Customer Reviews

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition : Print and CD-ROM Edition

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The hard cover dictionary is first class. But the CD for this 4th edition just can't compare to the 3rd edition CD. Why did the developers of this edition change the user interface of the previous edition is mind boggling. First, we have a large static banner across the top of the screen with no specific usefulness. If you want a splash screen, do it at the start of the program, like that of the 3rd edition. I can't reduce the size of this banner even if I reduce the size of the whole screen frame. Second, I can't choose to NOT have the MS Word right click feature installed. Whereas it will ask me if I want to install any vulgar words definitions. Being a dictionary, I want every definition of words to be included. Third, limited search capability. Again, the 3rd edition of this CD is much better in this department. Finally, how do I modify this CD so that I can use the user interface of my 3rd edition with the contents of the 4th edition CD? I think my 3rd edition CD is a keeper for awhile. Until a revision of this CD user interface or the publish of the 5th edition?

I work for Kanda Software and I am one of the developers of this CD. I would like to explain what the issues are that have caused one of our users some concern.

Overwriting DLL files is a common event when one installs a new Windows program. The new program contains the latest Windows DLLs and in fact you want these new DLL files on your machine so it's good to agree to the overwriting.

The DLLs installed with our CD are not a replacement for Microsoft DLLs. They are new DLLs from Microsoft with their changes and fixes. I would not recommend keeping all Windows 95 DLLs from 1995; after all we've gotten quite a few patches and service packs since then.

If you still want to keep your old files, you can do that and most likely you would not have any problems. As we see Paulibus did keep his old DLLs and it did not affect the installation.

On the other issue, a user can accept the changes to the global template of Word made by the installation of the CD and the message will not ask you about this particular instance of change again.

This question is asked because AHD4 is integrated with a number of Microsoft Office programs. For example, if you want to look up a word or phrase in the MS Word document you are reading, you can select the phrase and click on the right mouse button. One of the options in the menu would be the American Heritage Dictionary. If you click on this item, the dictionary would come up with the definition you requested.

If you do not like/need this feature, you can remove integration with MS Word by removing the file AHD4Lookup.dot from the Word Startup directory and remove integration with MS Excel by removing the file AHD4Lookup.xla from the Excel XLStart directory.

A few other questions have been raised by another user.

Note that the Learning Company's AHD3 CD without a CD in the drive does not show images or play sound, which are the big users of space.

When running from the hard drive, the AHD4 CD does take less than 1 sec. to get the definition on any of the machines on which we have it installed (PII-450; AMD K2-300; PII-500).

Page Up/Down does work in the word list. Just tab to the list and you can use whatever keyboard controls you want.

It was never intended to use word list scrolling to look for a word in the lengthy list of words provided. Just type the first letter and you are there.

We should add that the Help information is

Email: eref@hmco.com

Phone number: 617-351-3836 9:00pm - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday, Eastern Standard Time

Mailing Address: Houghton Mifflin Company 222 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116-3764

Attention: Electronic Reference Publishing, 8th FL

Also in Help you can find out how to install the dictionary application on your hard drive.

Finally this is a PC product only. We are working on a way to provide the dictionary to Mac users.

I was eagerly anticipating the release of the American Heritage Dictionary fourth edition on CD-ROM, but unfortunately my general impression upon using this new version is that of disappointment rather than excitement. Positively, the AHD fourth edition on CD (AHD4) contains a wealth of definitions, images, and the full complement of AHD usage notes found in the print edition. AHD4 even reproduces the articles from the print dictionary. But I think unless one is a philologist, most of these articles will probably be only of marginal interest.

Unfortunately, the list of negatives is longer. For one, the AHD4 interface is rather awkward and unconventional. For instance, the AHD logo gratuitously occupies approximately 30 percent of the AHD4 interface. And you cannot minimize, resize, or otherwise eliminate the logo. Second, AHD4 offers a sparse feature set. Unlike previous versions of the AHD software, AHD4 sadly eliminates the thesaurus feature. The search functions of AHD4 are limited as well. Yes, it will help you to locate words that you aren't certain how to spell, and it does allow wild card searches for individual words. But those are largely the extent of its search functions: no logical search functions are offered. There is a search option for images and searches for various kinds of usage notes, but this involves clicking on a menu item to bring up a list of all the dictionary entries containing the searched for item type and scrolling to find the entry you want. I also found it particularly inconvenient that I could not search AHD4's database of definitions: The lack of this kind of search function in a computer dictionary seems to me egregious. I also found it irksome that I could not double-click or right-click a word within a definition to look it up. Instead, you have copy it and paste it into AHD4's search box. AHD4 does allow you to right-click a word within Microsoft Word to obtain its definition, which is useful, but on the down side this feature doesn't work in other word processing programs. There is also no way to bookmark particular words. A final complaint is that AHD4's install routine does not offer the option for a full install. You can do a full install (if you search the help file to learn how to do so after you've already installed AHD4), but it's not user-friendly for the novice computer user.

Overall, if you are concerned solely with content, AHD4 is exceptional. However, for me the measure of a software dictionary's excellence is how it enables you to access that content. In terms of its functionality as a software dictionary, I found AHD4 unfortunately only mediocre.

