Reference Works

Kumabjorn · 12-17-2013, 03:03 AM

What are some reference works you'd like to see in an e-book? Personally I'm partial to The New York City Library Desk Reference. I think that would work very well on an iPad or similar Android tablet. What is your choice?

tubemonkey · 12-17-2013, 04:11 AM

My choice is none. I like my books to contain only the book as written by the author. If I need more info, Google and Wikipedia work wonders.

HarryT · 12-17-2013, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

My choice is none. I like my books to contain only the book as written by the author.

That's what the OP is asking - what reference books that are not currently available as eBooks, would you like to see as eBooks?

For me it would be the "Oxford Classical Dictionary" - an extremely large and heavy hardback volume that would be perfect on the iPad.

tubemonkey · 12-17-2013, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's what the OP is asking - what reference books that are not currently available as eBooks, would you like to see as eBooks?

Oh, I read it to mean what references would you like to see inside an ebook. Kinda like how Amazon does it with X-Ray.

Anyway, my answer is still none. Google and Wikipedia satisfy all my needs for knowledge.

Kumabjorn · 12-17-2013, 05:21 AM

Yes, there is a surprisingly limited selection available as e-books. Considering the digital advantages over the analog, I find it surprising. In the beginning I figured that they needed time to convert those tomes, but a few years has passed since then and very little has become available. I'm also partial to Cambridge's History of Japan. I do believe it will take more than a decade before that is offered, and by then it will probably be severly outdated.

pwalker8 · 12-17-2013, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's what the OP is asking - what reference books that are not currently available as eBooks, would you like to see as eBooks?

For me it would be the "Oxford Classical Dictionary" - an extremely large and heavy hardback volume that would be perfect on the iPad.

Actually, you can subscribe to the Oxford English Dictionary (i.e. 20 vol set) online for $300 a year. You can also get it on CD. I bought the CD some years ago and the access program isn't very good. Don't know if they have improved it or not.

The ODE is available as an iPad app. Not quite the same thing, but pretty good.

I'm not sure how well the OED would work as an ebook. Certainly I don't know how many people would pay that much money for an ebook.

In my field, computer programming, most reference books are available as ebooks. I use to have a shelf of books at work, now I just use safari online books from O'Reilly (sp). I've had a subscription with them for years, so I was able to download most of the books that I use on a daily basis over time.

Kumabjorn · 12-17-2013, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Actually, you can subscribe to the Oxford English Dictionary (i.e. 20 vol set) online for $300 a year. You can also get it on CD. I bought the CD some years ago and the access program isn't very good. Don't know if they have improved it or not.

The ODE is available as an iPad app. Not quite the same thing, but pretty good.

I'm not sure how well the OED would work as an ebook. Certainly I don't know how many people would pay that much money for an ebook.

In my field, computer programming, most reference books are available as ebooks. I use to have a shelf of books at work, now I just use safari online books from O'Reilly (sp). I've had a subscription with them for years, so I was able to download most of the books that I use on a daily basis over time.

I believe that Harry meant an Oxford dictionary that deals with the Greek Classics. Not the English language.

fjtorres · 12-17-2013, 08:16 AM

OED would work beautifully as an ebook for scholars and fans of etymology.
Most of the other Oxford dictionaries and encyclopedias would work, too.
I'd vote for most any of the mythology ones.
They're fun reads but h-e-a-v-y.

HarryT · 12-17-2013, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Actually, you can subscribe to the Oxford English Dictionary (i.e. 20 vol set) online for $300 a year. You can also get it on CD. I bought the CD some years ago and the access program isn't very good. Don't know if they have improved it or not.

I'm not talking about the Oxford English Dictionary, but the Oxford Classical Dictionary - one of the standard academic reference works for the Greek and Roman world:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Class.../dp/0199545561

pwalker8 · 12-17-2013, 01:15 PM

Ah, sorry, my bad.

Anthem · 12-18-2013, 05:08 PM

I'm still partial to reference "works" being in the form of an application or website...

Victoria · 12-21-2013, 06:52 PM

I would like to have the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church -a great reference, but it weighs a ton.

Kumabjorn · 12-21-2013, 07:43 PM

I'm actually partial to setting aside one of my e-Readers or tablets as a device dedicated to reference works. Imagine carrying around all those tomes in your back pocket (Goodbye, skinny jeans).

BWinmill · 12-22-2013, 06:23 AM

None. Most of the reference works that I use are better suited to a database than a book. Now I'd be more than happy to more reference works available on readers as databases, but feel that they wouldn't be very useful as ebooks. (To understand what I'm talking about, think about how you use a dictionary on your ereader. You are using an app that your vendor provided, rather reading than a generic ebook, because it is easier to find what you're looking for.)

12-17-2013, 03:03 AM	#1
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Reference Works What are some reference works you'd like to see in an e-book? Personally I'm partial to The New York City Library Desk Reference. I think that would work very well on an iPad or similar Android tablet. What is your choice?

12-17-2013, 08:16 AM	#8
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	OED would work beautifully as an ebook for scholars and fans of etymology. Most of the other Oxford dictionaries and encyclopedias would work, too. I'd vote for most any of the mythology ones. They're fun reads but h-e-a-v-y. Last edited by fjtorres; 12-17-2013 at 08:21 AM.

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12-17-2013, 04:11 AM	#2
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,762 Karma: 158733736 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	My choice is none. I like my books to contain only the book as written by the author. If I need more info, Google and Wikipedia work wonders.

12-17-2013, 05:21 AM	#5
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Yes, there is a surprisingly limited selection available as e-books. Considering the digital advantages over the analog, I find it surprising. In the beginning I figured that they needed time to convert those tomes, but a few years has passed since then and very little has become available. I'm also partial to Cambridge's History of Japan. I do believe it will take more than a decade before that is offered, and by then it will probably be severly outdated.

12-17-2013, 01:15 PM	#10
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Ah, sorry, my bad.

12-18-2013, 05:08 PM	#11
Anthem Guru Posts: 704 Karma: 1622328 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle Oasis, OnePlus Nord	I'm still partial to reference "works" being in the form of an application or website...

12-21-2013, 06:52 PM	#12
Victoria Wizard Posts: 1,017 Karma: 19767610 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Nova Scotia Canada Device: ipad, Kindle PW, Kobo Clara; iphone 7	I would like to have the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church -a great reference, but it weighs a ton.

12-21-2013, 07:43 PM	#13
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I'm actually partial to setting aside one of my e-Readers or tablets as a device dedicated to reference works. Imagine carrying around all those tomes in your back pocket (Goodbye, skinny jeans).

12-22-2013, 06:23 AM	#14
BWinmill Nameless Being	None. Most of the reference works that I use are better suited to a database than a book. Now I'd be more than happy to more reference works available on readers as databases, but feel that they wouldn't be very useful as ebooks. (To understand what I'm talking about, think about how you use a dictionary on your ereader. You are using an app that your vendor provided, rather reading than a generic ebook, because it is easier to find what you're looking for.)

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