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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Product Description:
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.