Oxford English Dictionary [CD-ROM]

I purchased the "Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM Version 3.0" with a nervous heart.
I am a lover of the English language and sometimes sit and read the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for hours at a time (I have the 2 volume compact edition). However I am advancing in years and can no longer suffer the small type of said "Compact Edition."
I really wanted something easier to read but do not have the room nor the money to purchase the 20 volume set, thus I jumped on the information super highway and zoomed over to [...]read through [...] "customers reviews" and was disappointed to learn that OED had a "C-dilla copy protection program" that reportedly ruined an otherwise beautiful product!
I was crushed and appalled that OED would cripple such a wonderful work with an overbearing and abusive "protection program."
Months went by and I eventually gathered up enough courage to buy the "OED Second Edition on CD-ROM Version 3.0" despite everything I had read.
After receiving item in the mail, I quickly installed the entire 2 disks onto my hard drive so I would NOT have to dig up the CD-ROM every time I wanted to look up a ord.
Installation was a breeze and I had no problems at all.
When I clicked on the icon to use the program for the first time, it required me to install the "data CD" for verification. After doing so the program operated flawlessly.
I have used the "OED 3.0" many times and it has never again asked for such verification, but I have been informed that it will ask for said disk once every 90 days (or 4 times a year). This to me is no big deal and a small price to pay for all 20 volumes plus the search capabilities allowed in version 3.0.
While the computer is not as intimate as curling up with the book, it is much more efficient to simply type in a word and BAM the definition is before your eyes. Not to mention that many times while looking up a word, I often run into other words that I also need/want to look up. If I had the 20 volumes set I would be trekking back and forth digging out the correct book, then thumbing through thousands of pages to find a particular definition!
With the "OED 3.0" all one needs to do is double click on any given word in the definition of interest and again BAM, you are at the new definition!
This allows one to cover considerably more material in the same amount of time.
Actually I find I read the OED more now than I did before because I don't get thumb weary turning the pages.
All in all, do yourself a favor and buy a copy of the "OED 3.0," it seems to this consumer that they have worked out all the major issues giving us a fine product.

At least in my experience--the support at OUP was great. There were a few things I did to help:
*Practice good tech support practices as a consumer.*
1. I noticed and reported via telephone any snags I encountered so that support would have a record of it.
2. I used telephone instead of e-mail.

They sent me an unencrypted set (so I didn't need any CDs or controversial software) when they couldn't solve the OED's incompatibility with my very strange confidentiality/personal encryption software. (PGP--99.9% of you do not use such things.)

A word, though:

For the majority of users, the OED will work just fine. OED v.3 is much improved.. it is actually a wonderful piece of software that acts exactly like M-W's software except with full-text search and wild cards, and excellent online help. Double-clicking on words is now supported, and you can press ENTER and get right to a definition--two of my pet peeves are now fixed.

The ability to run it off the hard drive means that it is fast and responsive.

If anything, C-dilla needs to clean up their act.. and provide better documentation to innocent engineers and support teams.

As long as you follow these instructions, you should be fine.

1. After installing and before launching the OED, insert your *data* CD (2.0 for the upgrade version, 3.0 otherwise.)
2. There will be a "Wait screen" telling you C-dilla is being installed.. it should go away automatically, and it will ask you again within 90 days.

It's really that simple.

And with world class support, how can you go wrong? 45 minutes of my time on the telephone gave me years worth of pleasure.. and as I said, I am a minority.

--Sam

I have to recommend that NO ONE buy this product until the OUP solves the C-Dilla license management problem. Like other reviewers I bought the product in good faith only to find that the C-dilla copy protection simply doesn't work. It fails to authenticate the disc and when you try and get help from the OUP they ignore you. I even wrote to the Managing Director, Ivon Asquith, who fobbed me off back to the technicians, who then did nothing. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT, you'll be wasting your money.