Customer Reviews

The Oxford English Dictionary (20 Volume Set) (Vols 1-20)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

"Colonials" like me grew up in the shadow of this Everest of scholarship and the Himalayan series founded on its contents. And now, if we choose to, we can actually own the set, in its 2nd Edition. This is a very desirable acquisition.

Perhaps you worry that it might be an unwise purchase. We live in the age of the CD ROM, so why buy the printed volumes? The language seems to operate like a wheel rolling down a muddy slope picking up all manner of accretions as it progresses downhill. Will a work like this, then, become irrelevant? I think not. The citation formula used will always be relevant for readers interested in historical usage. The entire work constitutes, in a way, a history of the English Language, as well as a social history of English speaking peoples from the 12th century through to the end of the 20th century. Some scholars say it is unduly biased in the direction of English Victorian values, with a creeping pre-disposition toward a prescriptive rather than a descriptive stance on definitions. The compilers seem to want to position it to be a final arbiter on "Correct Usage". Who cares? It is manna in the wilderness to anyone who loves the language, who likes to browse, and is not stimulated by the inanity of television. If Political Correctness is the filter through which all literature must pass for you, you'll probably not read very much of value, anyway.

No other dictionary is so richly enjoyable as a work to read on its own. One does not go to the OED just to find the meaning of a word, one is beguiled, on opening a volume, to read many pages about all kinds of words. You'll never walk into the British Museum or the Louvre just to look at a single piece of Art and leave having looked only at that one piece. Here is the great exhibition of the language, its gallery.

All speakers and students of the language are in Oxford's debt, and will forever be so. No dictionary comes close in comprehensiveness of coverage (its word count, i.e., the quantity of words defined, exceeds that covered in any other competing dictionary). This set, rightly, is the central jewel in OUP's crown of publications. If you're a writer, you can't afford not to purchase this set.

Legend has it that a new "improved" edition will be out some time between 2001 and 2003. I sense that the improvements will appeal particularly to the ultra-scholarly linguist/lexicographers among its readers. Improvements shall include the addition of citations that might, for instance, antedate the earliest citation shown in a previous edition. It might, however, not be utterly essential to you you to know, for example, that the first user of the term "Byronic" was Byron himself. The changes from the 2nd to the 3rd edition may be minimal, in print at least. Doubtless, there will be significant improvements to the search capability, appearance, and user friendliness of the software version. But, don't hesitate to purchase the printed 2nd edition. If you feel the CD ROM version is superior to the printed edition, this will boil down to whether or not you are a bibliophile. Nothing equals the tactile pleasure of the printed page, bound well. OED 2 is one of the handsomest printing jobs I've ever seen. The cloth binding is extremely rugged and well designed, elegant and solidly conservative in physical appearance. The paper is itself bright and smooth, the font/type clear and eminently readable. Even the dust jackets are beautiful, a real improvement over the previous design. "Additions" volumes (times 3) are available for anyone interested in the vocabulary of the 90s. The 3rd edition will integrate these into the main work. But, a dictionary in the hand is worth two in the planning stage. And the beautiful volumes of the 2nd edition are available from Amazon.com at what amounts to bargain price.

Buy this wonderful, beautifully produced and enduring work; it is a treasure for life that will never fail to impress you with the alluring beauty and quirky mutability of this most glorious of languages.

This program has given me nothing but headaches. It includes buggy software protection that requires that you place CD number 2 in the drive every 90 days in order for the program to run. This always occurs for me when I am traveling and do not have the CD with me. Oops, can't use the program until I get home and dig out the CD in my office.

The next problem is that even once the program has done this ridiculous 90 day check, it still may not run. This is because the copy protection conflicts with the Windows operating system and Norton Antivirus in unpredictable ways. This can result in running out of system memory or in Microsoft Word crashing when attempting to open documents, both of which require restarting my computer.

If you are lucky enough to get the program to run, you will find it has a horrible user interface, like it was written back in the late 80's. The program loads so slowly that I never bother using it to look up a single word while writing, and instead use my other dictionary programs. When the program does come up, it goes to a credits screen, so that you still must click to get to the page where you can do your searches, which wastes a few more seconds. The searches themselves return fast results, but reviewing the results is hindered by there not being any back button. So if you are looking at an entry and click on a hyperlinked term, there is no way to get back to the entry you were just viewing. This is terribly cumbersome if you want to cross-reference different entries to get a broader sense of word's meaning.

I should add that I am not a naïve user with a buggy computer. I have a recent model IBM notebook running Windows XP Professional, and I have worked as a computer technician in the past. I also do not have some hidden axe to grind with Oxford; I simply paid a reasonable chunk of money for what I thought would be a comprehensive and useable dictionary. The content is comprehensive--the very, very best--but it is nearly useless in this implementation.

