Franklin DBE-1490 Merriam-Webster Spanish-English Dictionary

I ordered this product because of all the positive reviews I read on Amazon.com. However, it's a bit short when you can't look up the word England, isn't it??!! So I have to say it's good but not wonderful.

It is exactly what I needed,it has a lot of words and translations and the price is great.I'm happy about my purchase.

The Spanish to English and vice versa is ok but extremely low level. Many times I would input a word in English and it gave me a very similar word in Spanish, only adding the a for the gender difference (masculine or feminine).

The batteries always died within a month. When I called the company they said "sorry, we don't cover that."

Also, the English dictionary is horrible. There were more words that I could not find than find. I constantly had to keep going to a regular dictionary.

With all due respect to Marlon Brando's character in On The Waterfrom, "This coulda been a contender." But like his character, it turned out to be a bum.

The dictionary seems to be OK, but the claim of 5 million translations can only be marketing hype. There must be some funky way of counting "translations" to get to 5 million. Franklin, by the way, not Merriam-Webster, is responsible for this deception since they are the ones marketing the device.

The foremost problem with the device is the screen. To be blunt, it's a crappy LCD screen. Nothing like you would see on an original iPod, for example. The letters are so dotty sometimes that it drives me dotty.

One tip that is essential here. YOU CAN CHANGE THE CHARACTER SIZE. Go to the opening screen for "BOOKS" (use the "back" key to get there if you've been using the device and aren't there when you turn it on) and press the menu key for "SETUP." The menu keys are the five keys right below the screen, and in this case, it's on the far right (under "SETUP"). Then press Enter to select "SETTINGS." Scroll down to "TYPE SIZE" and choose "LARGE." My device came with the type size set at medium, and at times it was absolutely illegible. Changing that made a big difference. By the way, you can also change the duration of the automatic turn-off feature from 1 to 5 minutes in 1 minute increments, though limiting it to 5 minutes is a bad design choice by Franklin.

The next most serious problem is the keypad. In terms of legibility, the letter keys are fine. Each has a light background with a large, dark letter on it, but the keys that perform a function, such as space, enter, back, cap, menu, clear, etc., are terrible. They are keys with a dark background with very fine light print on them. The print on the function keys is silver in color. If I hold the device so I can read the screen and press the letter keys, I can't read print on the function keys! No way, no how. I have to tilt the device to change the viewing angle so the print on the keys shows up.

There is plenty of room on the function keys to expand the print, but Franklin didn't take advantage of that. Moreover, while having the function keys be a different color than the letter keys might be a reasonable design choice (though there are a gazillion computer keyboards where the color of all the keys is the same), Franklin should have used a light color for the function key with black print.

Next, the keys themselves are flat, mushy keys. Use a BlackBerry for 2 minutes, and you will wonder how Franklin could have chosen these keys. (Answer: they are dirt cheap and look "pretty" from a distance.) My BlackBerry is half the width of this device but far more usable for entering text.

Next, the placement of the function keys was dictated by some notion of visual design, not for usability. The Back key is where the Question Mark key should be and vice versa. Since I use the Back key a lot to correct a misspelling when making an entry, it would be far more convenient to have it where a backspace key normally would be so I could move my thumb just a bit to backspace. The Enter key which is also used a lot is also inconveniently placed.

Fortunately, this was a gift, and I appreciated the sentiment. If I had paid money for this device, I would have returned it immediately.

Slow to initialize, hard to see, cumbersome to use. Otherwise it is a nice translator.

I found the conjugation feature frustrating. Only the 'I' form of the verb is listed which is limiting. I wanted help having conversations with people asking them about themselves or other people/things not just always talking about myself. I ended up guessing at the 'you, he, she, it' forms of the verbs instead. I did enjoy learning new words and definitions with the hangman game. You guess the word then have the option to look up the definition. Its a fun way to build vocabulary.

I HAVE JUST BOUGHT MY SECOND DBE 1490 AND IT IS A FANTASTIC DICTIONARY. IGNORE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION THEY ARE VERY TRIVIAL. NO MATTER WHAT LEVEL YOUR NEW LANGUAGE IS AT THIS LITTLE MACHINE WILL BE VERY USEFUL AND VERY EASY TO OPERATE. ONE SMALL ISSUE THE ON/OFF BUTTON ON MY LAST ONE IS STARTING TO GIVE TROUBLE BUT IT IS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN USING IT SO MUCH.
FRANK. IRELAND.

really great device... such a great supplement when I'm bored, or when I'm like "how do I say that in spanish??" at odd times during my day. Small enough that it fits right in my purse, I carry it with me everywhere. Love the conjugation games, they're great practice to get ready for school. I'm definitely taking it into class!
Great buy- really worth the little bit of money.

