WikiReader Pocket Wikipedia Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Got mine 5 days ago [...] and have had some fun with it. However the fun was dampened by a defective touch screen. The bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the screen doesn't respond to touch, meaning I can't access the bottom row of letters or the space bar. I contacted customer support and the were prompt in replying. They had me load a different kernel file, hoping that would fix it, but it didn't. they said they will be shipping out a replacement soon, so hopefully this one will work as designed.
Aside from the touch screen, the co-workers I showed it to thought it was pretty slick.
My co-workers all carry Blackberrys, but due to corporate policy can't install wikipedia software. I don't have a smart phone, due to no Verizon service where I live, so this works great for me. I like the fact that it uses standard AAA batteries and will run for 90 hours of powered on time.
It also has a couple of hidden features when you hold down a button while powering up. Search throws you a list of forth programs that are mostly diagnostics. There is a little line drawing program that is fun to scribble with, and also a calculator. The calculator can also be accessed by holding down the history button while powering up. Finally, the random button on power up is some sort of serial communication screen. One other thing, one of the diagnostics displays a reading from a thermistor, so I suppose someone could create a tiny app using that as well.
In the short time that I have had it, I noticed a couple of small issues with the data on it. It looks like it is missing some numeric info. The example I noticed was the wikipedia article on prairie dogs as to their size and quantities. Also some special characters, like foreign letters, are not displayed correctly. I am pretty sure they will correct that down the road though, as it should not be too tough to do.
An 8gb microSD card holds the data and system. It looks like buying the updates might not be a bad idea as 8gb SD cards go for around $20 each anyway, and the $[...] update charge will get you two of those. Not bad to have a spare and you can always clear an extra and use it in another device.
Update. Got the replacement Wikireader, and it works as it is supposed to now. It can't help but make me better informed.
I would love to see them add some e-reader functionality. There would be plenty of room to add a pile of Project Gutenberg reading material.
I may end up getting a couple more of the for Christmas presents.

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WikiReader delivers the joy of information by offering three million Wikipedia articles in a simple $99 handheld device. It turns on instantly, and works for months before replacement of its two AAA batteries is necessary. The large monochrome screen uses a touch interface. Articles are scrolled with a stroke of the finger and hyperlinks selected with a simple tap. Three buttons, Search, History and Random, offer the convenience of reading specific topics or the serendipitous pleasure of discovering something by chance within Wikipedia's rich array of articles ranging from Freud to Final Fantasy. Updates for the WikiReader are provided quarterly and available for free download. A yearly subscription plan for updated microSD cards is also available for $29. For more information including news, videos and updates, Google for: The WikiReader

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Seiko WP5402 American Heritage Electronic Dictionary Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This instrument allows only limited use due to short battery life even when a new ones are gotten.
I also consider it a dinky dictionary -- it gives only minimal number of definitions and minimal description of definitions.

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Seiko-Austin's pocket electronic dictionary is the perfect, easy-to-use tool whenever you're stumped by a word. You can instantly look up over 130,000 definitions. The dictionary's spell checker contains over 70,000 words. It also has a phonetic feature, so you can just enter the word the way it sounds. The two-line display lets you comfortably read word definitions without extra scrolling. There are also many useful word tools like a crossword puzzle solver, metric/currency converter, and calculator. Seiko-Austin offers a one-year warranty.

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Handspring Visor Edge (Metallic Blue) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Visor Edge is definitely going to come down in price, otherwise it can not compete in this market.
The Visor Edge's sole advantage is its thinness. It is by far the thinnest PDA. But at the current price, you are paying almost double the cost of a Visor Deluxe for what is functionally the exact same thing, except it is thinner with a rechargeable battery. Would you pay twice as much for a computer just because it was slightly smaller and looked cooler? This is the Palm OS equivalent of the Apple Cube -- a beautiful machine that didn't justify its cost.
At this level, I would also find it hard to pick this machine over the Palm Vx, which has a few minor software features that this model lacks, feels better in your hands and even weighs almost an ounce less.
Bottom line: This appears to be a good product (I've tested them extensively and my friend has one), but not a great deal.
BTW, putting the Springboard module on this product makes it look totally unwieldy and eliminates the "cool" factor. If you like Springboard, keep your Visor Deluxe).

