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Rating: 
Summary: Thank you, MacMillan
Review: Everyone knows that the Britannica is a superb encyclopedia. The problem until now has been that the CD-ROM and DVD versions often failed to run properly on many computers.I suspect that much of the problem had to do with the fact that the earlier versions were produced by Broderbund/Mattel Interactive (Really!), hardly firms from which you would want to purchase serious software. I have just loaded this version, from MacMillan, and it runs smoothly, permitting the user to efficiently peruse the wonderful content, which puts Encarta, Compton's and the like to shame. Buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Britannica is definately a superb product.
Review: I agree with the other reviewer who was annoyed about the non-resizable screen. Unfortunately, unlike him, I don't have a 19" screen - mine is much smaller. This means I have to squint and lean forward to see what's written in the inexplicably tiny and very cluttered Britannica box. What on earth were they thinking of? Did they seriously think people would prefer this? Insanity! That said, Britannica is an encylopedia for grown-ups. Encarta is a supermarket encyclopedia: patronizingly simple and aimed at those people who didn't listen in school and who need help to find Mexico on the map. The Encylopedia Britannica has depth, authority and gravitas. It contains just about everything I will ever need to know and is unfailing stimulating. Well, except for that dumb history of rollercoasters. Which genius decided that was necessary? And okay, you may be right: it probably doesn't have information about US visa requirements. Memo to previous reviewer: encylopedias are supposed to be repositories of the knowledge which experts and scholars have acquired through learning, research and study. If you want handy hints, try the internet or the telephone book. But the print version is still better than the currently available disks. For me, it's way more rewarding to trek down to the library and thumb through their grubby old volumes of Britannica than it is to wrestle with the irritating layout of my DVD version. But I live in hope. Perhaps the 2002 version will be overhauled by people who actually understand what encyclopedias are for, and how people use them, and why.
Rating: 
Summary: The Book is Better
Review: I agree with the other reviewer who was annoyed about the non-resizable screen. Unfortunately, unlike him, I don't have a 19" screen - mine is much smaller. This means I have to squint and lean forward to see what's written in the inexplicably tiny and very cluttered Britannica box. What on earth were they thinking of? Did they seriously think people would prefer this? Insanity! That said, Britannica is an encylopedia for grown-ups. Encarta is a supermarket encyclopedia: patronizingly simple and aimed at those people who didn't listen in school and who need help to find Mexico on the map. The Encylopedia Britannica has depth, authority and gravitas. It contains just about everything I will ever need to know and is unfailing stimulating. Well, except for that dumb history of rollercoasters. Which genius decided that was necessary? And okay, you may be right: it probably doesn't have information about US visa requirements. Memo to previous reviewer: encylopedias are supposed to be repositories of the knowledge which experts and scholars have acquired through learning, research and study. If you want handy hints, try the internet or the telephone book. But the print version is still better than the currently available disks. For me, it's way more rewarding to trek down to the library and thumb through their grubby old volumes of Britannica than it is to wrestle with the irritating layout of my DVD version. But I live in hope. Perhaps the 2002 version will be overhauled by people who actually understand what encyclopedias are for, and how people use them, and why.
Rating:
Summary: Britannica is definately a superb product.
Review: I bought Britannica six months ago and am still amazed to see how much detailed and categorized information it contains. I am a high school senior right now, last year I had chemistry and needed to research some info on ions ,bonds, elements et cetera. Britannica was truly helpful to me. It contains HUGE topics on most common topics in chemistry and most other subjects, like physics and biology. Not only does it contain information and pictures but also provides you with links to other articles which are directrly connected with the article you're researching. The interface of the main browsing window is very easy to use and very useful, it does not provide you with it's it's own windows, it seems more as if it were using the regular windows you're using in IE or NETSCAPE, I like it. Although I didn't try Encarta, from descriptions of my friends I can guess that Encarta has more animated interfaces, maybe more interactive stuff like games, or something of that sort, but trust me Britannica will not disappoint you. It contains VERY VERY detailed information, which is written in very crafty English too. Besides, you get Webster's dictionary which instantly retreives your words and provides you with ability to just double click any word a text from Britannica article and get the definition. This DVD version DID NOT CAUSE ANY CRUSHES OR BUGS on my computer, and most likely won't on yours. When selecting which to buy, Britannica or Encarta, PLEASE do not base your opinion solely on it's sales rank.
Rating:
Summary: So far - a major dissappointment
Review: I had high hopes when I ordered the DVD version of Britannica. I expected a huge array of easy to access information, backed up with powerful images and sound. Apart from the fact that I find the site information extremely poorly laid out and not as logical as Encarta to access, it doesn't even impress with it's depth. But most of all - I just hate the way that you have to PAY to get someone on the telephone, simply to help to get the stupid disc to work. One of the key tabs ("analyst") is bringing up a strange, incomprehensable message. It would be nice to get it resolved with a good old-fashioned customer service rep. I wouldn't bother, if I were you....
Rating:
Summary: impossible to use
Review: The user interface for this product is so difficult. When you click on a word just to highlight it, the software will look up the word. Also, it is impossible to print out long article to read because the software break up articles into little section. But it does not let you print the whole article. You have to print out a small section each time.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This program costs way too much to not even offer screen resizing. I use a 19" monitor at a fairly high resolution. When I run Britanica, everything is cram-jambed into a small NON-RESIZABE window. The content seems OK, but not noticably more usefull compared to the single CD Encarta 2000 I thought I was upgrading. It installed reliably except the audio-only files are unintelligible. It is too late for me, save yourselves. Buy something else.
Rating: 
Summary: A great achivement
Review: We all know the excellence of the Britannica. This DVD version is a very good way to use the vast information available. Not only you can move quickly between articles, but you can take notes, arrange them and use them for your research. You won't need to switch discs for media or text. Everything is a click away. You can get Britannica free on the web, but on DVD you will work faster and you will have more options available.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy it. It's an Edsel.
Review: When you buy the Encyclopedia Britannica DVD, your anticipation is that it's a Rolls Royce. It's not; it's an Edsel. Not only does it have non-resizable windows, its level of technical detail stops at about a college sophomore level. This is adequate for a high school student, but I expected a much higher level of erudition from this DVD. After all, it's Britannica.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, I have MUCH better encyclopedia to offer.....
Review: Why pay 70.00 for a buggy, non-resizable DVD version, when you can get all this an MORE for free off of the greatest encyclopedic volume in history? It is called the internet, and it is FREE, aside from the general access fee. You can have the lastest news, pictures and science reports, plus whitepapers, articles in biomedicine, physics, chemistry, mathematics, et cetera. Why pay for a 'version' of knowledge when you can have it all, not doled out in discreet dollops of creamy unsatisfaction like Britannica and Encarta? If you want to pay for learning and knowledge, the currency is determination.
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