Customer Reviews
Comprehensive and fresh - By: M Cawson, 03 Oct 2003 
Possibly not what everyone would expect from a learned dictionary but in my opinion a perfect combination of breadth, clarity & relevance.
Descriptions are straightforward, different meanings are well separated, there are lots of clear examples of usage & derivation of words is clear.
I can't recommend it highly enough as a comprehensive companion to everyday reading.
Dictionary is fine, CD is rubbish - By: , 09 Oct 2001 
As a technical author I use many online publications in my job & I wanted a straightforward online dictionary to use on my computer. This is the worst such online publication I have encountered. The CD is not user-friendly, & includes gimmicky functionality that I would never use. Despite being prompted to register & receive updates via the internet, the connection is invalid. There is a customer support web address which again does not exist.
Particularly annoying is the need to have the CD-ROM in the drive each time you use it - this is not a requirement for other online publications (e.g. Microsoft Press).
I am disappointed that the Oxford English Dictionary is being represented so poorly, & that no one seems to have done a better job than this.
A useful text - By: , 11 Jan 2001 The New Oxford English Dictionary is even better than before. A useful tool that alll businesses should make the most of. We could not do without ours within the office!
A useful "working" dictionary - By: Peter Fenelon, 17 Dec 2000 This will never replace my beloved New Shorter OED, but it's a better one-volume dictionary than the Concise or Encyclopedic Oxford dictionaries or (my previous one-volume favourite) the Chambers. It "feels" more like Chambers than any previous OED publication - it is unashamedly contemporary rather than historical/etymological.
From a purely personal point of view, I find the Shorter OED more fun & informative - but as a handbook of idiomatic modern English, this will probably be of more use to more people than anything in the "old" Oxford tradition.
If you only have time, space or money for one English dictionary, & insist on it being a single volume, I'd suggest that this is the one you'll find the most useful.
Best dictionary ever - By: , 02 Oct 2000 I have only recently purchased this dictionary, & it is outstanding. Contains every word youve ever come across & more. Under each word, it states its origin, & an encyclopedic meaning. Certainly worth spending ten pounds extra than the Concise version. Simply brilliant.
