That was still before widespread use of the World Wide Web, but at that time, every PC manufacturer (Gateway, Packard Bell -- remember those?) was including a free encyclopedia on CD with a computer purchase.
Yes, I remember those days well. I sure wish I could have back all the money I spent on dopey "content" software back in the mid-1990s. Those were still the early days of the Internet where everybody had dial-up on slow 9600 or 14.4kbps connections and it wasn't cheap either. So it seemed a good investment to get encyclopedias and stuff like that on compact disc because you couldn't ever imagine instantly downloading images, sound and video over the web at lightning speed.
I bought programs like Microsoft Encarta, Microsoft Music, Microsoft Cinema (where they had movie reviews and short clips of movies) and even 100 years worth of National Geographic magazines.
Loading them up today, they look so primitive and cheesy that I kick myself for spending $100 a pop on them. Especially now that you can pull up virtually every music video and movie clip on YouTube in a matter of seconds. I remember spending good money for programs like Microsoft Encarta,
You know what though? The CD versions were pretty lame, there is nothing to compare with the EB. Maybe they have improved in recent years.
The Internet has numerous webpages on any given subject, but still requires a working connection, hardware, etc. I would liken the modern internet akin to a GPS - handy, convenient, amazing, but I’m not leaving on a roadtrip without a road atlas, no way.