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![]() Microsoft Bookshelf 2000 home page | |
Developer(s) | Microsoft |
---|---|
Initial release | September 8, 1987[1] |
Final release | 2000
/ 1999 |
Operating system | MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS |
Successor | Microsoft Encarta |
Type | Reference work, encyclopedia |
Website | Microsoft Encarta Bookshelf at the Wayback Machine (archived June 21, 2000) |
Microsoft Bookshelf is a discontinued reference collection introduced in 1987 as part of Microsoft's extensive work in promoting CD-ROM technology as a distribution medium for electronic publishing. The original MS-DOS version showcased the massive storage capacity of CD-ROM technology, and was accessed while the user was using one of 13 different word processor programs that Bookshelf supported. Subsequent versions were produced for Windows and became a commercial success as part of the Microsoft Home brand. It was often bundled with personal computers as a cheaper alternative to the Encarta Suite. The Encarta Deluxe Suite / Reference Library versions also bundled Bookshelf.