Merriam-Webster premieres dictionary for iPhone

updated 03:35 pm EDT, Thu September 18, 2008

Merriam-Webster for iPhone


Paragon Software and dictionary creator Merriam-Webster say they have collaborated on a new app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The program is a conversion of the latter company's 11th-edition Collegiate Dictionary for English, and is specially formatted for the dimensions and interface of Apple handhelds. The dictionary features over 225,000 entries, including more than 10,000 new ones, and does not require an Internet connection after the initial download.

Aside from a basic search command, the software incorporates a history function, which lets users browse the last 15 terms that were researched. The dictionary is now available at the App Store for a cost of $25.


by MacNN Staff


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Comments

  1. njfuzzy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2001

    +2

    woah

    Sounds like a nice little app...

    ...but TWENTY FIVE BUCKS?

    Every Mac comes with a better dictionary built in. I'm not sure portability makes this worth so much more. Maybe $5, but honestly I think it should be free.

  1. dkiechle

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2008

    -8

    Why free?

    Why do you and so many others always assume that people should work for free just so you don't have to spend any money? I don't know what it is you do for a living (if anything), but assuming it is something that could be useful to me, would you invest much time in producing it and then let me have it for free?

  1. dkiechle

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2008

    0

    Why free?

    Why do you and so many others always assume that people should work for free just so you don't have to spend any money? I don't know what it is you do for a living (if anything), but assuming it is something that could be useful to me, would you invest much time in producing it and then let me have it for free? We're not looking at shareware authors here; we're looking at companies that employ people whose livelihood depends on income generated from sales.

  1. Guest

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    +4

    I'll pay, for the OED

    I'd be glad to pay for a iPhone dictionary, about $10 i'd say, maybe $20 if it added spell check to all the apps. But I'm not paying until the Oxford English Dictionary is available.
    Everyone knows the OED is the best.

  1. lookmark

    Mac Elite

    Joined: May 2001

    +2

    lookmark

    I'd pay up to $10 as well. $25 is way too much.

  1. Guest

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    +1

    try WeDict

    If you're looking for a free dictionary for iPhone, try WeDict (use the App Store search function).

    It may not be the nicest, but it works, and it's free! (much better than $25). It is based on the Wordnet dictionary.

  1. Butch Hauke

    Junior Member

    Joined: Nov 2001

    +1

    OED

    I believe the OED is available on the App Store. If I remember there are two versions, and they're just as expensive as the Merriam-Webster.

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