After writing reviews for CrackBerry.com for almost year and a half, one would think that I would have run out of words a long time ago.Well................................. I guess I did!
Unless you're a wordsmith, a thesaurus should be found right beside you at all times. If not, you may find yourself writing about the thing, next to the thing, over by the other thing. Your BlackBerry comes equipped with a dictionary to ensure you are spelling correctly. I'm always worried about repeating myself, so simply spelling a word isn't enough. You BlackBerry Users and Abusers deserve better than that. I'll let you in on a little secret, MSDict Concise Oxford Thesaurus aids me in my quest for mastery over the English language. In your hands, you'll have access to over 350,000 synonyms and antonyms.
I ascertain that, once you peruse this application evaluation, you will elect to expand your own vocabulary.
- Homer J. Simpson
About MSDict
MSDict Concise American Thesaurus is brought to you by MobileSystems. The company, which began in 2000, offers numerous applications found on numerous platforms. These other applications include dictionaries and thesauruses in several languages.
The application you actually download is the MSDict Viewer, which is used to read the Thesaurus. After you download the application, you will need to follow a step by step setup. MSDict will ask you if you would like to download the whole dictionary and work in offline mode. Working in this mode, the entire dictionary is installed on either the memory card or device memory. Wireless mode will install the MSDict reader and a portion of the dictionary database, while the dictionary is accessed wirelessly. This method makes the information slower to retrieve. For those with an unlimited data plan, or WiFi enabled Berrys, I would recommend installing the whole dictionary (on your SD Card).
It did take a couple of minutes to download the dictionary, especially when it seemed to stop the process at around 94% and kept me in suspense. Keep this time consuming process in mind, if you were expecting to share your increased vocabulary with the world immediately. MSDict also asked me to choose where to store the dictionary, giving me the option for java storage, SD Card, System or Store. Make sure you are happy with your storage decision. If I wanted to switch from SD Card storage to device storage, I would have to download the dictionary again.
yes we are Addicted to our BlackBerrys
With all of that behind us, it's time to utilize this application. The Thesaurus comes loaded with 15, 000 + main entries and more than 350, 000 synonyms, antonyms and sample sentences/phrases. These entries are listed alphabetically. Rather than wearing out your trackball by scrolling from the "A" entries to the "Z" entries, you can start typing the desired word out. The application will then work to filter out the results. Click on the word you have found. The following screen, called articles, will point out what type of word it is (noun, adjective, verb, etc), synonyms, antonyms, usage/grammar/punctuation examples and hyperlinks. These hyperlinks help you navigate between related words. Unless you install the Dictionary, you will not be able to see how the words are pronounced.
view numerous examples, synonyms and antonyms
Alright you little bookworm, by now you have sailed through the linguistic sea. What else can you do? Just like in your browser, you can move backwards and forwards through your article reading history by selecting "Previous Article" or "Next Article". If you were to choose the "Go to Word" option, you can choose to view any of the articles you have previously visited. Feeling nerdy and looking for more fun? Through MSDict, you can select to view the Word of the Day or a Random word. I use these options to help expand my vocabulary (and annoy co-workers).
My Word of the Day is CrackBerry (everyday)
MSDict gives you the ability to change the article font size (small, medium and large). I found the medium setting too small and would even go for an extra large font if available. The auto-filtering of words helps to speed to the search process, especially if you decide to access the dictionary wirelessly.
Conclusion, finale, ending, closing stages, wrapping up...
MSDict Concise Oxford American Thesaurus has been a life saver, when searching for the perfect word. The question you have to ask yourself is- where do you want to store the dictionary/word list? Again, I would recommend accessing it wirelessly, for the sake of your wireless bill. Within the articles, I would have liked to have the pronunciation assistance available. Instead, I have to download another application. The Thesaurus is available from the CrackBerry Store for $14.99, or pick up the Thesaurus and Dictionary together for $34.99. Remember that other languages are available. That's it for now, I'm going to see if this application will help me with another challenge; Word Mole!
For more information on MSD Concise Oxford American Thesaurus, click here.
Pros
- two storage modes
- easy to navigate
- includes usage and grammar tips
Cons
- downloading the dictionary is time consuming
- no pronunciation examples
Read more
BBM added to the Collins Dictionary - About time too!
If you are reading this you will know exactly what BBM is. Today the term short for BlackBerry Messenger has officially entered modern day vernacular, with the announcement that it is to be included in the latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary - yay! The inclusion reflects the BBM service's extraordinary global popularity. From its humble origins as a business messaging...
Traveling and need some help with the local language? The Ascendo Dictionary may be just what you need
If you are traveling to Spain, Germany, Italy or France and either feel the need to brush up your language skills or just need some phrases at hand on your BlackBerry for emergencies, the Ascendo Dictionary may be just what you need. Designed to do the above, the application may well be a life saver. For this review I have chosen the English Spanish dictionary but they all work in...
Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary Updated - 10 Copies to be Won!
Paragon Software/Penreader has just released the Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged app for BlackBerry smartphones. The app includes the same content as the famous paper dictionary, covering over 257,244 entries and 700,000 definitions, and provides fastest definition lookup on a mobile device. The application may be a bit pricy for some who can find...
Kindle App for BlackBerry A to Z
[ youtube video link for mobile viewing ] The long awaited Kindle app for BlackBerry is finally here. While not the biggest screen to read on, most of us carry our BlackBerry everywhere we go, so being able to read a book at any given moment is definitely welcome. The app has a fair amount of features (it could still use a few more options) and everything loads super fast. You can...