Microsoft Student

Microsoft Student
Developer(s)Microsoft
Final release
2009 / June 2009; 15 years ago (2009-06)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeEncyclopedia
LicenseCommercial proprietary software
Websitemicrosoft.com/student

Microsoft Student is a discontinued application from Microsoft designed to help students in schoolwork and homework. It included Encarta, as well as several student-exclusive tools such as additional Microsoft Office templates (called Learning Essentials) and integration with other Microsoft applications, like Microsoft Word. An example of that is data citations, Encarta dictionary and research Encarta features, which are available in a toolbar in Word.

The product also included Microsoft Math, language and literature resources (book summaries), and research tools (such as access to an online version of Encarta).[1] Student 2006 was the first version of the product and a new version was produced by Microsoft every year until 2009.

Microsoft announced in March 2009 that they will cease to sell Microsoft Student and all editions of the Encarta encyclopedia by June 2009, citing changes in the way people seek information and in the traditional encyclopedia and reference material market as the key reasons behind the termination.[2] Encarta's closing is widely attributed to competition from the larger online encyclopedia Wikipedia.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ "Microsoft Student Homepage". Microsoft. Retrieved 2006-09-26.
  2. ^ Important Notice: Encarta and Student to be Discontinued(MSN Encarta). 2009-10-31.
  3. ^ Gralla, Preston (March 31, 2009). "What Was Encarta? Look It Up on Wikipedia". PC World. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  4. ^ McDougall, Paul (March 31, 2009). "Microsoft Encarta Is Web 2.0's Latest Victim". InformationWeek. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  5. ^ Alderman, Naomi (7 April 2009). "Encarta's failure is no tragedy: Wikipedia has succeeded where Microsoft's Encarta failed, and seems to be a reversal of the 'tragedy of the commons'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 April 2010.