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Slip it in your pocket. Put it in your purse. You'll barely even notice that you're carrying it. But don't let the size of the Visor Edge deceive you. This is one powerful, rechargeable Palm OS organizer with an address book, date book and so much more. Plus, the detachable Springboard slot gives you infinite expansion possibilities. It is incredibly thin and infinitely expandable. That's the wonder of the Visor Edge handheld. And Handspring has the detachable Springboard slot to thank. Just slide it on, pop in a Springboard module and you're ready to go. So, when you want to listen to music, take a picture, or connect wirelessly, it's all just a snap away.Now you'll never have to deal with AAA batteries again. That's because the Visor Edge is rechargeable. It lasts for weeks on a single charge (based on normal usage, of course). And it recharges quickly - right in the cradle. So now you can synchronize and recharge simultaneously. One look is all it takes and everyone is flipping over the Visor Edge. And then you've just got to have it. All that metal (the real kind, not a plastic imitation), that thin physique, that cutting-edge design? they have even designed an amazingly cool flip cover that protects the screen without compromising size. And, in case you were wondering, Visor Edge is fast, too!

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Handspring Visor Prism Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Since this is my 1st PalmOS PDA I don't have as much experience as some other reviewers. However I do know what I do & do Not like. My list of Pros & Cons for this fine PDA:

Pros specific to this device:
1. Ability to display 65,000 different colors.
2. You can create notes/ business cards w/ color.
3. You can read and work faster. One thing I've found that's quicker than reading, to ID something, is color. If I label an item in a To-Do list in red for instance, I know w/o reading that its a hot item to do ASAP. This helps one prioritize items. It just makes sense.
4. CPU speed. This units fast. Although the color display DOES make the unit slightly slower than a Visor Pro/Platinum.
5. Color games beat B/W games when in waiting rooms. ;-)
6. Display easier to read indoors than a Palm m505. (Isn't this where 90% of its use will occur anyway?)
Cons specific to this unit:
1. Battery life. Handspring advertises up to 2 wk. between charges. Yea right! Maybe if you only use it for

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Expandable: Snap in Springboard modules whenever you want. Connected: Sync quickly and easily with USB connection. Rechargeable: Recharge the battery right in the cradle. Imagine the possibilities when you add these modules: digital camera, gps receiver, game pack, phone , music player, wireless modem.

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Seiko ED1240 Roget's Thesaurus with EZ-Learn Teaching System Review

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(More customer reviews)The product's short comings are the lack of having a dictionary and the spell check is not broad enough in it's search therefore it comes up short. I should not have purchased it. I have a preorder for Seiko dict/spell check/thesaurus model. Please find one! Thanks

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Make sure you're always using the right word in the right way with this Seiko dictionary, which combines Roget's Thesaurus, an advanced spell checker, and Seiko's EZ-Learn teaching system.
Improve your vocabulary with 500,000 synonyms from Roget's II: The New Thesaurus. The dictionary also features advanced phonetic spell-checking for 80,000 words and Seiko's EZ-Learn teaching system to help build vocabulary skills in five ways.
Use the mini QWERTY keyboard to type in entries. Other features include a 12-digit calculator with memory and percent function, 28 bidirectional metric and currency converters, and a clothing-size comparison chart. This dictionary weighs only 9 ounces and comes with a one-year warranty.

