Epub dictionaries

[Nate the great]

I want to move from Mobipocket to Epub. The main reason I haven't is the lack of features like dictionary support. No Epub reader software supports it (aside from maybe FBReader).

I was just exchanging emails with someone at Adobe, and I was told that while it's a neat feature, most people don't use it. Let's see if that is true.

This poll is open to everyone who reads ebooks, not just Epub users.

[pking36330]

Dictionary support will be a Primary factor in my selection of an e-Reader. While I'm not fond of Amazon's trend toward a closed-market approach, their dictionary feature makes the K2 and Kdx very desireable in my view. In fact, if the new Sony device this summer/fall doesn't have dictionary support, I'll be a Kindle owner.

If Adobe supports dictionary capabilities, I'll be inclined to use their products, otherwise not. Can't say I wouldn't ever buy in that format, but given the choice of purchasing in a format that supports dictionary lookup (ePub) and one that doesn't (Adobe), I'd pick the one that does even if it required a 10-15% premium. I'm just one of those readers that likes a dictionary because I purposefully select books to expand me and introduce concepts and words I don't already know.

[pdurrant]

I don't do dictionary lookups very much if at all.

But I do like knowing the facility is there. I would hope to see it in ePub readers, once they get around to defining a dictionary format for ePub books...

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I want to move from Mobipocket to Epub. The main reason I haven't is the lack of features like dictionary support. No Epub reader software supports it (aside from maybe FBReader).

I was just exchanging emails with someone at Adobe, and I was told that while it's a neat feature, most people don't use it. Let's see if that is true.

This poll is open to everyone who reads ebooks, not just Epub users.

[Jaime_Astorga]

I usually eschew using dictionaries while reading, whether physical books or eBooks, in favor of figuring out the meaning of the word from context. I am much more likely to do a quick dictionary search while writing, to double check a word means what I think it means.

[ErwinOtten]

Since 90% of the ebooks I read are in English and that isn't my native language, YES I do want dictionary support.
When de cybook firmwareupdate comes and they will replace mobi by epub, I won't even update my cybook just for that reason alone.

So show the guy at Adobe this poll.........so far 100% in favor of dictionary support ......

[Peverel]

I, also, try to gain the understanding of a word or phrase from its context rather than a dictionary and only resort to looking up a word when I feel I have missed the point of the passage or sentence

[poohbear_nc]

I think the enhanced dictionary look-up feature on the K2 is the greatest improvement from K1 to K2 - the ability to put the cursor on the word and at least see a partial definition without having to leave the page is a real plus for me.

[gerraldo]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I was just exchanging emails with someone at Adobe, and I was told that while it's a neat feature, most people don't use it.

It's vital if you like to read books in other then your native language! And why try to make a new standard format for ebooks that is a step back?!

[Phogg]

All through my school years, I spent a lot of mornings reading the dictionaries in the school library (primarily to have rhyming word or a word with the right number of sylables when writing metric verse). My ride put me at the school about forty minutes before classes started so that was a lot of time spent.

I hardly ever need a dictionary for anything except technical jargon in an area with which I am unfamiliar. But I only read novels on book readers.

[Sundara]

Hello !
when I saw this poll I immediately decided to finally register here in this wonderful forum ! I am definitely in need of dictionary support.. it is vital to my reading experience and I would be happy if Sony and other companies integrated this function into their devices/if the epub format could also offer this feature as I live in Europe and epub will obviously be the most supported format over here! As English is not my mother tongue I deeply appreciate the idea to be able to look up an English word without interrupting my reading experience for too long.

Many greetings from Germany to all Mobileread forum members and lurking readers ;-) ( I have been one of the latters for such a loooong time... the Mobile read forum has become my "daily bread" ;-) what a fantastic site !! )

Sundara

[MerLock]

I was very happy when Stanza offered dictionary look-up for words. I didn't know how great it was till I actually used it.

[toomanybooks]

I am willing to look up words in a paper dictionary if I need to look something up. The experience of a link to a dictionary definition is too computer like and disturbs my reading experience. I want something that functions like a book, not another laptop. If the feature is incorporated I want to be able to disable it.

[khalleron]

Although I use MS Word's dictionary/thesaurus quite a lot while I'm writing (what *is* that word, it's on the tips of my fingers. . . ?) I don't think I've ever used a dictionary while reading, except when I took French in college.

Although I do like to *read* dictionaries - it's not anything I use when I'm reading books.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by Phogg

I hardly ever need a dictionary for anything except technical jargon in an area with which I am unfamiliar. But I only read novels on book readers.

Wow.

And novels that you read never-ever-ever venture into the technical jargon in area that you are not familiar with? Say, sailboats? Airplanes? Ancient artisan tools or methods?

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Ankh

Wow.

And novels that you read never-ever-ever venture into the technical jargon in area that you are not familiar with? Say, sailboats? Airplanes? Ancient artisan tools or methods?

I am actually pretty familiar with all of those.