Anyone remember the Omnipedia?

[T'Cal]

Back in the early 90s, there was a CD-ROM version of the Star Trek Encyclopedia called the Omnipedia. It offered all kinds of graphics including short videos, images, etc. It was updated once and I think the Encyclopedia was updated 2-3 times but neither has been updated since the end of VOY nor do they include any of ENT. I read here that updating these sources is a huge undertaking and one Simon & Schuster Books was unwilling to commit resources to. I would love to see the Omnipedia turned into an interactive website. Perhaps it could be managed by fans. Any thoughts??

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I would love to see the Omnipedia turned into an interactive website.

You mean like this? This? Or even this?

Basically, the Internet has made all CD-ROM and print encyclopedias obsolete. We already have better references than the Omni or Encyclopedias ever could be - wikis that can be instantly edited.

 

[SpeedRacer]

I remember it. They included a portion of it with every "Starfleet Academy" figure from Playmates. I had Geordi...I wanted to get the Worf one, but I could never find it.

I still have a bunch of the film clips on my computer. I remember bringing it in to screw around with during recess in 6th grade; my friends and I kept watching Data choke a Borg. Good times.

 

[Ronald Held]

Yes. I must have a copy somewhere.

 

[Santaman]

I have two of them somewhere, the older one even ran under Win 3.11

 

[Garrovick]

I have the last one...

The glory days of Star Trek and Simon and Schuster..

Just a faint dim memory now..

 

[SpeedRacer]

choke a Borg.

In retrospect, that sounds pretty dirty.

 

[T'Cal]

I would love to see the Omnipedia turned into an interactive website.

You mean like this? This? Or even this?

Basically, the Internet has made all CD-ROM and print encyclopedias obsolete. We already have better references than the Omni or Encyclopedias ever could be - wikis that can be instantly edited.

Those are all good resources for facts. But the Omnipedia offered much more including animations of things like the Picard Maneuver, the bearing of a ship, props, emergency landings of the saucer section of a ship, etc. You could enter several rooms of the E-D and go to hotspots that offered additional animations, text, photos, and graphics. For example, you could go to Picard's quarters and click on the Mintakin tapestry and learn how the captain obtained it and a bit on its meaning. In Troi's quarters you saw votive candles and learned that they are holographic for fire safety reasons. At Tactical on the Bridge, you could zoom in on and control many of the functions like going to Red Alert, releasing a probe, and firing phasers or torpedoes. The Omnipedia offered so much more than a few photos and a bunch of text. The sites you list are pretty good but pale when compared to the experience of using the Omnipedia.

 

[Kadratis]

^ I think you're confusing the Omnipedia with the TNG Interactive Technical Manual.

 

[T'Cal]

^ I think you're confusing the Omnipedia with the TNG Interactive Technical Manual.

Yep! But I want that on line, too!!!

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

I was never too impressed with the Omnipedia, but the Interactive Tech manual was fantastic! I would love an updated version of that. My dream would be a TOS version as well

 

[daedalus5]

I've never even heard of the interactive technical manual - sounds really good!! I imagine it must've been a bit like Cpatians Chair?

I played the Picard Dossier that came a part of the Borg game, which was OK.