Publishers of CD-ROM references long ago came up with electronic bookmarks. But nothing matches the ease of a browser, which lets you get a list of pages you've visited and click on one to get there. The encyclopedia also allows you to move freely between material on the CD and the Web. Nearly every page includes links to Web sites appropriate to the topic. If you have an Internet service, you can automatically switch between pages on disk and pages on the Net.
Web browsers are also extremely versatile.
The Home Improvement Encyclopedia, for example, uses Macromedia's ShockWave plug-in to add animation to its pages. An animated sequence showing how to relight the pilot on a hot-water heater, for example, adds real value. Developers of software for both business and the home market are looking to the browser as a sort of universal interface for programs. Home Improvement Encyclopedia illustrates how well the approach can work with consumer products, too. The browser-ization of computing will likely pick up steam late this year, when Microsoft releases an upgrade to Windows 95 and NT that has browser features built right into the desktop.