Encarta Encyclopedia Free Software -

: After the encyclopedia was discontinued, the online dictionary remained accessible for free until 2011 . Discontinuation and Legacy

: Famous for the MindMaze trivia game, where players explored a medieval castle by answering encyclopedia-based questions.

: Microsoft released localized versions in several languages (e.g., German, Spanish, Japanese) and specialized products like Encarta Africana and Encarta Kids . The "Free" Versions Encarta Encyclopedia Free Software

Although mainly sold on CD-ROM and DVD, Microsoft experimented with free access models:

Encarta was born from Microsoft's internal project in the late 1980s. After being rejected by Encyclopædia Britannica , Microsoft licensed text from Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia for its initial 1993 release. : After the encyclopedia was discontinued, the online

: It originally debuted at $395 , though this price quickly dropped to $99 as it became frequently bundled with new multimedia PCs.

: Over time, Microsoft bolstered its content by purchasing and incorporating Collier’s Encyclopedia and the New Merit Scholar’s Encyclopedia . Key Features and Content The "Free" Versions Although mainly sold on CD-ROM

At its 2008 peak, contained over 62,000 articles and a massive library of multimedia assets.