encyclopedia instead of kindle dictionary

bZkindle · 03-16-2011, 02:22 AM

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good encyclopedia that can be used in place of the kindle dictionary.
I'm thinking if I can't get one, I may replace it with another dictionary..
one of the merriams perhaps? Can anyone recommend one?
Do any of the encyclopedias/dictionaries available have a TTS function like the stardict ones do on Duokan? That is a great feature!

HarryT · 03-16-2011, 09:26 AM

You can do Wikipedia lookups as a standard facility, of course.

poohbear_nc · 03-16-2011, 09:54 AM

You can replace the supplied dictionary with other dictionaries, and then designate the new dictionary as your default dictionary. If you purchase a dictionary NOT from Amazon, you will have to remove any DRM before it can become your default dictionary, and it must be in mobi format. I've seen other reports here that only English language dictionaries can be used as a default dictionary [probably a metadata issue].

Loading an encyclopedia may provide slow look-up capabilities -- depending on the size of the encyclopedia and its formatting. I currently have the MobiRead Egyptian dictionary on my Kindle - it works fairly well.

susan_cassidy · 03-16-2011, 12:06 PM

I think encyclopedia entries might be too big for the way the K3 displays dictionary entries. I've never heard of an encyclopedia formatted as a dictionary (special formatting is required for dictionary lookup in .mobi format).

Wikipedia lookups seem preferable to me. Then, you can keep the dictionary capability.

There are Spanish, French, etc. dictionaries available that can be used for default dictionaries.

The entries in an encyclopedia need to change too often to make one file practical. Just think what the file size would be, anyway. You wouldn't have room for books!

bZkindle · 03-16-2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

I think encyclopedia entries might be too big for the way the K3 displays dictionary entries. I've never heard of an encyclopedia formatted as a dictionary (special formatting is required for dictionary lookup in .mobi format).

Wikipedia lookups seem preferable to me. Then, you can keep the dictionary capability.

..snip...

I do have the mobilereference encyclopedia of world cinema. it can be used as the default. it's pretty big- about 180 megs!
I wonder if all these mobilereference ebooks have the same type format that allow them to be used as the default...
http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=13002931...ference&page=1

susan_cassidy · 03-16-2011, 01:14 PM

They have to have the same format, otherwise it wouldn't work. See the dictionary section under http://www.mobipocket.com/dev/articl...eFolder=prcgen.

janvanmaar · 03-16-2011, 04:04 PM

It should be possible to convert an encyclopedia book to the dictionary format (albeit probably quite some effort would be needed). I have done it (not for an encyclopedia but in principle that should not matter, just take longer) and described the way I did it here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=119226
Regarding the speed, my biggest dictionary has ~40 MB size, 100.000 entries + a few hundreds of thousands inflections and the lookup is not really instant but it is acceptable (approx. 2-5 seconds). The number of entries+inflections should matter more than the size of the file for the speed of the lookup, so I imagine it should not be a major problem for an encyclopedia. Clearly, some entries would span over many pages in an encyclopedia, again not a major issue.

bZkindle · 03-16-2011, 07:53 PM

well, I just cracked and bought the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary instead of worrying about an encyclopedia:
http://www.amazon.com/Merriam-Webste...0319287&sr=8-1
my first impressions aren't all that great.
it doesn't seem nearly as comprehensive as the print version.

r--t*nix · 03-16-2011, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You can do Wikipedia lookups as a standard facility, of course.

i agree Wikipedia is the one that i prefer the most. though i like the mobile version as it is better formatted.

Giggleton · 03-16-2011, 11:36 PM

Converting wikipedia into use as the Kindle's default dictionary might not be trivial but it would also not be insurmountbale.

I don't know if wikipedia is capable of being stored locally on the Kindle. Storage space increases as costs of storage decrease so we might expect that future Kindles will have the capacity. I would expect a local version of wikipedia to be loaded onto my Kindle at the factory and then automatically update itself periodically, probably over wifi, but even that might be too much of a strain on the bandwidth.

More realistically, we could expect a wikipedia app on our Kindles, to function as our default lookup. This would require a constant connection to the internet which the 3G Kindle has. It would probably also require an upgrade or two to the Kindle firmware but we want wikipedia and I expect that we will get it.

