Oxford Spanish Dictionary

I was initially impressed with the Oxford Spanish dictionary and it's TSR-based "i-finger" software, it has a hefty dictionary and lot's of regional variations of the use of Spanish. The big downer was that it bombed on me after a year of use, I bought the 2002 Oxford Spanish CD sometime ago, and apparently it has some kind of automatic time-bomb built into its code, it will no longer install after a pre-determined amount of time has expired on the computer, i.e., the registration code will not work anymore and it won't install. I used it on WindowsXP and found this out. It's their trick to get you to "upgrade" to the new version.

I have an old but excellent Spanish-English dictionary at home, in book form, and there is no reason why a CD can't remain the same after years of use. Obviously the greed factor has deterred the authors of this software from making this work for the rest of us. Buy it for cheap, but be forewarned!

I wanted some Spanish software and I stumbled across this in a local used bookstore. It was a risky purchase, but it turned out to be one of the most useful purchases I've made for my Spanish studies. I found it so helpful to my study of the Spanish language that I put it on my Spanish Listmania list. Today as I was browsing Amazon I was surprised to see that the only review of this product was so negative! I'll try to present another viewpoint and address what the previous review mentions.

1.) Lack of translations -- I'm not quite sure what this means...This isn't translation software. It's a dictionary. You can enter either the Spanish word or the English word...or simply highlight and click a word on the screen. I used it for reading emails from Spanish friends, reading Spanish articles and books and for writing Spanish letters and essays. I have encountered very few words that this dictionary couldn't define.

2.) Incorrect translations -- I've found the dictionary to be exceptionally accurate. It is also exceptionally detailed and the patient and observant are rewarded. Most entries are very long (but still very accessible) -- listing many different usages and idiomatic expressions. It also lists different regional usages and meanings within the Spanish speaking world. Each word and usage is typically accompanied by an illustrative sentence using the word. Again, as I stated above this is not translation software and really can't be used as such. It's a dictionary. Dictionaries are not infallible and care must be used with any dictionary. Language is ever-changing, enigmatic, fluid and organic. To blindly use the first definition that pops up would be foolish. I use this software in a practical sense, reading Spanish documents and writing to and for actual Spanish speaking people, and have never encountered any misunderstandings.

3.) Annoying pop-up window -- I never had this problem. The window only popped up when I was actually using the software. However, if this did happen I'm sure you could just turn the application off while you aren't using it.

4.) Inconvenient -- I found this program to work well with all of my programs. It was easy to install and use.

5.) Retarded liscense management -- I'm not even sure how to respond to this one...

If you are a serious student of the Spanish language then I think this software is excellent. It probably isn't the best product for someone temporarily or casually interested in Spanish. A simple paperback dictionary is best for that scenario.

...along with my favorite text, *501 Spanish Verbs,* I'm set! I'm a reasonably fluent Spanish speaker. My University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary travels with me, but this Oxford Pop-Up Spanish/English Dictionary CD is by far the best of any computer versions I've tried over the years. It is always exceedingly useful in sending online communications and composing texts in Spanish at the computer! Highly recommended.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews  3.0 out of 5 stars