Customer Reviews

Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus (Jewel Case)

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

 

 

I originally bought this software when I had Windows ME. It worked really well and I loved it. It's simple to use--click the icon and you are ready to look up words. When I got a new computer which came with Windows XP, my original software would not work. I bought a new version thinking my old version just was not compatible. As it turns out, there is some issue with all versions of the software working with XP. Topics Entertainment is aware of the issue, but unable to resolve it. Topics Entertainment had a relatively friendly and helpful technical support department (though somewhat slow) and they offered to take the software back after the problem failed to be resolved. But that still leaves me without my much-missed dictionary program. If you don't have XP, then I highly recommend this program. If you have XP, find an alternative (which I am searching for presently.)

EDIT: I have found that this works okay for me in Windows XP Pro. Some problems with the point-and-define thing, but I had those in Windows 2000 too.

In the most important ways, this is pretty good. No word processor macros are included but the program can run in the background and respond to a certain key combination, providing dictionary and/or thesaurus info for the word under the mouse pointer. This doesn't work consistenty in my web browsers but it seems to work a little better in my word processors. The interface for the dictionary program is pretty good, the window size is not resizeable but boolean wildcard searches of the dictionary and thesaurus contents are available, which is a nice feature.

The dictionary/thesaurus itself is stored in a somewhat standard Windows helpfile, which might be useful for people in other programs.

The package includes a couple of bonus programs, one is a bunch of sample fill-in-the-blanks letters which someone must have thought would be useful for some strange reason, the other is a "Visual Dictionary." This is a sort of interesting program which matches words to pictures for no apparent reason. It wants to install QuickTime 2.03, a six year old version of QT, which is probably not worth the trouble for most people. Amazon is wise to not make a big deal about these bonuses in the product listing.

This dictionary appears to be a repackage of something sold by Macmillan several years ago. The most recent copyright in the program is 1998 and the README is also dated 1998, on the box the date 2003 is printed. Probably Topics Entertainment bought this title from Macmillan but it's not listed on their website. Don't expect any meaningful support in the event you have problems with the program.

In the most important ways, this is pretty good. No word processor macros are included but the program can run in the background and respond to a certain key combination, providing dictionary and/or thesaurus info for the word under the mouse pointer. This doesn't work consistenty in my web browsers but it seems to work a little better in my word processors. The interface for the dictionary program is pretty good, the window size is not resizeable but boolean wildcard searches of the dictionary and thesaurus contents are available, which is a nice feature.

The dictionary/thesaurus itself is stored in a somewhat standard Windows helpfile, which might be useful for people in other programs.

The package includes a couple of bonus programs, one is a bunch of sample fill-in-the-blanks letters which someone must have thought would be useful for some strange reason, the other is a "Visual Dictionary." This is a sort of interesting program which matches words to pictures for no apparent reason. It wants to install QuickTime 2.03, a six year old version of QT, which is probably not worth the trouble for most people. Amazon is wise to not make a big deal about these bonuses in the product listing.

This dictionary appears to be a repackage of something sold by Macmillan several years ago. The most recent copyright in the program is 1998 and the README is also dated 1998, on the box the date 2003 is printed. Probably Topics Entertainment bought this title from Macmillan but it's not listed on their website. Don't expect any meaningful support in the event you have problems with the program.

Bar none, the best CD-ROM Dictionary and Thesaurus -- only problem is, it doesn't work on many versions of XP.

With over 500,000 definitions, synonyms, and antonyms, it offers twice the content of every other CD-ROM available. Merriam-Webster and Oxford, the most popular software, offer only 225,000 different words. The Visual Thesarus, while flashy, uses the MW thesarus, so it's just a different presentation of the same material. Once you get used to using WNW, everything else seems really sparse in comparison.

WNW has a lot of other nice features in addition to the comprehensiveness.

- You can use the dictionary and thesaurus simultaneously.

- Click on any word you want more information about, and the program jumps to that word and all of *its* synonyms. (I can't tell you how helpful I found this.) Clicking around like this can help you choose the synonym with the exact nuance that you need.

- It never gives you "can't find that word" error messages, like Webster's Talking Dictionary & Thesaurus. (I really have tried everything else out there.) If it can't find a word, it shows you the closest words, so you can pick from one of those. Roget's at thesaurus.com does the same thing, but not as well.

