to buy a CD-ROM encyclopedia, I'd avoid the
>high-priced suites. These bundles are an attempt to reverse the downward
>price trend by adding extra material you probably don't need. For the same
>amount of money, you'd be much better served buying the standard versions
>of two different encyclopedias -- giving you the advantage of two
>perspectives on any topic you decide to investigate.
>
>At the same time, keep an eye out for rebates that reduce the ultimate
>purchase price. World Book, for example, is offering a $30 rebate on its
>$59 deluxe edition, and there are often generous rebates on the other
>titles as well.
>
>Knowledge, in short, will make you free, and doesn't have to cost much more
>than that for smart shoppers.
>
>


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