![MSN Encarta](https://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/galleries/2009/news/0912/gallery.brands_we_lost/images/microsoft_encarta.jpg)
Encarta was a relatively revolutionary product when it was first published on CD-ROM in 1993. It contained a trove of articles, images, maps and multimedia features. Later, the content was also accessible online for a yearly subscription fee.
But Encarta's popularity faded throughout this decade with the rise of Web-based encyclopedia Wikipedia. While it has been criticized as inaccurate and unreliable, Wikipedia is free of charge. And, unlike Encarta, it is updated in real time.