- If you search a version of the word, it will jump you to the root (e.g. if you search "sank," it will give you "sink" rather than give you an error message).

My only complaint: it doesn't run on most versions of XP. The computer works, spins that hourglass around a few times, and then gives up. You can't even get a splash screen.

Lots of sellers claim that they tried it on XP and it works, but it really does depend on your version. I have XP Pro 2002 SP1 on my work computer, and it works just fine. On my XP Home 2005, nada. I have actually avoided upgrading one of my computers because I'm afraid I won't be able to use my WNW.

Microsoft XP has an option that ostensibly lets you run programs that don't work in XP (you supposedly can choose to run the program in 95, 98, ME, etc. without restarting or running the rest of the computer on that OS), but it doesn't work for me that way, either.

Topics doesn't sell this software on their website anymore, so they aren't upgrading it or creating patches. I've been using thesarus.com, which (as mentioned above), uses Roget's, but the maneuverability is poor, and obviously they flash banner ads at you unless you give them money to turn those off.

This software is so great that it may be worth the $10 just to see if it'll run on your machine. I wouldn't recommend anything else to writers (or anyone else) when this is an option.

I have this product installed on Windows XP Professional. I suggest running the program so its dictionary & thesaurus are open at the same time - side by side. IT WORKS GREAT and never interferes with other computer programs.

This program does just what it says and works nicely. I think someone else mentioned this though, that the Window box that you work with on the screen isn't full size. It's rather small. However, forgetting that aspect of it, it works great and is sure to be more handy than grabbing a Dictionary on the desk. I'm hoping to utilize the Thesaurus part of it a lot too.

I've updated this review because I've since been able to get this software operational on Windows XP Home SP3. Here's what I did:

After install, there was an error that said the program needed 3 megs of virtual memory. This normally shouldn't be a problem, as any modern computer can accomplish such a simple task and more. I thought the software must create some sort of bogus shell in the installation folder, so I deleted a 3 megabyte Macmillan movie file at that location (C:\Program Files\Accent\WNW). The file is completely unnecessary. Next, I ran the software using Window's OS emulator: Right click program icon, click compatibility tab, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select the OS (I used '98 / Me) and click Apply. It worked! Your results may vary. I did not install the Visual Dictionary and can't comment on it.

The positives: The dictionary and thesaurus can be side-by-side. As to be expected from Webster's, these reference tools are concise and exhaustive. Profanity and misspellings are covered. There are hyperlinks within the synonyms and antonyms. The work window stays on top of your project.

The negatives: The program is now twelve years old and feels like it. You can't re-size the work window. It does not interface with other applications - at least, not for me.

Overall, a useful program and worth the ten bucks.

Webster's New World Dictionary & Thesaurus comes loaded with 500,000 definitions, synonyms, and antonyms.
The Visual Dictionary is an archive of 3,500+ images in color on 600+ subjects w/ detailed identification and translations in French & Spanish.
This software on 2 CD-ROMs was published by Accent Software Int'l in 1998 for MS Windows 95 and up. ISBN-10: 1575951843, ISBN: 1591502748, and ISBN: 1575950405.
When an installation attempted under Windows 2000 or XP on computer with with 1 GB or more of RAM, it may cause an error with the message: "This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run" requiring reducing the initial size of virtual memory to, e.g. 384 MB:
1. Click on the "Start" button;;
2. Choose "Control Panel" directly or "Settings" from the menu and then "Control Panel" from the options;
3. Locate "System" from the control panel folder and double click on its icon;
4. Select "Advanced" tab from the "System Properties";
5. Locate "Performance" and click on "Settings" or select control "Performance options";
6. Click on the "Advanced" tab;
7. Locate "Virtual memory" and click on "Change";
8. Change the value of "Inital size" (of virtual memory setting) to 384 (MB) and click on "Set";
9. Click on "OK";
10. Click on "Yes" to restart your computer.

- Installation is quick and easy
- The disc does not have to be in the CD-Rom to run the program
- Instant access to definition/thesaurus just by clicking the word from any application
- 500,000 definitions, synonyms and antonyms
- Easy to understand definitions
- Inexpensive
- Great bonus CD included (Visual Dictionary & Letter templates)