Bookshelf (1987) 6 Reference Windows

Microsoft Bookshelf is a CD-ROM based multimedia reference tool from Microsoft, including a dictionary, thesaurus, quotations, atlas, and other types of references. Some versions were included and integrated with Microsoft Office, albeit sometimes stripped down.

• 94
• 95

Encarta (1993) 27 Reference Windows MacOS

Microsoft Encarta was a home oriented interactive encyclopedia that was often sold with new OEM machines. Unlike a paper encyclopedia, Encarta took full advantage of being on a computer, with updates from the Internet, sound clips and movies, interactive charts and games, and good navigation.

• 1995
• 1996

Microsoft 500 Nations (1995) 0 Reference Windows

Multimedia software from the Microsoft Home series providing reference material relating to the North American Indians. The actor Kevin Costner also appears in it.

• 1

Microsoft Ancient Lands (1994) 0 Reference Novelty Windows

Multimedia software from the Microsoft Home series providing reference material of the ancient Roman, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations. Runs on Windows 3.1 or later.

• 1.0

Microsoft BOB (1995) 21 Novelty Windows

Microsoft BOB is a Windows 3.1 graphical shell intended for novice users. It presents your desktop as a series of "rooms" with various selectable objects, and assists you with a friendly animated guide. It features vector based graphics that scale to any size or resolution screen, supports user profiles, and includes rudimentary editor, calendar, address book, and checking programs. It was created as a response to Packard Bell Navigator and is somewhat comparable to Apple At Ease and 3DNA.

• 1.00

Microsoft Cinemania (1994) 1 Reference Windows

Microsoft Cinemania is a reference application that was released by Microsoft that was a database of films that contained still images, sound clips, dialogues, sound tracks and some full motion video clips. The software was released annually until 1997, with the last version being Cinemania 97. Think of this as an early IMDB, but without the internet part.

• 1994

Microsoft Complete Basketball (1994) 0 Reference Novelty Windows

Multimedia software from the Microsoft Home series providing reference material on players, teams, and history of the NBA league. Runs on Windows 3.1 or later.

• 1994-95

Microsoft Creative Writer (1994) 7 Word Processor Novelty Windows MacOS

Microsoft Creative Writer is a dumbed down Microsoft BOB-like word processor and sign maker targeted at children. It was sold alongside, and later bundled with, a drawing program called Microsoft Fine Artist

• 1.x

Microsoft Dangerous Creatures (1994) 2 Reference Novelty Windows

Multimedia title from the Microsoft Home series about venomous and dangerous animals, such as spiders, snakes, fish, etc. from around the world. Runs on Windows 3.1 or later.

• 1.0

Microsoft Fine Artist (1994) 13 Graphics Novelty Windows MacOS

Microsoft Fine Artist is a dumbed down Microsoft Bob-like drawing program targeted at children. It was sold alongside, and later bundled with, a word processor called Microsoft Creative Writer.

• 1.x

Microsoft Musical Instruments (1994) 6 Reference Novelty Windows

Microsoft Musical Instruments is a multimedia CD ROM encyclopedia of musical instruments from around the world. Part of the Microsoft Home family of multimedia products.

• 1.x

Microsoft Plus! (1995) 81 Utility Novelty Windows

Microsoft Plus! was an add-on package to Windows that added desktop themes, screen savers, sound effects, power-toys, and other assorted goodies for the home user. Plus! 95 also included Internet Explorer 1.0, which was not included in all Windows 95 distributions.

• 95

Microsoft Saturn Screensaver (1995) 2 Novelty Windows

The Microsoft "Saturn" screen saver is a plasma-like screen saver that uses 256-color VGA pallet rotation to create dazzling effects.

• 1

Microsoft Scenes (1993) 8 Novelty Windows

Microsoft Scenes is a screen saver that displays a slide show of photographs. It was packaged in several varieties with different themed galleries.

• 2.0