Customer Reviews

Franklin Compact Oxford English Dictionary Pagemark Edition

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Because my unabridged dictionary is on the 1st floor of my home, and I do the bulk of my reading in bed on the second floor, this seemed to be the answer to a long-standing problem of glossed-over words at one in the morning. In practice, it successfully handles about 80% of my unknown words and I love using it. However, it has a touch pad which is not the easiest to operate -- getting the right pressure on the pad can be problematic and the letters are too close together, so mistakes are easy to make. Because I have a fairly large vocabulary I chose this one, rather than the Merriam-Webster version, because it advertised 150,000 words rather than 100,000. The Merriam-Webster however, has little keys, like a Blackberry, and I think would be easier to operate, although I haven't tried it. The bottom line is that I use it all the time. Anyone wanting to buy one of these should try out both this one and the Merriam-Webster, to see which format suits them best and what extra features are important to them. Both are Franklin products and cost about the same.

Pretty good electronic dictionary. If you're reading Stephen Donaldson, there will be a lot of words this dictionary does not have :-)

There are two shortcomings to this device. If you are like me, the reason you got this was to have a dictionary to use while reading in bed. Franklin really should have added a backlight for the display... it's very hard to read in dim light.

Second, there is a cool feature--word list--that allows you to add words to a personal list. The problem is that the list can only be 40 words. A very short list in my opionion.

Some might find the "keyboard" annoying, but I've had no problem using it.

I bought this for my husband for his birthday. He reads a lot, so I worried it wouldn't have the words he needs to look up. It doesn't have everything ("attar" wasn't in there), but it does have a lot. The games are fun - I especially like "anagrams". The only problem is the "keyboard". Because it's so thin, you have to hit the keyspot (it isn't even really a key) just so or it won't be recognized.

This is very slim and can be slipped into a book like a bookmark.It is lightweight and it has most of the stuff that paper dictionary has. No complaints so far. price was good too.

I first saw this wonderful tool Franklin Compact Oxford English Dictionary just a few years ago, but never gave it much thought, for I believed that it was too good to be true. Therefore, another Franklin Dictionary that I still have and use but is no longer available was purchased for me as a gift. I still use it and love it. However, not purchasing the Oxford was a decision remised and with great lamentation. Fortunately, while on a recent trip I found this wonderful tool in a local bookstore. Simply put, I love this little dictionary! Its flat silhouette is just right for using it as a bookmark or attaching it to the end of my books for future reference. It is a wonderful tool to have on the plane, in bed, and even in my private "library", where I do a lot of reading. Regarding its flat buttons, one only needs to use a pencil's eraser instead as one's finger. I use the eraser of my mechanical pencils. Have the patience to take the time to find your way when pressing the flat buttons of your Oxford. You will then love using repeatedly. The word list has been a great help for the betterment of my vocabulary arsenal, which is extremely week. I am very partial toward Oxford dictionaries, therefore, I am very happy that Franklin has adopted this delightful little unit for those of us who need all the help we can get while attempting to become proficient avid readers. Franklin Compact Oxford English Dictionary

Works well. Keys are very small, which I suspose is necessary, given the size, which is good for sticking in the book bag. Should be good for students, nine through university for quick reference. The only real pain, I suppose, is it's not very intuitive, which is the problems of all dictionaries, print or "e". If you don't know how to spell the word, a print dictionary might be easier.

Garbage please don't waste your money on this garbage. This garbage only last a day. Please don't waste time and money on this no good garbage i wish i could give her no star.

I have to say this is the best product ever!! I have been using mine for 8yrs and have NEVER had a problem.. very convenient and compact.. Works great with paperbacks and hardcovers but not so much with mass paperbacks b/c of its size.. Another reviewer asked about the red ribbon and why it was there.. Well, I found it very helpful if you want to keep your dictionary in the back of your book and use the ribbon to mark your book.. I have done a lot of research on this item (8 years ago) and I have been more then happy with it..

With that said, after 8yrs of constant use, abuse (trust me this thing may be thin but it is a study little bugger), and time it finally died on me (to my dismay).. So had to get another one. After much more research I have found the New York Times marker contains 400k definitions vs. this one 145k. Back then the NY Times marker wasn't available or I haven't discover it.. I do miss the little tick sound the Oxford marker has every time you press a key.. I found it helpful for not constantly having to look up. However it was not a big deal and out weighs the extra features the NY Times marker has.. So I would recommend the NY Times one instead..

But if you are dead set on using the Oxford dictionary be rest assured this will not disappoint you.. It has lasted me YEARS and saved me from much frustration thumbing through a dictionary.

This is useful, but I would recommend a regular electronic dictionary that has more features and easier keys to use. This dictionary isn't very handy.

It is flimsy and hard to strike the keys. What is the purpose of the ribbon?? It is a pain! The shape is too boxy and hard to handle when you are trying to juggle your book and the dictionary. The design falls far short.