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New Britannica CD-Roms and DVDs include sleek interface and improved searching and navigation features

Announcement posted by Britannica 25 Oct 2001

New products designed for the Macintosh platform
Britannica has announced the launch of its 2002 CD-ROM and DVD products with new features including a sleek interface and improved searching and navigation capabilities.

For the first time in recent years, the new versions are also available for the Macintosh platform.

Each Britannica CD-ROM and DVD is a comprehensive reference source that includes the full text of the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, additional encyclopedia articles, a world atlas, a Merriam-Webster dictionary, and recent editions of the Britannica yearbook.

The 2002 Britannica CD-ROM and DVD editions cater to different personal research styles by giving users a flexible range of searching and browsing options for getting the information they need quickly and easily.

David Campbell, managing director, Britannica Asia Pacific said, Weve combined the most respected encyclopedia in the world with rich multimedia. This year, with improvements in navigation and added features people will find the search for information even easier and more enjoyable.

New software features
Completely redesigned for 2002, Britannicas improved search interface provides a more powerful and flexible way for users to find the information they need. Users can search the entire database and select all content or sort by medium - text articles, audio, video, still images, maps or tables. Alternately, users can browse an alphabetical list of all articles.

KnowledgeNavigator is an interactive graphical browser based on Britannicas subject outline. It is ideal for creative brainstorming, finding topics to research, and exploring the relationships among different articles and topics in the encyclopedia.

Britannicas editors have selected 44 popular topics from different fields of knowledge and created special visual presentations to display these subjects. Topics include rock music, human anatomy, cathedrals, ecosystems and aviation. Visual tours stimulate learning and broaden users interests by enticing them to explore new topics.

New Encyclopaedia Britannica software editions include:

Standard Edition CD-ROM
A cross-platform product that can be used on both Windows and Macintosh.
Basic version of the full Encyclopaedia Britannica which includes all information on one disc, eliminating disc swapping.
Ideal for people who want high-quality information without many multimedia enhancements, as well as laptop travellers who like to keep the encyclopedia loaded.
RRP $99.00

Deluxe Edition CD-ROM, for Windows.
A rich multimedia experience through special features and plenty of audio and visual material throughout.
Features including Find, Knowledge Navigator, Visual Tours, Research Organiser.
RRP $199.00

Expanded Edition DVD
Available in separate Windows and Macintosh versions.
The ultimate reference discs for people with DVD capability, both editions include more multimedia than any of the other CD-ROM editions, all on one DVD disc.
RRP $199.00

Available from
Encyclopaedia Britannica CD-ROM and DVD are distributed through Roadshow Entertainment and are available at Harvey Norman, Myer, Grace Bros, David Jones, Dick Smith Electronics, Officeworks, Electronics Boutique and other leading software retailers.

About Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. creates and markets products of the highest quality for reference, education and learning. Many of those products feature content from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which has been published continuously since 1768 and has long been the standard by which other reference works are judged. Britannicas products include the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, a revised printing of which will be published this Autumn; BritannicaSchool (www.britannicaschool.com), an integrated suite of teaching and learning tools for the classroom; Britannica.com (www.britannica.com), a powerful source of general reference information, available to consumers by subscription, with some features available free; Britannica Online (www.eb.com), an advertising-free reference and research service for universities, libraries, and other organisations; and Britannicas multimedia CD-ROMs and DVDs. Britannica makes its headquarters in Chicago and also maintains offices in London, New Delhi, Paris, Seoul, Sydney, Taipei, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo.