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Hutchinson's latest electronic encyclopaedia is not what we would call the fount of all wisdom. In fact, it's a miserly offering from a company that, with six past attempts, should have learned what to do by now.
The 2002 edition claims to be the only encyclopaedia available "to truly focus on Key Stages 3 and 4 of the National Curriculum". If that is so, it's one of the few plus points we can find for this rather thin and badly thought-out electronic almanac.
Frankly, children need more to excite them than the bare bones, but this is all they get with this CD-ROM. Neither is it likely to give them an extra edge in their exams: the articles are very basic, skimming over even complex topics with a banality that is embarrassing at times.
Missing links
Moreover, the links between related subjects, the internet and the videos and graphics are haphazard. Neither have the designers of this CD-ROM given much thought to making navigation intuitive and the whole layout is cumbersome and boring.
It may have been our computer but something very odd happened to the interactive section, resulting in the loss of half the readable screen, and the historical Timeline skitters uneasily along, with limited information about each particular period.Spellbound
The flaws don't end there - the search facility is also poor. If you can't spell, forget it. You may hit the jackpot but this encyclopaedia rarely offers anything in the way of alternatives.
Another drawback is that specific searches are often just not specific enough. If you want to know who the Greek god of water was, the search will offer you a choice of gods and water and Greek gods and Roman gods but not the god in question - Poseidon.
While it boasts more than 10 times the information of its printed version and in excess of 54,000 articles, it makes you wonder how comprehensive Hutchinson's printed word is. One plus point - it will run on really old PCs.
Contact
Focus Multimedia: 01889 570156 www.focusmm.co.uk
ALSO CONSIDER
Microsoft Encarta 2002
Versions of this exhaustive collection range from £30 to £100 and all are excellent.£30-£100
*****
Computeractive, Issue 96
See also:
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Still the best reference tool around, this Deluxe 2002 edition is crammed into 2GB. 10 May 2002
Britannica tries to woo new users with updated search facilities. But what does it offer the serious student? 12 Mar 2002
Britannica offers a lightweight package which is perfect for heavyweight research. 28 Feb 2002
Microsoft has managed to make learning fun and not just for the younger generation. 27 Feb 2002All Education
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