Microsoft Home

Logo

Microsoft Home is a defunct line of software applications and personal hardware products published by Microsoft. Microsoft Home software titles first appeared in the middle of 1993. These applications were designed to bring multimedia to Microsoft Windows and Macintosh personal computers. With more than 60 products available under the Microsoft Home brand by 1994, the company's push into the consumer market took off. Microsoft also announced at that time Microsoft Plus!, an add-on enhancement package for Windows, which was continued until the Windows 2000 era. The range of home software catered for many different consumer interests from gaming with Microsoft Arcade and Entertainment Packs to reference titles such as Microsoft Encarta, Bookshelf and Cinemania. Shortly after the release of Microsoft Windows 95, the company began to reduce the price of Microsoft Home products and by the rise of the World Wide Web by 1998, Microsoft began to phase out the line of software. Today, Microsoft Home products can still be found on eBay, Amazon.com and in charity shops every once in a while, and they are beginning to fetch collector prices. However, some of them are available for download (albeit illegally) from various Internet websites dealing with abandonware.

Titles

Microsoft Home produced software for all different uses and environments. The products are divided into five categories: Reference & Exploration, Entertainment, Kids, Home Productivity and Sounds, Sights & Gear. The category in which the product was divided is identifiable by the package. Generally, Reference & Exploration products have a purple base color, Entertainment has a black base color, Kids has a yellow base color, Home Productivity has a green color and Sounds, Sights & Gear products have a grey or red base color. Note that many applications were developed in conjunction with other reputable software and reference companies. For example, Microsoft Musical Instruments was developed with Dorling Kindersley.

Reference & Exploration software

Microsoft Home Reference products brought information to Multimedia Personal Computers - it was an effective way of presenting and exploring information before the World Wide Web became mainstream. These products were embellished with hyperlink navigation systems, which were relatively new at this time. Most of these products were released on CD-ROM, giving the software the ability to display high-resolution graphics and animations, and play high-quality waveforms and MIDI files. These products proved that personal computers would revolutionize the way that we find and explore information.

Name	Year of Release	Retail Price when New
Microsoft Encarta	1993–2009	US$99.95/CAD$139.95
Microsoft Encarta Africana	1999-2001 (Later merged into Encarta)
Microsoft Bookshelf	1987, 1992, 1994-2000	US$69.95/CAD$99.95
Microsoft Cinemania	1994-1997	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Automap Streets (then Streets Plus & Microsoft Streets & Trips)	1995-Present
Microsoft Automap Road Atlas (then Trip Planner & Microsoft Streets & Trips)	1995-Present
Microsoft Music Central	1996-1997
Microsoft Complete Baseball	1994-1995	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Complete NBA Basketball	1994-1996	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Complete Gardening	1996
Microsoft Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide	1996
Microsoft Oceans	1995
Microsoft 500 Nations (North American Indian tribes and civilizations)	1995
Microsoft World of Flight	1995
Microsoft Ancient Lands	1994	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Dinosaurs	1993	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Dangerous Creatures	1994	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Dogs	1995
Microsoft Musical Instruments	1992	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Isaac Asimov's The Ultimate Robot	1993	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Art Gallery	1994	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Wine Guide	1995
Microsoft Julia Child: Home Cooking with Master Chefs	1995
Microsoft The Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright: America's Architect	1994	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Composer Collection	1995	US$79.95/CAD$109.95
Microsoft Multimedia Mozart: The Dissonant Quartet	1992–1995	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Multimedia Beethoven: The Ninth Symphony	1992–1995	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Multimedia Schubert: The Trout Quintet	1992–1995	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Multimedia Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring	1992–1995	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft Multimedia Strauss: Three Tone Poems	1992–1995	US$59.95/CAD$79.95
Microsoft BOB	1995	US$99.00/

Entertainment

In the early 1990s, games on personal computers generally ran on the now obsolete MS-DOS operating system. However, with the introduction of Microsoft Windows 3.1x in 1992, Microsoft Home published several entertainment applications that implemented the new technologies of Microsoft Windows. Furthermore, these applications encouraged the computer gamers of the time to migrate from MS-DOS to Microsoft Windows. This transition permitted better use of computer graphics, revolutionized game programming and resulted in a more realistic gaming experience^{[citation needed]}. For example, Microsoft Windows Entertainment Pack Games have remained a classic for computer gamers, ever since their development in the early 1990s^{[citation needed]}.

Name	Year of Release	Retail Price when New
Microsoft Fury3	1995
Microsoft Deadly Tide (underwater fighting machines)	1995
Microsoft Flight Simulator	1982, 1993-2006	US$49.95/CAD$64.95
Scenery Enhancements for Microsoft Flight Simulator Version 5.0: Microsoft Caribbean Microsoft Japan Microsoft Paris Microsoft New York	1995	US$34.95/CAD$49.95
Microsoft Golf	1993-2001	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Golf Championship Courses: Mauna Kea Championship Course Banff Springs Championship Course Pinehurst Championship Course	1993	US$24.95/CAD$34.95
Microsoft Space Simulator	1995	US$49.95/CAD$64.95
(The Best of) Microsoft Entertainment Pack	1995	US$24.95/CAD$34.95
Microsoft Arcade	1993	US$34.95/CAD$44.95
Microsoft Return of Arcade	1998
Microsoft Revenge of Arcade
Microsoft Pinball Arcade	1998

Kids

Microsoft Kids Logo

The Microsoft Kids division produced educational software aimed at children during the 1990s. Their products feature a purple-skinned character named McZee who wears wacky attire and leads children through the fictional town of Imaginopolis, where each building or room is a unique interface to a different part of the software. He is accompanied by a different partner in each software title.