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Sharp Electronics PW-E550 Electronic Dictionary Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had been thinking about buying an electronic dictionary since they first appeared on the market. I knew pretty much what I wanted in a device but until now, I've found them all wanting in some area that was important to me. This device is absolutely perfect for my needs. These are the attributes that I was looking for, in roughly most important to least important order:
It had to be easy and intuitive to use
It had to have a very comprehensive dictionary and thesaurus
It had to show (not speak) pronunciation
It had to be non-invasive (imagine using one of the speaking dictionaries in a classroom or library setting)
It had to be reasonably priced
The PW-E550 meets all of these requirements.
At the time I was considering the PW-E550 I was reading two books: "Being And Nothingness" by Sarte and "How To Be Alone" by Jonathan Franzen (as an aside, if you're not familiar with Jonathan Franzen I highly recommend checking him out). I decided to page through each book and write down a short list of words that I either did not know the meaning of, or was unclear of. I then took that list of words to my local bookstore, found the hardcopy version of "The New Oxford American Dictionary" and looked up my words. With the minor exception of "transphenomenal", I found all of my words in some form (with "transphenomenal" I was able to find "phenomenal", "phenomena" and "trans-").
To give you an idea of what I was looking for I unashamedly present my word list:
nihilates, transphenomenal, ontological, heterogeneity, facticity, thematized, interiorization, objectivation, vagaries, preponderant, exigencies, isolationism, milieu, preemption, multilateralism
When I received the PW-E550 the first thing I did was to recheck my word list. My experience was better than I expected. Not only did I find the same words and definitions, I didn't have to glance at the manual at all to figure out what to do. I just pressed the "DICT" button, typed my word and watched the list of words that matched my typing get smaller until my word (or a form of it) was displayed.
The screen has two zoom settings and the contrast makes the display easy to read. The entire unit could fit comfortably into a shirt pocket (both size and weight). The fact that it uses a single AAA battery (as a previous reviewer mentioned) is a real plus.
There was one feature that I did not think about until I started using the device - it would be nice if, when looking at a definition, I could look up any of the words in the definition without losing my place. That's when I picked up the manual and much to my delight I discovered the device can do this (they call it "Super Jump"). It's not as intuitive as the other features but once you've used it, it becomes obvious. Finally, the hardcopy version of the dictionary has pictures on some pages but the E550 does not. Again, not an issue for me.
I would like to comment on an earlier review where the author gave this unit a one star review. She complained that the PW-E550 is a dumbed-down version of the PW-E500. By dumbed-down, she meant it had fewer words than the E550. This is true. However, the PW-E500 uses the "Oxford English Dictionary" and its corresponding "New Oxford Thesaurus". That dictionary gives both English (as in England) and American definitions, likewise the thesaurus. This would be a personal choice. I don't need to see both "color" and "colour" in my dictionary but that's just me. To me it was like she was saying that she thinks a Jaguar is a better car than a Cadillac therefore a Cadillac is a lousy car. This is a great reference tool.
If you have any doubts about the contents of this unit, go look at the hardcopy versions. I am very impressed and absolutely delighted that I have such a simple yet comprehensive reference sitting on the arm of my chair as I read.

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Sharp Electronic Dictionary featuring full content from the best selling reference books: The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford American Thesaurus and Garner's Modern American Usage. Enchanced Search Functions that with filtered search, Sumper Jump and quick view. This unit offers a better viewing display with 2 sixe fonts and includes additonal features like spell check, crossword solver, anagram solver, calculator and also has a metric/currency converter.

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Franklin MWD-450 Merriam-Web Dictionary w/Calculator & Databank Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Review of Franklin/Merriam-Webster's MWD-450 and MWD-1440 electronic dictionaries
1. Lookups are slow on the MWD-450 (4-8 seconds is typical); response times are much better on the MWD-1440.
2. Definitions are shorter and simpler (often over simplified) on the MWD-450. The MWD-450 is probably better for a younger child (under 12), while the MWD-1440 should be better for teenagers.
3. The MWD-450 is missing many literary words and also some words that are important for understanding current events (e.g., "anti-Semitism" and "globalism"). The MWD-1440's dictionary, which is somewhat larger, contains "anti-Semitism" but not "globalism".
4. Displays on the two models have the same physical size, but the MWD-1440 displays more lines (5 lines instead of 3) using smaller and somewhat harder-to-read text.
5. Related word forms are not always shown. Here are two examples:
(A) If one looks up the word "naive", the noun form is shown as "naiveness". "Naivete", which is preferrable to "naiveness", is not listed as an alternative noun form. (One can, however, look up "naivete" separately).
(B) The MWD-450 recognizes "auspices" as a plural noun, but does not recognize the singular form "auspice".
6. The MWD-1440 has a slightly better keyboard; keys are squishy and badly shaped on the MWD-450.
7. Given that the MWD-1440 is aimed at college students, the calculator mode should include a more complete set of calculator functions. In particular, x^y (exponentiation), base-10 and base-e logarithms, and the sine and cosine functions should be provided.
8. On both models, the calculator mode would be easier to use if there were parentheses.
9. "Connect 4", which was one of the more interesting games on the MWD-400, is not available on the newer MWD-450 and MWD-1440.

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Franklin's Pocket Dictionary is the perfect, easy-to-use tool whenever you're stumped by a word. You can instantly look up 80,000 words with 274,000 definitions. The four-line display lets you comfortably read word definitions without extra scrolling. The phonetic spell checker ensures the right word will be found even if you misspell it. There are also many useful word tools like a crossword puzzle solver and learning exercises.
The MW450 also has nine fun word games (including anagrams, Hangman, Jumble, and tic-tac-toe), a clock with world and local times, a calculator with metric and currency conversions, and a Rolodex Electronics databank for names and phone numbers.

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