iLiad now supports Instant Dictionary look-up in Mobipocket

[Hanson]

With the new iLiad firmware 2.10.2 release, the device now supports instant dictionary look up in Mobipocket.
This is one of the important features that I have been expecting for, and I immediately downloaded a couple of demo dictionaries from the Mobipocet.com and tested it on my iLiad. It works fine, though I must have more clicks on the screen to see the defination than with my Gemstar eBook REB1200. The good thing is you can chose the dictionary you like and have more than one dictionary loaded in the device.
I purchase Concise Oxford English Dictionary today, and it works very good on the iLiad and the defination is just as good as the paper dictionary.
The dictionary instant look up is also supported in eNew in Mobipocket format by the iLiad device, though the desktop version does not.

I would like to mention as well the battery performance is also greatly improved with the 2.10.2 release, and I will have more details on this subject later on.

[Axelos]

This was excatly the information i'm looking for since weeks.
Thanks !!!
(I don't understand why it isn't yet mentioned on the iRex Homepage or on mobipocket.com)

[scarlett_yan]

If only I can sync the dictionary...

[leyash77]

I'd like more info about the iLiad: -
1. Supports mp3 files?
2. Can I listen to mp3 and read books simultaneously?
3. Zoom feature - text wraps around or horizontal scrolling? Viewing scans of books (image files) - zoom needs horizontal scroll to view left part of image
4. Dictionary - Viewing a book, can I click on a word and automatically the dictionary (separate file) opens up to that word? If so, how to get back to original book?
5. I have pdf version dictionary (editable text). Can I use this?
6. Approximate cost in USD.

Sorry for many questions - answers are appreciated.

[tiho]

Has anyone tried to use a larger dictionary? I am looking at the Collins English dictionary which is almost 30Mb(The concise Oxford English dictionary is 13.5Mb).

What differences am I likely to face in choosing between these two dictionaries? For example, will a dictionary lookup be slower using this over the concise dictionary?

[HappyMartin]

I am using the Chambers which is around 25 megs. It seems no slower than the tiny pocket Oxford electronic one was. I think the only difference will be that you are more likely to find the word you are looking for.The Chambers is very good while the pocket Oxford often would not find a match.

The only downside will be that the bigger dictionary will take a chunk of memory but with memory prices being what they are who cares.

[tiho]

Thanks for the advice. I settled on the Concise Oxford English dictionary in the end, and it seems very fast.
In fact, I put a computer jargon dictionary and another couple of demo dictionaries, and it seems to be blazingly quick at searching through all of them (ie. no noticable extra lag) at the same time. I love it!

[haridasi]

How do I get instant dictionary lookup to work on my mobipocket files? How do I use it?

I just don't seem to get it to work on my iliad.

[Format C:]

Originally Posted by haridasi

How do I get instant dictionary lookup to work on my mobipocket files? How do I use it?

I just don't seem to get it to work on my iliad.

1. Put a dictionary in the Books/Mobipocket directory
2. Open a Mobipocket book (wherever you want it, even on a card)
3. Click with the pen on the dictionary icon (the lens on the book in the lower left row of buttons)
4. Click on a word in the text
5. Choose between the suggested search results (click the word you want a definition for)
6. Click the back arrow twice (one to go back to search results, the other to go back to the text)
7. Turn off dictionary search (if you don't, putting the pen in its pocket will trigger another search)

The dictionary has to be a properly formatted mobipocket dictionary. The ones you buy from official provider usually work.

Of course you can open the dictionary and enter a word in the search field (you may have to invoke the on screen keyboard).

[timezone]

Would greatly appreciate some help.

I purchased the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. It is located on my card at
Books/Mobipocket/

When I open up a MobiPocket book the dictionary is shaded. I have read here on the forum that the dictionary can be on the card rather than on the device. Are there any ideas why the dictionary does not work?

Also, if I open the dictionary and click on the book I get to the page with the following
items. I can't seem to be able to choose any of the items.

->Headword Search
-> Full Text Search
-> Pronunciation symbol
-> Pronunciation guide
-> Copyright

Can anyone offer up a few suggestions for either issue? Thank you

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by timezone

Would greatly appreciate some help.

I purchased the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. It is located on my card at
Books/Mobipocket/

When I open up a MobiPocket book the dictionary is shaded. I have read here on the forum that the dictionary can be on the card rather than on the device. Are there any ideas why the dictionary does not work?

Also, if I open the dictionary and click on the book I get to the page with the following
items. I can't seem to be able to choose any of the items.

