Year after year, Microsoft Encarta remains the superlative encyclopedia program. Though its competitors are worthy offerings, no one else nails all the key features: lots of compelling content, a friendly interface, loads of engaging multimedia elements, and seamless Web integration.

This year, you'll find the Homework Help Center. It offers a multitude of tools for students, including foreign-language dictionaries, a chart-making tool, a literature guide, and a well-stocked, searchable quotations library. The Update Encarta feature, free for a year, keeps your version current, with several updates and new articles per week, complete with Web links. And finally, a little ease-of-use factor that makes a big difference with content-heavy packages: Microsoft Encarta 2003 comes on DVD or CD-ROM—and you have the option of saving the whole program to your hard drive.

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Read our full review of the Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2003.