The design of the CDROM provided with American Heritage Dictionary, 4th Edition, has been deeply revised from that of the 3rd edition. A number of features I valued greatly in the AHD3 CDROM, are MISSING in this edition. These DISAPPOINTMENTS include:
1. The ability in AHD3 is missing in AHD4 to move - using the arrow keys - backward and forward through all the words looked up since the application was last started, e.g., during the current session, and in the same sequence they were originally explored. Each word must now be re-searched from scratch, by retyping or pasting it in.
2. Instantaneous lookup in AHD3 of any word displayed within the text of a definition, just by clicking anywhere on the word, is not available in AHD4. In AHD4 CD you must cut the word (exactly), from the definition and paste it into the search window - or type it in - and then click "find" or press return. This was so sweet. What a setback. That AHD3 click-and-define feature allowed movement throughout the entire dictionary at the speed of light, on (literally) meaningful trajectories - a genuinely heady learning experience!
[Note: AHD4 CD advertises links to text in MS Office applications: by highlighting a word and right-clicking it you activate AHD4 somehow. This function, a nice addition, is not working for me, probably because I installed AHD4 before MS Office XP Pro. This kind of MS Office link installed neatly with my OED CDROM, and worked well.]
3. In the AHD3 CD but not the AHD4, the Indo-European Roots references were automatically appended to every definition recalled! While a difficult read and sometimes longer by far than the definition recalled, they never got in the way of study. They are illuminating, interesting, even entertaining. You could ignore them simply by not scrolling down to them. In AHD4 CD you must instead select "Indo-European Roots" from the Options menu and then do a manual look-up to find the reference! It's a sad loss to me. I'm no scholar but they enjoyed poking around in them - and learned from it. We can all benefit from a little such poking around. I doubt they'll be encountered by most users of AHD4.
4. In AHD3 CD the definitions data could be loaded with the application (without the pronunciation audio files), making the definitions and spellings always accessible even without the CD, just by starting AHD3. Calling up a definition in AHD4 requires the (single) CD to be loaded into a drive. Getting reference CD's onto my hard drive for fast access without having to dangle multiple CD drives from my laptop, is a major, major value to me. I'd like to have 5-6 reference works at immediate call, any time, some of them duplicating or overlapping each other.
The AHD4 paper/hardcover volume itself is pretty, with nice color thumbnails throughout - probably a step ahead in printing and content. But as a highly accessible dictionary in electronic format for lively users, the AHD4 on CD-ROM is a disappointing giant step backward in usefulness from AHD3, for me.
I will probably reinstall my AHD 3rd edition CDROM if I can find it, and run it in Windows 95 mode under Windows XP. Maybe I'll run them both. It's only disk space.
Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive review of the AHD4 features - just the ones I had come to depend upon. And I am its new user. I might be in error, or missing things.

This new edition is better than the 3rd edition, especially the illustrations, and my favorite dictionary in print form. However, the CD has very limited search capabilites and it is difficult to set it up to work without the CD in the CD drive. And, contrary to their advertisment, it is not easy to coordinated with Microsoft products. I prefer the electronic format to the printed format, hence, the poor software and installation instructions is a great limitation. What a shame. I would rate the print version as five stars, but, for me the version I use most, the electronic, is problematic.

The CD of the Third Edition was superb, especially Calvert Watkin's etymology. The CD worked in MAC systems and included the IndoEuropean roots in the first click. I wonder if the editors of the fourth were editors or censors. Why else would they have ruined such a comprehensive product in an age of political spin and doublespeak?

Summary: don't buy the CD without first reading the previous 11 reviews.
Details: The 4th print edition is very nice and it stands up the American Heritage fame of past editions. Nice improvement. Buy it right now. Specially if you have kids or are young in mind, it begs to be explored. However, I was about to buy /download the software (CD) version -- but after reading all 11 previous reviews, it is clear it's NOT worth it. From loosing 30% of the screen due to a silly logo, to not being able to chain link through definitions (click on words you find in a definition), etc it's obviously not worth it. I read the developer's words but he just merely addresses technical glitches, not the biggest complaints which are usability. I hope the editors read these comments and improve / heed the comments for the 5th edition.

If you have a question about usage, but don't always accept or remember your English teacher's opinion, this dictionary enlists the help of their usage panel. The panel consists of well known writers, journalists and scholars. (You will recognize many of their names.) Their input is reported as a poll. So you know if opinion is divided.

One negative comment: The CD version works on my computer as a stand alone dictionary, but it does not integrate with Word for Windows 95; it requires a later version.

This is a wonderful dictionary and I am not sorry that I bought it. However, I have a Mac Computer and the CD-ROM is exclusively for Microsoft Windows Computers. The publishing company has discriminated against me and the many other Mac users who might want to have the use of the CD-ROM. I understand it would have been possible to make it compatible with both. I am very disappointed with this apparently casual exclusion.

The AHD-English Language 3rd ed. has been the official dictionary for the UIL Spelling & Vocabulary event that I have coached for several years, and when the 4th edition became available, I decided to add a copy to my classroom for the newer listings it includes. As usual, they've done a great job using quality paper, an easy to read font, and interesting illustrations. I'm also impressed with the number of proper nouns (people and places especially) that I've been able to find here.

As for the CD, I've never owned a loadable dictionary of any quality before, so I probably have different expectations than some of the other users who have posted here. I have found it very useful and quite easy to use. When preparing documents and PowerPoint presentations, it has been an enormous time-save to be able to simply select a word and have a definition and in many cases, the etymology the word almost immediately.

Ordering this book/CD combination from Amazon was a tememndous savings over the retail store offering.