To that end,

let us all email: kindle-feedback@amazon.com

with the subject line: Wikipedia Please!

You can fill in the body yourself, it's fun!

bZkindle · 03-16-2011, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Converting wikipedia into use as the Kindle's default dictionary might not be trivial but it would also not be insurmountbale.

I don't know if wikipedia is capable of being stored locally on the Kindle. Storage space increases as costs of storage decrease so we might expect that future Kindles will have the capacity. I would expect a local version of wikipedia to be loaded onto my Kindle at the factory and then automatically update itself periodically, probably over wifi, but even that might be too much of a strain on the bandwidth.

More realistically, we could expect a wikipedia app on our Kindles, to function as our default lookup. This would require a constant connection to the internet which the 3G Kindle has. It would probably also require an upgrade or two to the Kindle firmware but we want wikipedia and I expect that we will get it.

To that end,

let us all email: kindle-feedback@amazon.com

with the subject line: Wikipedia Please!

You can fill in the body yourself, it's fun!

there used to be a project (I don't think it's maintained anymore) called 'wikipodia' that allowed you to store the whole of wikipedia on your early generation ipod. If I remember correctly, it clocked in at about 3 GB.
Who knows how big wikipedia is now. Plus, wikipedia is constantly being updated so it would be hard to stay current with a local copy.

We already have a wikipedia 'app' on our kindles (in a sense):
highlight a word, push the spacebar, and select 'wikipedia'.
I see what you're saying though: it would be nice to be able to select that as the default instead of a dictionary.
I really don't think that's feasible either because it would have to either open in a browser window (which is what we already have) or... be locally stored in a mobipocket format, which brings us back to where we are.

EDIT: excuse me, the project is called encyclopodia
http://encyclopodia.sourceforge.net/en/index.html

Giggleton · 03-17-2011, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bZkindle

I see what you're saying though: it would be nice to be able to select that as the default instead of a dictionary.
I really don't think that's feasible either because it would have to either open in a browser window (which is what we already have) or... be locally stored in a mobipocket format, which brings us back to where we are.

I guess I just expect too much, I move the cursor next to a term and want to instantly know everything there is to know about it.

susan_cassidy · 03-17-2011, 11:56 AM

No encyclopedia will tell you "everything there is to know about it".

stehk · 03-19-2011, 09:13 AM

There exists a wikipedia formatted to mobi. However the newest version (from 2008 I think) splits up into several files and has an index file (or more index files) that redirects from each keyword to another file.

However the hyperlinks from one document to another work well for mobireader, but aren't even recognized by my kindle 2. (I don't know if that's generally impossible with the kindle, or just doesn't work with the file.
however the files can be found here:
http://pinguinburg.de/wpmp

I think there is explained how to use any html dump to convert to mobi.

I use a pretty old german wikipedia that still comes as a single file (about 300 MB or something like that) and has been converted to mobipocket.
it can be found here (only german):
http://www.axelschaefermdb.de/servic...ia/archiv.html
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Unterwegs

03-16-2011, 02:22 AM	#1
bZkindle Fanatic Posts: 510 Karma: 1025024 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada City, Soviet Canuckistan Device: k2, k3G, kindle DXG, Sony T-1, iPad, iPhone, stone tablet	encyclopedia instead of kindle dictionary I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good encyclopedia that can be used in place of the kindle dictionary. I'm thinking if I can't get one, I may replace it with another dictionary.. one of the merriams perhaps? Can anyone recommend one? Do any of the encyclopedias/dictionaries available have a TTS function like the stardict ones do on Duokan? That is a great feature!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
The Encyclopedia of Life	desertgrandma	Lounge	13	11-09-2009 01:17 PM
Encyclopedia Universalis	Mistralain	E-Books	1	10-16-2009 01:25 AM
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy	FlorenceArt	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	6	08-29-2009 07:43 PM
Wikipedia Encyclopedia on your handheld	Colin Dunstan	Reading and Management	12	12-03-2007 08:45 AM
looking for a decent encyclopedia	exvaxman	Sony Reader	8	05-14-2007 11:29 AM

03-16-2011, 09:26 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You can do Wikipedia lookups as a standard facility, of course.

