The Encarta CD-ROM
Homework, copy, paste, change the font.
An entire encyclopedia on one CD, with video clips that ran at postage-stamp size and a "Mind Maze" game nobody finished.
It ended the door-to-door encyclopedia trade almost single-handedly. A set of Britannicas cost more than a holiday; Encarta came free with the computer.
Then Wikipedia arrived and did to Encarta exactly what Encarta had done to Britannica. Microsoft discontinued it in 2009.
Cost back then
Bundled with most PCs
Goes for now
Original discs £5–£20 as curiosities
