Its online feature leads users to the Monthly Updater from which they can download updates, new articles and Web links that become part of the contents of the encyclopedia. There is also a Star Quest game in which players use a high-tech telescope to locate objects in the night sky. Though articles are now more accessible, our students found the interface not quite as intuitive as the others. The new Advanced Search feature offered few prompts and did not inspire student use. The biggest disappointment with Compton's is that little effort seemed to go into upgrading the atlas.
Maps constitute a critical research feature for school-age children.
Compton's maps print as simple outlines, offering no detail, not even capital cities. And as a Mac-user and teacher, I was disappointed that Compton's has decided to market their product to Windows users only. World Book Multimedia. World Book's articles often are longer than its competitors', making it a fine starting point for student research. Thumbnails allow users to preview graphics before viewing or switching to the second disk in the set.