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Compact Edition of the OED - questions
delurk
I would like to own the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, since I sadly have neither the budget nor the shelf space for the full twenty-volume edition. I've already decided to get a good second-hand copy of the second edition. However, I thought I'd ask the advice of some experienced bibliophiles before I made my purchase. One of the second-hand copies I've found is described as "Book Club Associates Edition 1993". Does anyone own this edition or know how it differs from the standard one? I've heard that book club editions are sometimes of lower quality, and I'd be grateful to hear of others' experiences. Does anyone know of any book clubs that might still be offering a good deal on the Compact Edition? I'd really kick myself if I missed a bargain. Finally, should I be waiting for the third edition to appear? I haven't been able to find an estimated date for its publication on the OED website, which I assume means that it's not going to happen in the next few years. Thanks for any assistance you can offer. Rayner -- The e-mail address in the headers is a spam trap. To reply by e-mail, please use: usenet (at) sariel.anarres.org |
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On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 09:41:41 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote: I would like to own the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, since I sadly have neither the budget nor the shelf space for the full twenty-volume edition. I've already decided to get a good second-hand copy of the second edition. However, I thought I'd ask the advice of some experienced bibliophiles before I made my purchase. I don't know if you're at all familiar with these Compact Editions. Each page contains eight pages of the original, and so they can be quite a pain to use. Pull the volume out of the slip case, get the magnifier out of the drawer, then eventually locate the actual page you're looking for. And then finally the actual word. The Compact OED actually has 4 pages of each on the original. I used to be able to read it unaided, but if I try that now I do a good Tommy Dorsey imitation. The Compact OED was a book club premium in the US for most of the 1960s and 1970s, and I'll bet most of the second hand copies actually came through book clubs. The microprint technology used to produce the books was not common, and I suspect most were printed by Oxford whether or not they were sold through book clubs. At any rate, there's no quality difference and the OP should be happy with any copy he finds. There is also a third microprint volume containing the four volumes of Supplements - I'm not sure whether or not that was ever offered through book clubs, but it's nice to have. |
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On 10/22/03 6:04 AM, in article ,
"michael adams" wrote: "R. Totale" wrote in message ... On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 09:41:41 +0100, "michael adams" wrote: I would like to own the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, since I sadly have neither the budget nor the shelf space for the full twenty-volume edition. I've already decided to get a good second-hand copy of the second edition. However, I thought I'd ask the advice of some experienced bibliophiles before I made my purchase. I don't know if you're at all familiar with these Compact Editions. Each page contains eight pages of the original, and so they can be quite a pain to use. Pull the volume out of the slip case, get the magnifier out of the drawer, then eventually locate the actual page you're looking for. And then finally the actual word. The Compact OED actually has 4 pages of each on the original. I stand corrected. There appear to be at least two different versions. Your own which presumably is the two volume set with a 4 pages of the original per page, and a single volume set with 9 pages per page as decribed below. While my own totaly unrelated Compact DNB with supplements has two volumes and 12 original pages per page start quote: The Compact Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition Edited by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner Price: £275.00 (Hardback) 0-19-861258-3 Publication date: 17 October 1991 2,402 pages, 355mm x 260mm The Compact Edition of the OED reproduces micrographically, in a single volume, the complete text of the highly acclaimed Second Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary. In this edition, nine pages of the original fit onto just one. This volume comes in a slipcase with a magnifying glass and a new user's guide which explains the conventions of the OED. :end quote http://www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-861258-3 And so this may be an issue the OP may need to bear in mind, when deciding on a S\H copy When all is said and done. and I doubt that this point has yet arrived, for almost every use and for almost every person the SOD, the 2-volume Shorter Oxford Dictionary, makes the most sense. But I realize there are fetishists around for whom nothing but the largest will do. Gawd 'elp 'em is what I say. An alternative to the CD - which may have problems running on a Mac - is the online subscription. |
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Rayner Lucas wrote:
I would like to own the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, since I sadly have neither the budget nor the shelf space for the full twenty-volume edition. I've already decided to get a good second-hand copy of the second edition. Fair enough, but - just out of interest - why have you decided that? Compact editions are quite fiddly to use and they don't include the 3 supplementary volumes and other ancillary material found on the CD-ROM. I can see the attraction of printed pages, but in my case I went for the two-volume Shorter Oxford, which covers most everyday needs, with a stroll to the faculty office or the library on the few occasions when I need more detailed information. If I were to buy the complete dictionary I'd go for the CD-ROM, which is just $219 from Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/rw7o), considerably cheaper than the price on the official OED website (http://oed.com/services/cd-rom/). Space considerations argue against a private individual buying the complete set plus supplements, and a yearly subscription to the online version would cost more than the CD-ROM. And there's so much you can do with a computerised system that just isn't possible in print (like wildcard searches, for example). For a full account of the CD=ROM version's buttons, bells and gizmos, see http://www.oup.co.uk/ep/prodsupp/ref/oed2v3/#Q10. Still, if you are set on the Compact, the best price range seems to be on Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/rw1q), with "Used from $109.95, New from $270.00, Collectible from $585.00". If you find better, let us know! Finally, should I be waiting for the third edition to appear? I haven't been able to find an estimated date for its publication on the OED website, which I assume means that it's not going to happen in the next few years. If you are interested in completeness that would seem to me to be yet another reason for getting the CD-ROM, since it has all the latest incremental additions. I don't want to argue against printed books - I love 'em! - but when you factor in all the advantages and disadvantages I'd have thought that in this case CD-ROM was the more practical option, with - for my money - the Shorter Oxford for handy reference. -- John http://rarebooksinjapan.com |
