Product Description

The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words and traces their usage through 2.5 million illustrative quotations from a wide range of literary and other sources. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new version of the Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition) on CD-ROM offers unparalled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version now includes almost 2,000 words and phrases from the OED team's ongoing revision program, as well as the full text of the OED Second Edition, published in 1989, the Oxford English Dictionary Addition Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. Minimum system requirements: PC with 200 MHz Pentium-class processor 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended) 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended) Windows 95, 98, 98 Se, Me, NT, 2000, or XP Minimum 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk (CD validation required every 90 days) SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels, 16-bit (64k, high colour) setting recommended

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #812451 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: CD-ROM

Review

"The complete, digitized version of the authoritative dictionary of the English language turns out to be one of those rare, but startlingly clear demonstrations of how technology may yet be a good thing after all. Instead of dropping $900 and sacrificing most of a bookcase for the full, 20-volume paper edition of the OED, you can get the same information neatly packed onto a single CD"--Washington Post

Customer Reviews

This product should be banned!
This program has given me nothing but headaches. It includes buggy software protection that requires that you place CD number 2 in the drive every 90 days in order for the program to run. This always occurs for me when I am traveling and do not have the CD with me. Oops, can't use the program until I get home and dig out the CD in my office.

The next problem is that even once the program has done this ridiculous 90 day check, it still may not run. This is because the copy protection conflicts with the Windows operating system and Norton Antivirus in unpredictable ways. This can result in running out of system memory or in Microsoft Word crashing when attempting to open documents, both of which require restarting my computer.

If you are lucky enough to get the program to run, you will find it has a horrible user interface, like it was written back in the late 80's. The program loads so slowly that I never bother using it to look up a single word while writing, and instead use my other dictionary programs. When the program does come up, it goes to a credits screen, so that you still must click to get to the page where you can do your searches, which wastes a few more seconds. The searches themselves return fast results, but reviewing the results is hindered by there not being any back button. So if you are looking at an entry and click on a hyperlinked term, there is no way to get back to the entry you were just viewing. This is terribly cumbersome if you want to cross-reference different entries to get a broader sense of word's meaning.

I should add that I am not a naïve user with a buggy computer. I have a recent model IBM notebook running Windows XP Professional, and I have worked as a computer technician in the past. I also do not have some hidden axe to grind with Oxford; I simply paid a reasonable chunk of money for what I thought would be a comprehensive and useable dictionary. The content is comprehensive--the very, very best--but it is nearly useless in this implementation.

Let me end my review by telling about my latest experience with this lovely program. I clicked on the dictionary to lookup a word and it wanted the CD ROM to be inserted for the copy protection check. This time, I had the disk near at hand. I placed the CD in the drive and the program read the copy protection key, but it still wouldn't run. I restarted my computer and turned off Norton Antivirus, but this did not get the program to work. I then re-installed the Oxford dictionary, which takes a long, long time, and still no luck. Finally, I went and checked the tech support page at Oxford, and evidently their program does not work with a recent Windows XP security update. Their suggestion? Uninstall the update (which Microsoft considers critical, the maximum severity level) and turn off automatic security updates for your computer. Sure, no problem. I will just open up my computer to every virus in the world so I can run a stupid program that never ran correctly in the first place. I am now relegating the Oxford Dictionary to the trash can where it rightfully belongs. So if you are considering buying this software, just keep in mind that it will not run on Windows XP if you have up-to-date security updates on your system. I also encourage you to read the Amazon reviews for the previous versions (2.0 and 3.0) of the OED CD, many of which report similar problems with the flakey copy protection used in the program. It is rare for me to write a negative review when I am disappointed with a product. But in this case it goes beyond basic dissatisfaction and feels more like I have been robbed of $250. It just boggles my mind that such an unreliable and poorly executed program exists from a major publishing house.

Great book in a handy format
Not wanting to spend big bucks on the 20-volume set, I was torn between the CD-ROM version and the microprint version, which are similar in price. As I see it, the advantages of the CD-ROM version are:

-- quick searches not only by entry but within text. You can even search by etymological origin to locate, for example, all words that come from the Cree.
-- small storage space
-- ease of reading (although you cannot change the font size)
-- and of course all the advantages of working on a computer such as being able to copy and paste, save to file, or print.

The disadvantages:

-- you can't carry it to another room, unless it's on a laptop
-- there's no guarantee that it will work with future operating systems
-- if you damage or lose a disc, you've got nothing
-- it's not a book!

I've lusted after the OED for most of the last 40 years. Now that the price has fallen out of the stratosphere, I own it, and I'm delighted. I can't comment on the validity of the harsh criticisms of previous versions, but v. 3.1 of the software so far is behaving well for me. The copy-protection scheme now requires a CD to be inserted only once every 90 days. In the meantime, you can store all the data in 1.7 gigabytes on your hard drive and keep the discs stored safely away. The program loads quickly and even full-text searches take only a few seconds.

I find the interface very easy to use and have only three gripes. First, I would like to see a "back" button with functionality like that in an internet browser. As it is, you usually have to go into a dialog box to select the page you want to go back to. In a book that encourages browsing as much as this one does (you can jump to the entry for any word just by double-clicking on it), this is an odd omission. Second, although it's possible to copy selected text to the clipboard, you can do this only by dragging the mouse to select, then using the standard Windows shortcut keys (Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Ins). It's surprising not to be able to get a popup menu by right-clicking, and it's also odd that even the existing clipboard functionality is not documented. Third -- and this is really an inexcusable flaw -- you can't navigate without a mouse. There is NO support for moving the input focus with Tab or Alt-key combinations. Oxford, can you spell "accessibility"?

the dictionary is great - IF THE SOFTWARE LETS YOU SEE IT!
When I first bought this, I thought sticking the disk in every 90 days did not seem so bad. Now I wish I'd listened to the reviewers who warned that this software can be a real pain.

The first 90 days, I loved this dictionary. When it works, it's awesome.

Then, right around the time it first prompted me to insert the disk and prove I really am the rightful owner, I started having problems. I stuck the disk in no problem and at first it all seemed fine. Then it started demanding weird things - that I stick in a disk, or that I connect to the internet. Using the dictionary became a real pain. THEN, it decided that I'm not the legitimate user, so now I can't use the software at all.

GET THE PRINT VERSION OF THE DICTIONARY! This dictionary is really nice. But the software is a nightmare. The greedy bloodsuckers who invented this product are SO worried about bootlegging that they have solved the problem by making a product that isn't worth bootlegging!

I feel so incredibly ripped off. I can't believe I paid for this garbage.