Let me end my review by telling about my latest experience with this lovely program. I clicked on the dictionary to lookup a word and it wanted the CD ROM to be inserted for the copy protection check. This time, I had the disk near at hand. I placed the CD in the drive and the program read the copy protection key, but it still wouldn't run. I restarted my computer and turned off Norton Antivirus, but this did not get the program to work. I then re-installed the Oxford dictionary, which takes a long, long time, and still no luck. Finally, I went and checked the tech support page at Oxford, and evidently their program does not work with a recent Windows XP security update. Their suggestion? Uninstall the update (which Microsoft considers critical, the maximum severity level) and turn off automatic security updates for your computer. Sure, no problem. I will just open up my computer to every virus in the world so I can run a stupid program that never ran correctly in the first place. I am now relegating the Oxford Dictionary to the trash can where it rightfully belongs. So if you are considering buying this software, just keep in mind that it will not run on Windows XP if you have up-to-date security updates on your system. I also encourage you to read the Amazon reviews for the previous versions (2.0 and 3.0) of the OED CD, many of which report similar problems with the flakey copy protection used in the program. It is rare for me to write a negative review when I am disappointed with a product. But in this case it goes beyond basic dissatisfaction and feels more like I have been robbed of $250. It just boggles my mind that such an unreliable and poorly executed program exists from a major publishing house.

Those who, reading the below reviews, are unsure whether they should invest in the 2nd edition, or hold out for the 3rd, are advised that according to the official askoxford.com, the 3rd edition is as of this writing (late 2004) not expected to be completed until at least 2018, may run to 40+ volumes, and may or may not have a print edition. If it does, it will surely be priced and marketed only for the lavishly wealthy or for the few major research institutions that will at that point still value the luxury of print materials.

When I first bought this, I thought sticking the disk in every 90 days did not seem so bad. Now I wish I'd listened to the reviewers who warned that this software can be a real pain.

The first 90 days, I loved this dictionary. When it works, it's awesome.

Then, right around the time it first prompted me to insert the disk and prove I really am the rightful owner, I started having problems. I stuck the disk in no problem and at first it all seemed fine. Then it started demanding weird things - that I stick in a disk, or that I connect to the internet. Using the dictionary became a real pain. THEN, it decided that I'm not the legitimate user, so now I can't use the software at all.

GET THE PRINT VERSION OF THE DICTIONARY! This dictionary is really nice. But the software is a nightmare. The greedy bloodsuckers who invented this product are SO worried about bootlegging that they have solved the problem by making a product that isn't worth bootlegging!

I feel so incredibly ripped off. I can't believe I paid for this garbage.

The OED has long been regarded, and rightfully so, as the utmost authority on the vocabulary of English. Should you be a true anglophile and in constant pursuit of lexical challenges, this is the proper address to turn to.

There is no doubt that the overwhelmingly large number of English words necessitates a dictionary of this caliber. It is unsurpassed not only in English lexicography but in general lexicography as well since English, as has long been established, possesses more words than any other extant language.

Though there are other excellent comprehensive dictionaries (often labeled "unabridged"), none transcend the grandeur of the OED. This is the ultimate reference book ever published and should be possessed by all who consider themselves polyhistors or include themselves in the circles of the linguistically knowledgeable.

This is the OED. Nice. It's searchable. Nice. At the same time, it is the OED; it is not a college dictionary. So, don't expect to find entries for place names and the names of people. If you are professional writer, professor, attorney, or other desk / knowledge worker, don't think for a second that this is going to be a replacement for the every-day dictionary software, internet site, or book(s) that you already use.

Note also, that this software is *ugly* and its user interface is clunky and poorly designed throughout. Take the other criticisms found here on Amazon in this regard seriously. For example, the absence of a back button, or any "back" function, can indeed be infuriating. Even installed on the hard drive, the interface does not load very fast. Yes, searches are fast, and that's great. But, to pop this application open for a single word in the middle of a task, where a faster-working program would do, is probably not something you are going to want to do. This thing loads up like a clunky Encyclopedia Britannica with all the elegance of 16-color graphics, designed on an IBM 286 with EGA video. They don't have a Mac version of the software because they barely even have an IBM-PC app. built circa 1985. And these are but minor examples of the many shortcommings that others have already well noted.

...and to think that this is the "good" 3.1 version of the software. Thank heavens it does function as well as it does! I can hardly even imagine the frustration and disappointment of owners of the earlier versions. One important note: in Windows XP you can run the software only as a user with local administrator rights. In some legal enviornments tightly controlled by IT staff, this is a deal buster, as well as for all those who actually practice good security habits and use an administrator account only when necessary. Again: just an example of many other things that are wrong.

Finally, don't be too quickly convinced that the OED always has the best etymologies and the best definitions, hands down. I've had OED-envy for a very long time - and don't get me wrong I'm happy to have my copy - but I do find many of the criticisms of the OED in comparison to other dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster and American Heritage, valid and well worth considering.

