Franklin SCD-1890 Speaking Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition

by Franklin Electronics

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 1 inches ; 5.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000P6L9A4
• Item model number: SCD-1890
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #24 in Electronics > Office Electronics > Electronic Dictionaries, Thesauri & Translators > English Dictionaries
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Newly updated and redesigned, the Speaking Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary sets the standard for electronic dictionaries. The feature that distinguishes this dictionary from other run-of-the-mill models is its ability to speak--it reads words and definitions clearly, increasing your ability to retain the definition and improving pronunciation of difficult-to-pronounce words. In addition to a library of over 200,000 words, the dictionary features biographical and geographical information, an interactive grammar guide, phonetic spelling correction, a basic calculator and many other useful functions. It can perform in five different languages, translating freely between English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. It even enables you to compile your favorite words into customized lists, making word studying much easier. It also plays nine different fun games which can help build your vocabulary and spelling skills.

Product Description

The Speaking Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary features updated content for the 11th Edition. It includes the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage and the Merriam-Webster Guide to Punctuation and Style. Speaks clear and concise definitions for over 200,000 words and 500,000 synonyms & antonyms.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not much improvement on the previous model, July 12, 2007

By 

MsPhotoBug - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franklin SCD-1890 Speaking Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Office Product)

There's no backlight neither any bookman slot. The picture gives the illusion of two speakers. This is not so, the speaker is the left one and the right is a dummy. To make matters worst, I simply cannot understand why there is no protective cover nor an included case for such a large lcd. I can see this device becoming quite dusty in time. I would have returned this item but this is nearly impossible for me since I had it shipped to my home in the Caribbean.

The blue font used is also difficult to read. You get a sort of shadow effect below each letter. Likewise when you initially press the speak button, you get a sort of crackling noise as the pronunciation of the word is started. This crackling noise however disappears when the speak button is repressed for the same word.

UPDATE: This product has now MALFUNCTIONED. A continuous deep blue screen is now visible. Pressing the reset button has no effect. The item was not subjected to any abuse, never dropped and stored in a well padded pouch.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Absence of backlight makes this product weak!, September 29, 2007

By 

Sahra Badou "Bibliophile" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franklin SCD-1890 Speaking Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Office Product)

I had purchased a Franklin electronic dictionary back when I was in University and I had loved it. I used it to build my vocabulary by playing the word games. I took it everywhere with me, even while traveling. It was easy to use, and most importantly, was backlit. I was really distressed when I had forgotten it aboard a Qantas Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. I quickly purchased another one. It was really a very important, necessary, and useful item during my University days.

Unfortunately, though Franklin has shrunk the electronic dictionary in size and added more features, it has removed the backlight feature. What a mistake. For this reason alone I give this item two stars (I really meant to give it a 1 star).

It is really very hard to read the screen, especially in poor light, such as in your bed at night (which is the best place to build your vocabulary), in a car, a library, or aboard an aircraft. The absence of a backlight also makes this electronic device look primitive, as if it came out of the 70's. What went through the minds of the engineers and designers to produce such a gaffe? Was it monetary consideration? I am ready to pay more for a backlight!

There are other Franklin electronic dictionaries (and many by other manufacturers) with a backlight. Take my word, purchase a backlit unit, and you'll thank me for it.

Other than this major weakness, this electronic dictionary has many features if your eyes allow. It has a Merriam-Webster dictionary, English usage, guide to punctuation and style, signs, symbols, tables, quotations, thesaurus, and a 5-language translator (English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian). This last can come handy when traveling.

This electronic dictionary is also small, which will be easy for you to carry around.

This is a talking dictionary; however, the speakers give less than adequate sound. By putting on the headphones, which are supplied, the sound becomes much clearer.

If a backlight was included, I would not have hesitated giving this product five stars!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a good purchase by any means, February 29, 2008

By 

Da Moose (Littleton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Franklin SCD-1890 Speaking Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Office Product)

If I could put negative number of starts, I'd gladly do so.
Either it was bad choice of manufacturing partner or prematurely released product or both.

Device locks up dead when you try playing built-in Letrix game.
The thing cannot be turned off when it happens. You have either to take out batteries or find a pin and push it into a small hole in the bottom to reset it.

As another reviewer indicated before, the right speaker is a hoax (either there is nothing there or it doesn't work). Sound out of the remaining left speaker is horrendous. Sound in the headphones is no better, which suggests that sound processor is a chip dirt poor quality piece of silicon.

All the built-it games have only one level of difficulty - beginner.

Random word generator is a joke. It can generate the same word many times in a row.

I tried two of them (though the first one was defective). But the second one behaved absolutely the same.

So, either Franklin has some serious issues with product quality, or Amazon is selling "dumpster" batch of SCD-1890's.

And yes, don't be fooled by the picture of the item. What appears to be black on gray text is a decal. In reality text is blue on gray, which indeed in not as readable as black on gray would be.