OED on CD-ROM
21-Jan-92 23:11:07
Sb: #17136-OED on CD-ROM
Fm: John Johanneson 76416,1255
To: Takeo Yamamoto 74060,1727
Takeo,
The data on the OED CD-ROM is the first edition, that is the one that was
published around 1930. I don't believe that any of the supplements have
been included.
I've heard rumors that the 2nd (1990) edition of the OED on CD-ROM is
currently in beta test at Oxford Electronic Publishing. It (like the first
edition on CD-ROM) will contain the full text of the printed version. I
have never seen the software the OED uses to access the data, but I hear
that it is good.
My advice would be to wait until the second edition comes out. That way if
the second edition is very expensive (knowing Oxford University Press it
probably will be) you may find the first edition at a discount. Also, if
you are mostly concerned with words that were in use prior to 1900 or so,
the first edition would be all you would need.
-John