->Headword Search
-> Full Text Search
-> Pronunciation symbol
-> Pronunciation guide
-> Copyright

Can anyone offer up a few suggestions for either issue? Thank you

In my searches trying to resolve another problem, I found (I think in the irex forum) a reference to an occasional problem with dictionaries stored on a card.

I think the premise was that the software looks for the dictionary in books/mobipocket directory on the card, assuming you are on Iliad software release 2.12?. So, assuming those things, all should be well. However, if you actually open the dictionary as a book (rather than as a lookup), then it actually creates a subfolder for the book on the card, and puts the book in there. It does this with any book you open. Thus, instead of your dictionary being in the directory like this:

books/Mobipocket/dictionary.prc

it is like this:

books/Mobipocket/dictionary/dictionary.prc

and thus the lookup feature can't find it.

So, the solution was to browse your card, move the dictionary back into the books/Mobipocket directory, and delete that subdirectory.

I didn't seem to be a universal problem for everyone, so I'm not sure what its dependencies are (the only thing I could think of was, if you use Mobipocket Reader on your PC to sync with your Iliad, that if you have the desktop software set up to copy "ebook Information and annotations" for your specified device, it copies the dictionary's associated mbp file across, and then your Iliad assumes it's therefore a "normal ebook" and does the above. This is completely hypothetical though).

Anyway, try that bit up there (browse your card, and put the dictionary back in books/Mobipocket if it has been moved to a subdirectory). This might help. If not, drop a note back here and someone with more real technical knowledge than my miscellaneous and half-arsed experience might have better advice, or be able to correct mine ).

I can't offer advice on why the "Headword search" stuff doesn't work when you open the book - nor did mine as recently as yesterday. I thought it had worked previously, but maybe I'm remembering incorrectly. It's not something I normally do myself ( I normal just use the in-ebook lookup).

[Oh, by the way, you're more likely to get more and better answers if you create a new thread for your problem in the appropriate section as people might not be looking here, mid-thread, to help people with problems]


Cheers,
Marc

[timezone]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Anyway, try that bit up there (browse your card, and put the dictionary back in books/Mobipocket if it has been moved to a subdirectory). This might help. If not, drop a note back here and someone with more real technical knowledge than my miscellaneous and half-arsed experience might have better advice, or be able to correct mine ).
Cheers,
Marc

Thanks for the response. I was actually thinking it might have something to do with it being in the folder. When I first copied it over to the iLiad it created the folder. So I tried to follow your idea and I could not get it to work but not because the idea failed. I was unable to move the book. I connected to the PC and attempted to copy/paste to the directory. I got a security error message. I then tried to delete everything and got the same message. One time when I got the security message I was some how able to delete the contents in the directory. I was still unable to add it to books/Mobipocket. The crazy thing, it let me add it back and now it is in a folder inside the original folder. To sum it up I was unable to remove the dictionary folder or move the plc file to the proper location.

Do you or does anyone know how to get around the security issue? Do I need Linux access to chmod? Kind of crazy not being able to delete directories or copy a file to a new location.

[timezone]

Reading a few other responses I discovered the security problem. I took the card out of the reader and used my SanDisk card reader. I was able to delete the directories and all the files. I added back the dictionary to books/Mobipocket. That is the good news. I also did the same thing in my PC backup directory. I wanted to make sure the backup reflected what was on the card. The bad news so far, I still can't used the dictionary but probably getting closer.

iRex should have more parameter settings. There should be a setting for the dictionary to point to the location where it is stored. Same thing for MobiPocket. Have a setting to point to where Mobipocket is located so that all the books don't have to be in the Mobipocket folder. There should be settings that let you activate the table of contents icon when there is one available in a home grown PDF. I'm sure there is a way for the iliad to recognize a table of contents but still a mystery to me.

[timezone]

Elsewhere someone said not to open the dictionary. I believe once it is opened a folder is created with the xml file. I deleted the folder again and copied the dictionary to the correct location. I opened up a MobiPocket book and still was unable to use the dictionary. Very frustrating.

[wallcraft]

I suggest trying the Webster's Dictionary 1913 or Wordnet Dictionary for Mobipocket. These definately work. Dictionaries are large, but putting them in internal memory (rather than on a card) seems to cause fewer problems. For one thing, ebooks in Books/Mobipocket in internal memory are not put in a subdirectory when opened.

If one of the free dictionaries work, then perhaps there is something wrong with Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Some dictionaries use features that are not supported by the Java MobiPocket Reader, but all are supposed to support lookup.