Microsoft Home's software for kids was popular not only for home use, but also in school and educational institutions. Microsoft proved that the personal computer should not be daunting, but can be used by the whole family.  Tying in with the TV series, Microsoft Scholastic's The Magic School Bus was a highly successful series that continued to be sold after Microsoft Home's kids range of software turned into a subsidiary called Microsoft Kids.

Name	Year of Release	Retail Price when New
Microsoft Scholastic's The Magic School Bus: (This was a series of software based on the television series of the same name. The user had to solve puzzles based on science in order to complete the game.) Explores Bugs Explores in the Age of the Dinosaurs Explores Inside the Earth Explores the Human Body Explores the Ocean Explores the Rainforest Explores the Solar System Explores the World of Animals	1994-2000	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Gahan Wilson's The Ultimate Haunted House (A game designed by Gahan Wilson designed for kids to explore an eerie Haunted House populated by strange inhabitants.)	1993	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Creative Writer and Creative Writer 2 (Word processors released in 1994 and 1996 respectively aimed specifically at children).[1]	1993	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Fine Artist (Drawing program that looked and felt similar to Creative Writer.)	1993	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Ghostwriter Mysteries for Creative Writer	1995	US$19.95/CAD$29.95
P.J.'s Reading Adventures (Collection of three storybook adventures for children, Paul Bunyan, How the Leopard Got His Spots and Koi and the Kola Nuts.[1])	1995	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft 3D Movie Maker [1] (Children oriented program that allowed them to create their own movies using preset character animation and sounds.)	1995	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker (This version used characters from the popular Nickelodeon shows)	1996	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Explorapedia: (These were 2 interactive kids-oriented encyclopedias. It contained 400 articles accessed by clicking the appropriate picture in the environment.) The World of People The World of Nature	1995	US$49.95/CAD$69.95
Microsoft Plus! for Kids (Windows 95 Plus Pack for Kids)	1995	US$24.95
My Personal Tutor (Software instructed learning for preschool to first grade)	1997	US$54.95
ActiMates Toy characters and software titles based on Barney & Friends	1997	US$64.95 for TV Pack and PC Pack, US$34.95 for software titles.

Home productivity software

Name	Year of Release	Retail Price when New
Microsoft BOB	1995	US$99.00
Microsoft Great Greetings for Microsoft BOB	1995
Microsoft Money	1994-2008	US$14.95/CAD$24.95
Microsoft Publisher	1993-Present	US$99.95/CAD$139.95
Microsoft Publisher Design Packs: Microsoft Publisher StyleLine Design Pack Microsoft Publisher Design Pack Microsoft Publisher Special Occasions Design Pack	1993?	US$39.95/CAD$54.95
Microsoft Greetings Workshop	1996-2002
Microsoft Picture It! (rebranded as Microsoft Digital Image	1996
Microsoft Home Publishing	1999-2000
Microsoft Works 3.0 for Windows	1994	US$99.95/CAD$139.95
Microsoft Works 3.0 for Windows on CD	1994	US$99.95/CAD$139.95
Microsoft Works 4.0 for Macintosh		US$99.95/CAD$139.95
Microsoft Works and Bookshelf '94	1994	US$99.95/CAD$139.95

Sights, Sounds & Gear

Name	Year of Release	Retail Price when New
Microsoft Scenes screensaver and wallpaper program Sierra Club Wildlife Collection Sierra Club Nature Collection Undersea Collection Sports Extremes Collection Personal Collection Outer Space Collection Flight Collection Hollywood Collection Brain Twister Collection Stereogram Collection Impressionist Collection	1994	US$24.95/CAD$34.95
Microsoft Natural Keyboard	1994	US$99.95/CAD$129.95
Microsoft Mouse	1993	US$64.95/CAD$84.95
Microsoft Windows Sound System Version 2.0	1995	US$59.95/CAD$84.95
Microsoft Home Mouse	1995	US$44.95/$59.95
Microsoft SoundBits (sound schemes) Microsoft SoundBits - Hanna-Barbera Microsoft SoundBits - Hollywood Microsoft SoundBits - Musical Instruments	1992–1994	US$24.95/CAD$34.95

Legacy

• Microsoft AutoMap later became what is today called Microsoft MapPoint and Microsoft Streets & Trips. This can be confirmed by "AutoMap" registry entries installed by these current products.
• Microsoft Publisher is still available even today as a part of Microsoft Office.
• Microsoft Picture It! eventually became Microsoft Digital Image and was discontinued after the release of Windows Vista, Windows Live Photo Gallery includes similar features.
• Microsoft Works was replaced by Office Starter 2010 which is available to OEMs for installation on new PCs only and does not include a replacement for the Works Database program.
• Microsoft Encarta and Microsoft Money were discontinued in 2009, and no replacement products have been announced or released.
• Microsoft Flight Simulator development was discontinued with the closure of ACES Game Studio. The current version is available at Games for Windows website.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Microsoft Gives Kids Tools and Technology To Unleash Their Imagination and Experience New Adventures

• Microsoft Home Software Catalog Winter/Spring 1995 (from Microsoft The Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright) 1194 Part No. 098-56862
• Microsoft Knowledge Base