In short, keep your expectations low, my friends. Don't look to this software as a panacea for all your dictionary woes!

I recently installed the OED CD-ROM, Version 3.1. Installation was a snap, and the dictionary program runs quite well.
In addition, the software includes powerful search tools.

I inherited the 20 volume print edition a few years ago. It is wonderful to have on the shelf. However, it isn't all that easy to take on the road. The CD-ROM, edition, however, is plenty portable when fully installed on a laptop computer.

One other reviewer panned this software as "buggy." I have seen no evidence of that. I have it running on Windows XP Professional and all signs point to stability. A great tool.
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UPDATE: A few users have noted that Microsoft, in its quest to plug all of the gaping security holes in WinXP, implemented a security update August 8, 2006 that prevents this program and several others from launching. If you contact Microsoft and ask for HotFix KB924867, Microsoft will e-mail the HotFix to you. The HotFix addresses the issue. You do not have to uninstall the entire security update, as other reviewers mistakenly suggest.

After more than a year, the software continues to function well. This is a great dictionary if you want and need comprehensive content. If you're really just looking for a casual dictionary for quick lookup of common words, you can save money by looking elsewhere; you don't need this scholarly tool.
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FURTHER UPDATE:

As of August 2007, Oxford University Press released an updated version of this software (V 3.1.1), which addresses several of the issues people complained of in other reviews and which is Vista compatible. It eliminates the need to reinsert the installation disk every 90 days as well. Check out the Oxford site on the World Wide Web at oup.co.uk/ep/cdroms/oed/ for more information. I imagine the software sold here is now V 3.1.1.

Yes you can get compact and computer versions of the Oxford English Dictionary and they will certainly take up less space in your house or apartment. This 20 volume set takes up almost four feet of shelf space and will make all but the sturdiest book cases sag. And yet, it's the sheer weight and size of the set that makes it so appealing. There is also a magic to books and the ability to pick up a volume at random and find a word you never knew or learn the origin of a familiar word is simply wonderful. Everything known about the meaning and origins of words used in the English language -- their linguistic derivation, the earliest known usage in English, the evolution of the word's meaning, interesting examples of their use -- all of that is here. I'm writing a novel set in the middle ages and this set has proved invaluable for helping me weed out anachronistic words while keeping words that I thought were modern but which turn out to have been used by the Venerable Bede all the way back in the eighth century! The book even tells you which words are primarily American, English, Scottish or Australian in their uses.

The primary weakness of the Oxford English Dictionary is that it is missing some modern usages of words that are not primarily slang. For instance, the dictionary lists many meanings for the word "crash," but nowhere suggests that the word can be used to mean a sudden loss of energy or coming down from a drug high. Still, this is the most comprehensive dictionary of the English language and you'll never have trouble finding words no one knows when you're playing word games with your friends. Medical and technical words, zoological words, naughty words -- they're all here. Where else could you learn that "retortive" once meant "in the nature of squeezing" but now means "turned backwards"? Even if you don't need to know the definition of lots of obscure words and compounds, If you love words, this book is worth every penny and every inch of shelf space. You'll never want to use another dictionary again.

This is the zenith of dictionaries. Almost all words in the English language put in an appearance, with many of them getting extensive etymologies. The only catch is that the second edition merely compiled the multitude of previous volumes, so the quotes for which the OED is justly famous stop abruptly about 1900 for many of the entries. A new version is currently being prepared, but won't be totally ready until 2010 (internet users get the revised sections as they are completed). My other minor peeve is that they deem standard British usage to be standard world usage. The dictionary should ideally reflect world usage.

However, a discussion of the numerous versions is also in order. I got my Compact OED last Christmas after using all three versions. Below is a list of what I feel to be the pros and cons of each version.

Compact

Pros: the cheapest way to get your hands on the OED; it IS a book; it comes with an abridged version of the user's guide (but not the full thing unfortunately); nicely presented.

Cons: an electron microscope is a more appropriate reading device than a magnifying glass; it's HEAVY, man (so an investment in a table and a good reading light may be in order).

CD ROM

Pros: scalable font, fully searchable and ... um ... er ... that's it.

Cons: How they can get away with charging more for the CD ROM than the Compact paper edition is beyond me; it's not a book, is it (where's the tactility?).

20 Volume Set

Pros: Something to give to the grandkids; easy to read

Cons: Do you have a spare metre or so of shelf space?; even at a reduced price, it still costs three times as much as the compact edition (although the average cost per volume is VERY low).

We all know and love the OED but this disc version is a total rip off. It disables itself after three months because they are so worried to squeeze every buck out of you and then after paying so much money it stops working. I tried following the instructions but they don't work, then I removed it from the computer and reinstalled it and that didn't work either. Don't waste your money on this. The time it takes to manage their security anxieties make the product "virtually" useless.