03-16-2011, 09:54 AM	#3
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,796 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	You can replace the supplied dictionary with other dictionaries, and then designate the new dictionary as your default dictionary. If you purchase a dictionary NOT from Amazon, you will have to remove any DRM before it can become your default dictionary, and it must be in mobi format. I've seen other reports here that only English language dictionaries can be used as a default dictionary [probably a metadata issue]. Loading an encyclopedia may provide slow look-up capabilities -- depending on the size of the encyclopedia and its formatting. I currently have the MobiRead Egyptian dictionary on my Kindle - it works fairly well.

03-16-2011, 12:06 PM	#4
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	I think encyclopedia entries might be too big for the way the K3 displays dictionary entries. I've never heard of an encyclopedia formatted as a dictionary (special formatting is required for dictionary lookup in .mobi format). Wikipedia lookups seem preferable to me. Then, you can keep the dictionary capability. There are Spanish, French, etc. dictionaries available that can be used for default dictionaries. The entries in an encyclopedia need to change too often to make one file practical. Just think what the file size would be, anyway. You wouldn't have room for books!

03-16-2011, 01:14 PM	#6
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	They have to have the same format, otherwise it wouldn't work. See the dictionary section under http://www.mobipocket.com/dev/articl...eFolder=prcgen.

03-16-2011, 04:04 PM	#7
janvanmaar Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3G, Samsung SIII	It should be possible to convert an encyclopedia book to the dictionary format (albeit probably quite some effort would be needed). I have done it (not for an encyclopedia but in principle that should not matter, just take longer) and described the way I did it here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=119226 Regarding the speed, my biggest dictionary has ~40 MB size, 100.000 entries + a few hundreds of thousands inflections and the lookup is not really instant but it is acceptable (approx. 2-5 seconds). The number of entries+inflections should matter more than the size of the file for the speed of the lookup, so I imagine it should not be a major problem for an encyclopedia. Clearly, some entries would span over many pages in an encyclopedia, again not a major issue.

03-16-2011, 07:53 PM	#8
bZkindle Fanatic Posts: 510 Karma: 1025024 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada City, Soviet Canuckistan Device: k2, k3G, kindle DXG, Sony T-1, iPad, iPhone, stone tablet	well, I just cracked and bought the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary instead of worrying about an encyclopedia: http://www.amazon.com/Merriam-Webste...0319287&sr=8-1 my first impressions aren't all that great. it doesn't seem nearly as comprehensive as the print version.

03-16-2011, 11:36 PM	#10
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Converting wikipedia into use as the Kindle's default dictionary might not be trivial but it would also not be insurmountbale. I don't know if wikipedia is capable of being stored locally on the Kindle. Storage space increases as costs of storage decrease so we might expect that future Kindles will have the capacity. I would expect a local version of wikipedia to be loaded onto my Kindle at the factory and then automatically update itself periodically, probably over wifi, but even that might be too much of a strain on the bandwidth. More realistically, we could expect a wikipedia app on our Kindles, to function as our default lookup. This would require a constant connection to the internet which the 3G Kindle has. It would probably also require an upgrade or two to the Kindle firmware but we want wikipedia and I expect that we will get it. To that end, let us all email: kindle-feedback@amazon.com with the subject line: Wikipedia Please! You can fill in the body yourself, it's fun!

03-17-2011, 11:56 AM	#13
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	No encyclopedia will tell you "everything there is to know about it".

03-19-2011, 09:13 AM	#14
stehk Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 9999 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: Kindle 2	There exists a wikipedia formatted to mobi. However the newest version (from 2008 I think) splits up into several files and has an index file (or more index files) that redirects from each keyword to another file. However the hyperlinks from one document to another work well for mobireader, but aren't even recognized by my kindle 2. (I don't know if that's generally impossible with the kindle, or just doesn't work with the file. however the files can be found here: http://pinguinburg.de/wpmp I think there is explained how to use any html dump to convert to mobi. I use a pretty old german wikipedia that still comes as a single file (about 300 MB or something like that) and has been converted to mobipocket. it can be found here (only german): http://www.axelschaefermdb.de/servic...ia/archiv.html http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Unterwegs

Advert

Advert