[comp.sys.amiga] Dictionary for the Amy?

multi@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Chuan Su Kuan) (12/11/89)

Does there exist a PD(Prefered)/Commercial version of computerized dictionary 
for the Amiga?   I really hate to have to flip through the pages for a  
single word - that is, after dugged out the dictionary buried under piles of
books and clothes scattering about on my bed room floor. 

I have a 65 Mag hard drive, so I figure ..oh, well.. I can probably spare 
5 Mags for such application (if it exists in reality). 

--------------------
I Would have gone after a NeXT ... if I had the $$$$.  But since I don't,
I had to settle for the poor man's dream machine- the Amiga..500 ;-}.

multi@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Chuan Su Kuan) (12/11/89)

I posted a message not too long ago requesting info about computerized 
dictionary for the Amiga.  Thanks for Matt Wood (and Joe Bob?)'s quick
response.  However, I think I should have made it clear in the original
posting that I am not looking for spelling checker.  For that, I've got
word perfect.   I want something which will get me defination of a word
by a click of my mouse bottom.   It will be nicer, yet, if the program
will allow me to look up the defination of a word that's probably part
of a defination for another word.  Something tells me, however, that'll
be asking too much.

-Kevin

king@cell.mot.COM (Steven King) (12/13/89)

In article <5287@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> multi@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Kevin Su) writes:
>Does there exist a PD(Prefered)/Commercial version of computerized dictionary 
>for the Amiga?   [...]

The new version of the Oxford English Dictionary is available on CD-ROM.  Of
course, that would mean getting a CD-ROM reader and some appropriate software,
but hey!  Nothing but the best!  :-)

-- 
---------------------------------------------------+---------------------------
It's only impossible until it's done.              | Steve King  (708) 991-8056
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brandonl@amadeus.WR.TEK.COM (Brandon G. Lovested) (12/13/89)

In article <554@grape3.UUCP>, king@cell.mot.COM (Steven King) writes:
> In article <5287@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> multi@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Kevin Su) writes:
> >Does there exist a PD(Prefered)/Commercial version of computerized dictionary 
> >for the Amiga?   [...]
> 
> The new version of the Oxford English Dictionary is available on CD-ROM.  Of
> course, that would mean getting a CD-ROM reader and some appropriate software,
> but hey!  Nothing but the best!  :-)
> 

Yeah, isn't it also in the range of several hundred dollars just for the
CD?

Kevin:  You may well find a dictionary for the Amiga, but it may be so
expensive, that you might well consider buying one of those handheld
electronic ones.  Some have 100,000 words, with definitions, and 400,000
synonyms.  Powerful stuff.



================================================================================
                             |
Brandon G. Lovested          |	"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped,
		             |	 indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered!
brandonl@amadeus.WR.TEK.COM  |	 My life is my own."  
                             |
================================================================================

Michael.Witbrock@cs.cmu.edu (12/14/89)

No, actually the old version is out on CD rom, the new version only on
paper. One of the OED's editorwas here about 3 days ago talking about
it.  The 2nd edition will be out on rom within a year or two.

michael

king@cell.mot.COM (Steven King) (12/15/89)

In article <sZVk0w_00XNI4WIXkN@cs.cmu.edu> mjw@cs.cmu.edu writes:
>
>No, actually the old version is out on CD rom, the new version only on
>paper. One of the OED's editorwas here about 3 days ago talking about
>it.  The 2nd edition will be out on rom within a year or two.
>
>michael

Is there an upgrade policy from the old to the new edition?  Not that I have
any hopes of being able to afford the OED in the first place, but I can
dream can't I?  I'd love to get the OED, Bartlett's and maybe a good 
thesaurus on-line, with a real fast search program to go with them... :-)

-- 
---------------------------------------------------+---------------------------
There's nothing in this world quite so dangerous   | Steve King  (708) 991-8056
as a bored engineer.                               |   ...uunet!motcid!king
                                                   |   ...ddsw1!palnet!stevek

Michael.Witbrock@cs.cmu.edu (12/19/89)

> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.amiga: 15-Dec-89 Re: Dictionary for the
> Amy? Steven King@cell.mot.COM (898)

> Is there an upgrade policy from the old to the new edition?  Not that I
> have
> any hopes of being able to afford the OED in the first place, but I can
> dream can't I?  I'd love to get the OED, Bartlett's and maybe a good 
> thesaurus on-line, with a real fast search program to go with them... :-)


I'm afraid I don't know.  I crave the NewOED on line too.  I think that
CD roms are
about to take off (there have been a couple of releases of small
computers whose main
purpose is cd rom reading recently). A drive for the Amiga soon is a
must (amongst other things, because it could hold things like atlases
with HUGE numbers  of pictures, which would sure help penetrate the
education market - I think the amiga's unparalled *base configuration*
graphics 
is a huge advantage in a market which has enough difficulty buying
computers, let alone expanding them).

michael

p.s. I wonder whether C/A is developing a marketing strategy for Eastern
Europe and the SU. I'd bet that 68000s will be sellable there soon, and
with it's market penetration in West Germany, commodore could do very
well. you know, the computer for the unleashed mind etc.

giguere@aries5.uucp (Eric Giguere) (12/19/89)

In article <IZXLcqK00XNIIBc1cf@cs.cmu.edu> Michael.Witbrock@cs.cmu.edu writes:
>I'm afraid I don't know.  I crave the NewOED on line too. 

Well the Oxford University Press has stated that it eventually will release
such a beast but when is anyone's guess.  Right now they're busy with the
printed version of the NOED itself.

When they do make a CD-ROM version of the NOED, though, it will likely be
different from the currently available CD-ROM OED.  Now they have a 
computerized database to work with (thanks to the hard-working folks here
at UW) I expect they'll come out with a really nifty product.  They do
realize the market potential.....     

Eric Giguere                                  268 Phillip St #CL-46
C'est un nom francais, bien sur               Waterloo, Ontario  N2L 6G9
Bitnet  : GIGUERE at WATCSG                   (519) 746-6565
Internet: giguere@aries5.UWaterloo.ca         "Nothing but urges from HELL!!"

bmacintyre@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Blair MacIntyre) (12/20/89)

Michael.Witbrock@cs.cmu.edu writes:
>I crave the NewOED on line too.  I think that
	     ^^^^^^ That's the OED2E (2nd Edition) to it's friends ... :-)
>CD roms are about to take off (there have been a couple of releases 

Actually, if you want to do any useful work with something the size of
the OED2E, you really need something which much higher access speed than
a CD ROM.  

So, go out and buy a 1.2 Gig drive or two and then come back and we'll 
talk ... :-)

I love the first edition OED, especially when used as a computer database:
	computer: one who computes
	database: <no def>

and of course,
	canoe: a method of transportation used by savages

Such fun, such fun ... :-) :-)
-- 
-- Blair MacIntyre, Professional Leech on Society ( aka CS Graduate Student )
-- bmacintyre@{watcgl, watdragon, violet}.{waterloo.edu, UWaterloo.ca}
-- Date, verb: prearranged socializing with intent.