Customer Reviews

Newton's Telecom Dictionary: Telecommunications, Networking, Information Technologies, The Internet, Wired, Wireless, Satellites and Fiber

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

REVIEW OF THE 26th EDITION:

The past few days I've been browsing the 26th edition. The dictionary has a nice look and feel, like the 25th edition. It has 26,283 definitions, up from 24,950 in the 25th edition. I like how it stays open on any page you open it to. Sounds simple, but it's a nice user-friendly feature.

There are LOTS of new wireless terms in the 26th edition, for example, at least 20 new terms related to Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi calling, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, Wi-Fi roaming, Wi-Fi tethering, Wi-Fi smog, carrier Wi-Fi, and a bunch of definitions for new flavors of 802.11).

New Bluetooth definitions have been added (for example, Bluetooth 2.1, Bluetooth 3.0, and Bluetooth LE).

There also now are definitions for White-Fi, white space network, and white space phone.

There also are many other new wireless-related definitions in the 26th edition that pertain to ham radio, military communications, cellular telephony, small cells, and maritime communications. I like how the dictionary has gone beyond its roots in wireline telephony and embraces wireless communications in a big way.

The 26th edition also has a lot of "green telecom" and cloud-related definitions that were not in earlier editions.

One of the other reviewers of the 25th edition here on Amazon.com will be pleased to learn that the 26th edition's definitions of DOCSIS, DOCSIS 1.1, DOCSIS 2.0, and DOCSIS 3.0 have been updated, and definitions for all versions of HTML up to and including HTML 5.0 have been updated or included if they were missing before.

All things considered, the 26th edition is a great update.

My review of the 25th edition, which follows, contains information that is also true about the 26th edition.

EARLIER REVIEW OF THE 25th EDITION:

Speaking from over 20 years of experience working at LECs and domestic and international LD carriers, and having used various telecom and networking dictionaries over the years, I can say with certainty that Newton's Telecom Dictionary is the best -- by a mile.

Each year 500 to 1,000 new definitions are added to Newton's, and existing definitions are updated, improved, or enhanced in other ways. No other telecom dictionary on the market has even half as many definitions as Newton's. In fact, if you combine the definitions from all the other telecom dictionaries and weed out duplicates, their combined total probably still will be less than half of what's in Newton's. Harry Newton clearly loves telecom, as shown by the copiousness of the dictionary, the continuous additions to it, and the continuous refinements of it.

Our company currently has around 30 copies of the 25th edition and 300 copies of earlier editions. Newton's is used in the following departments: network engineering, network planning, circuit layout, security, legal and regulatory, enterprise sales, small and medium business sales, consumer sales, wholesale markets, sales engineering, managed network services, strategy and business development, marketing, customer service, billing operations, operator services, IT, education and training, corporate communications, outside plant, station I&M, wireless ops, and PMO; it's also used by our company's senior executives.

Newton's Telecom Dictionary is widely used in industry, government, the U.S. military, and academia. It is frequently cited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and in documents submitted to the FCC by petitioners. Newton's Telecom Dictionary is also cited in print by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS), the U.S. National Communications System (NCS), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Small Business Administration (SBA), public utilities commissions (PUCs), public service commissions (PSCs), state and municipal government in the U.S. and abroad, and overseas PTTs (Post, Telephone, and Telegraph organizations).

It is also cited by over 100 textbooks, handbooks, and other technical reference books.

I've seen Newton's at telcos, cellular phone companies, long-distance carriers, broadband service providers, MVNOs, electrical engineering firms, defense contractors, systems integration companies, software services companies, commercial and public radio stations, a TV station, an Army satellite communications station, law firms, an ad agency, the IT department of a health services organization, the IT department of a realty company, the offices of a technology magazine publisher, universities, high schools, and state government offices.

Users of earlier editions of Newton's will be very pleased with this 25th anniversary edition. It has more terms than ever -- probably closer to 26,000 by my reckoning (based on a 10-page random sample) than the 24,950 indicated on the book's cover -- and a much more visually appealing and readable typography than was used in earlier editions. There are some new tables in the dictionary, expansions and updates of earlier definitions, and additional timeline dates.

Another interesting change is that the 25th edition uses a much thinner paper than earlier editions. It's the kind of paper that you see in books published in parts of the Far East, for example, in China and Taiwan. There are two practical benefits of this. First, even though the dictionary has grown by over 200 pages from its previous edition -- there are now 1,274 pages in the dictionary, not 1,250 pages as incorrectly stated in various booksellers' descriptions of it -- the dictionary is actually much lighter and thinner than previous editions. You can now easily carry it around with you. Second, because of the thin paper, it makes the book more flexible. You can open it to any page, let go of the page, and the book will stay open on that page.

This dictionary belongs in every department in every telco, cellco, cableco, pubco, satco, IXC, VoIP provider, AOS provider, systems integrator, managed services provider, equipment manufacturer, data center, and carrier hotel. Anyone outside of these industries who is involved in some way with telecom or networking, or who is studying it in school, or who writes about it for a living, will also find the 25th edition an indispensible resource.

A comprehensive and in-depth encyclopedia of the world of telecommunications. This is a must-have for all those working in the sector: from the top, down to new-comers.

This is a great reference book. I just started a job where I look at this book daily while I learn a new industry. Worth the money.

Newton's Telecom Dictionary has always been a great reference for a quick lookup on a questionable term. I always enjoyed little things he would put in from time-to-time to add humor to his clear to the point definitions that the Internet sometimes fails to provide. These definitions provided me with the clarity I needed to go back and continue to understand technical papers and not get lost in misunderstandings on my part.

My old reference is from the 16th Edition (2000). I know there are more terms and pages added since then but would still like to see the same size font used back then as my eyes are not as they use to be. (smiles) Keep up the good work Mr. Harry Newton. Thanks

The telecom industry is endlessly creative in dreaming up new names and initials for its technologies. That's why Newton's is an annual and why it's the only book (I have an ((almost)) paperless office) that sits on my desk.

This is a must have book for any tech in the telecom industry. It is my go to book for interpreting network lingo. The author adds humor along with the explanations, which makes for interesting reading. I use it everyday! I have priced it elsewhere, and Amazon has it for half the price. Highly recommend!

regardless if you work in the telecom industry or you just work with any form of technology, this is a great reference book to keep on your desk, in your bag, or in your car/truck. there are a few terms i have found missing from the book, but that is most defiantly rare, almost any telecom term you can think of will be in here.

well worth the money.

I love that Harry Newton somehow manages to make you laugh while educating you. Its funny I find myself looking though the book just to find something to smile about. At the same time when I need to know something about the Telecommunications\Networking this dictionary breaks it down
It's missing a star cause I'm missed the CD that came with my last version
Still its a great dictionary

As a new student in the field of Technology, this is a must have. Even if you're a seasoned pro, this book would come in handy.

I ordered a used book and somehow the book I got looked more like a new book than a used one. I couldn't believe how fast I received my book, either. I thought it was going to be a whole week before I would see it, imagine my surprise when I found it in the mail box! Excellent doing business with you! Thanks! I purchased the book for a class that I was in progress of taking, the speedy delivery really helped me out a lot! I can't thank you enough!