handheld electronic dictionary

Parents Social Lounge
1

<p>does your kid own one of these hand-held dictionaries?</p>

<p>i want to buy one, but the options are unlimited like any electronic device.
i basically want it to be a basic dictionary that will be reliable when looking up words from adult novels, non-fiction books, etc.</p>

<p>the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Franklin Thesaurus MWD-460 which has about 274,000 definitions (i'm not sure if this means definitions for 274,000 separate words or just 274,000 def. - i think it's the former) seems okay but i've read a couple reviews stating "this would be great for someone in junior high or high school, but will not meet the needs of a college student."</p>

<p>any recommendations appreciated.</p>

2

<p>These have always seem unnecessary to me as there are many good web sites that can give this information. For example, <a href="http://www.m-w.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.m-w.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>some (most?) colleges provide online access to the Oxford English Unabridged Dictionary (OED) through the library databases; now THAT is a dictionary.</p>

4

<p>My kids used them in middle & high school. S didn't take his up to college as he sees/saw no need, since he as a laptop & is a minimalist. He's always been able to get whatever he needs off the internet in terms of definitions.</p>

5

<p>I have the Franklin Merriam-Webster's Dictionary & Thesaurus MWD-1470 (I have no idea what definition capacity this translates to). It's perfect for all my high-school uses; the free Concise Columbia Encyclopedia card insert is also comes in handy for quick research on in-class topics.</p>

<p>The only people who have been disappointed with it are the immature friends who are unsatisfied with the dictionary's definitions of "an enclosed superstructure at the stern of a ship" and "information" for the word "poop."</p>

6

<p>We got whichever electronic dictionary Costco was carrying (they tend to stock it in the fall, just before school begins). My kids found it fine & S enjoyed playing hangman & some of the games.</p>

7

<p>The kids used them in middle school. That was before they had laptops. These things made them more conscious and conscientious about spelling. The games were good amusement for the bus. But the devices weren't very sturdy (maybe that was middle school, though).</p>

8

<p>Yea, they weren't very sturdy, but Costco has an excellent return policy & never gave us any hassle about returns or replacements.</p>