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John Yamamoto-Wilson wrote:
Rayner Lucas wrote: I would like to own the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, since I sadly have neither the budget nor the shelf space for the full twenty-volume edition. I've already decided to get a good second-hand copy of the second edition. .... I don't want to argue against printed books - I love 'em! - but when you factor in all the advantages and disadvantages I'd have thought that in this case CD-ROM was the more practical option, with - for my money - the Shorter Oxford for handy reference. I've got the older compact OED. I've thought about getting the new edition on CD, but I realized that the joy of the paper copy is the other stuff you stumble on and learn while looking. You don't get that with a computer version that just gives the definition of only the word you ask for. Another factor is when you need it - When I need to look something up, my computer is usually off. I hate to boot up the old confuser just to look up a word. For me, it is the journey, not just the answer. [Read "The Missing Piece" by Shel Silverstein] If I was using the OED for editing, writing, or research, then the CD would probably be better. Brian L |
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In article ,
John Yamamoto-Wilson wrote: Rayner Lucas wrote: I would like to own the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, since I sadly have neither the budget nor the shelf space for the full twenty-volume edition. I've already decided to get a good second-hand copy of the second edition. Fair enough, but - just out of interest - why have you decided that? Compact editions are quite fiddly to use and they don't include the 3 supplementary volumes and other ancillary material found on the CD-ROM. I can see the attraction of printed pages, but in my case I went for the two-volume Shorter Oxford, which covers most everyday needs, with a stroll to the faculty office or the library on the few occasions when I need more detailed information. If I were to buy the complete dictionary I'd go for the CD-ROM, which is just $219 from Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/rw7o), considerably cheaper than the price on the official OED website (http://oed.com/services/cd-rom/). Space considerations argue against a private individual buying the complete set plus supplements, and a yearly subscription to the online version would cost more than the CD-ROM. And there's so much you can do with a computerised system that just isn't possible in print (like wildcard searches, for example). For a full account of the CD=ROM version's buttons, bells and gizmos, see http://www.oup.co.uk/ep/prodsupp/ref/oed2v3/#Q10. As you say, the full set of printed volumes is very large. If it weren't for the space considerations, I'd be very tempted by the OUP's current special offer of 750 pounds. I ruled out the CD-ROM version after hearing horror stories of slow, bloated software with bizarre bugs and Draconian copy protection. This thread gives some examples of the problems I've heard about (long URL, may wrap): http://groups.google.com/groups?thre...h5% 404ax.com What's more, I run Linux on my main computer. The OED web pages only say that the CD-ROM works on Windows and won't work on a Mac. I've read Usenet articles that say the OED CD-ROM won't work under Linux, even using a Windows emulator. This means I'd need to boot another machine just to look up a word in the dictionary. The OED Online will always have the most recent additions, but 195 pounds _per year_ (not including tax!) is an exorbitant fee. Buying a twenty-volume set plus the additions, all at full price, then using them for ten years would still work out cheaper. All the electronic versions have one further drawback: they lack the visual and tactile pleasure available from a printed book. I do own several books on CD-ROM, but I've never found them as enjoyable to read as their print editions. This leaves just two options: the Compact Edition and the Shorter OED. The Shorter OED is a fine work, but since I can get a second-hand Compact Edition for the same price as a new Shorter OED, I might as well go for the Compact. I'll keep my Concise Oxford Dictionary as a general desk reference. Still, if you are set on the Compact, the best price range seems to be on Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/rw1q), with "Used from $109.95, New from $270.00, Collectible from $585.00". If you find better, let us know! The best prices I've found have been on Amazon, too. In fact, I don't think I've seen used second editions anywhere else (the ones on eBay and in local second-hand bookshops have all been first editions). Finally, should I be waiting for the third edition to appear? I haven't been able to find an estimated date for its publication on the OED website, which I assume means that it's not going to happen in the next few years. If you are interested in completeness that would seem to me to be yet another reason for getting the CD-ROM, since it has all the latest incremental additions. I don't want to argue against printed books - I love 'em! - but when you factor in all the advantages and disadvantages I'd have thought that in this case CD-ROM was the more practical option, with - for my money - the Shorter Oxford for handy reference. Your opinions have been very helpful. Thanks to the responses in this thread, I have considered several options that would not otherwise have occurred to me. Thanks to all those who replied. Rayner -- The e-mail address in the headers is a spam trap. To reply by e-mail, please use: usenet (at) sariel.anarres.org |
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Brian wrote:
Another factor is when you need it - When I need to look something up, my computer is usually off. I hate to boot up the old confuser just to look up a word. I concur with your other reasons, but I have a different take on this one. For me, turning off the computer would be a lot like turning off the telephone or the water supply. Yeah, I could... but why? I keep it on all the time precisely so that I can do this type of thing. At present I have a laptop on long-term loan, so noise and power consumption are non-issues. If I didn't I'd get a machine with a Sonata case and an LCD monitor, yielding about the same result. I'm not suggesting that I'm right and you're wrong. But this is another way to look at the computer. My mail address is jsachs177 at earthlink dot net. |
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