Microsoft Cinemania

Last updated
Microsoft Cinemania
Developer(s) Microsoft
Initial release1992;33 years ago (1992) [1]
Final release
97 / August 1997;27 years ago (1997-08)
Operating system Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS
SuccessorCinemania Online
Available inEnglish
Type Reference work, encyclopedia
License Proprietary
Website Cinemania Online at the Wayback Machine (archived April 20, 1998)

Microsoft Cinemania was an interactive movie guide as part of the Microsoft Home series of reference and educational multimedia application CD-ROM titles produced by Microsoft and published annually from 1992 up until 1997.

Contents

History

The software was available for both Windows and Macintosh. Early versions for Windows were 16-bit, Cinemania 96 had both 16-bit and 32-bit EXEs for compatibility with Windows 3.1 and native Windows 95 support respectively. The last edition of Cinemania was released in 1997 and is the only purely 32-bit version. This version was supported on Windows 95 or Windows NT, or Apple Macintoshes running System 7. [2] Melinda Gates, ex-wife of Bill Gates, worked on the development of this software in the early 1990s. [3]

Content

The software was mainly a database of films, in a similar fashion to the Internet Movie Database, and gave descriptions of the films and who starred in them. Most of this information was not readily accessible before broadband internet.

Cinemania contained professional material by:

The program also included over 2000 still images for movies and actors, a large number of sound clips, dialogues and soundtracks, and a smaller selection of full-motion video clips. As the amount of material increased with each new edition, the quality of media tended to decrease, in order to fit everything on a single CD-ROM. Cinemania 97 also had guided tours from numerous celebrities and online features which made use of an associated MSN website. It could be updated monthly over the Internet, which brought new movies, new material about older movies and new celebrity tours. [2]

Reception

PC Magazine in 1993 said that Cinemania 1994 was "the ultimate movie buff's guide to the cinema ... the most complete CD-ROM movie guide available". [4]

References

  1. ↑ McCullaugh, Jim (November 17, 1992). "Movie-Buff Guide Premieres". Billboard . Vol. 104, no. 42. p. 59. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved June 15, 2023– via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 "Lights! Camera! Action! Microsoft Debuts Cinemania 97, Latest Edition of Top-Selling Guide to Movies and Movie Makers" (Press release). Microsoft PressPass. 1996-09-17. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  3. ↑ Cathleen., Small (2017). Melinda Gates : Philanthropist and Education Advocate. New York, NY: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC. ISBN   9781502627087. OCLC   1039680502.
  4. ↑ Trivette, Donald B. (1993-12-07). "After Hours". PC. pp. 584–589. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
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