I ordered the BES 2100 first and am returning it.

I have more than one small device capable of acting as a Spanish dictionary. But, I continue to find having an good basic electronic Spanish dictionary with sufficient vocabulary useful.

Pros of the 1490
Easy to use keyboard and easy to open cover.
Machine is a good size. The 2100 is too tiny.
Intuitive design. You don't to read the manual to use it for any basic function.
Keys have labels in English vs. Symbols on the 2100
Sufficient vocabulary although does not replace my Simon and Schuster's International.


Cons of 1490
The screen is a tiny bit less clear than the 2100. But I can read the 1490 screen inside and outside without any problem.
It could be more durable, but it would then have to cost more.

Overall, the beauty of this machine is it let's you at the words and conjugations you need It does not have features geared for English language learners or junior high school students, so the interface is cleaner. You can use it to read a novel, or watch TV or do your homework or look up words while talking to people. This is my third or fourth similar Franklin machine in 15 years.
Good choice for the first 2 years of a serious college Spanish program and to have around afterwards. It'll help you through Julio Cortázar.

Delivery time was 3 days from placing the order.

I bought this to replace my paper dictionary because it took me forever to find a single word. I think this device works great!

Well, what can I say? You type in a word in English or Spanish and it displays a translated definition in your chosen language. It is quite easy to use, easy to read, and easy to type in for a small device. It conjugates verbs for you on request. Plus, it even "un-conjigates" them if you try to type in a conjugated verb form (e.g. type in "estoy" and you end up with the translated definition for "estar")

I found that the "games" to be not really very useful, and although I like the "list" feature it only lets you add I think 15 or 20 words which is kind of limiting. However, otherwise and overall it works great!

Sure, there are many different dialects of Spanish and Franklin's attempt to merge them all into a single dictionary can lead to some shortcomings -- however when I am reading a book, watching TV, or traveling and need to look up a word REAL quick I found this works great every time.

I just accidentally left mine in the seat pocket on my last plane trip, and I have no hesitation in re-ordering the identical model.

I like it. It's much better than the one I had before. Good price, good product

I bought this for my Dad who recently moved to Canada to live with my brother. He is over 70 years old and doesn't speak English at all, and he started taking some English classes. He said he just started using it and that is good. I know it's not a very good review to read, but I have no more to say, Sorry

I had one of these that I dropped too many times too hard and broke the screen and I just had to replace it right away. I love it. It's like a dictionary and conjugator in one and it has phrases for the verbs. So much lighter than carrying around those books. Easy to use and indispensible for class or travel.

No se puede decir mas nada que BUENISIMO. Soy estudiante del idioma ingles y me resulta muyyyy util.
LO RECOMIENDO 100%

The only thing that would make this Spanish/English Dictionary better would be for the user to type in idioms that include more than one word to get the translations. Otherwise, the Dictionary is very user friendly and gives more than one definition for one word and occasionally includes the idiom that I am looking for in the explanation of the definition. It is so much easier than toting a heavy book around and it saves trees!

I bought this dictionary for spanish class. There is alot of information on it and although I would have liked it to be able to translate whole sentences, I think it is great as a dictionary. There are games and lessons on it that are helpful in learning a new language and phrases that one would need. The only thing is it turns off randomly. I can live with that and recommend it.

I was nervous about getting this as I had read many complaints re: the screen on this product. However, I was desperate for a translator I could use quickly... I am a self taught Spanish speaker and I participate in a volunteer work just about daily where I am speaking, reading, and conversing in Spanish with people. Therefore, knowing what to expect but swayed by the other comments on how useful it is; I bought it.

When I first opened and turned on my new Franklin Electronic Spanish/English Dictionary...As I expected, the screen was a bit hard to read. BUT: If you go to the SETUP tab and click on SETTINGS on the devise you can change the resolution on the screen. And now it looks awesome! So it is defaulted to a bad setting in the first place...

Otherwise this works wonderfully! I love it and it is very handy when I forget a word, or need a key word to what someone is saying. For the price as well: I would totally recommend this to a friend!

UPDATE:
I have know owned this device for months and really love it still. Great deal for the price. I ended up buying another for my husband as well.

I noticed some complaints about it turning off: BUT... If you go to the SETUP tab and click on SETTING... It's adjustable. You can have it set to turn off from 1minute to 5 minutes. I leave mine at three and think it is good enough for when I need it.

If this dictionary fit in my pocket any better, I'd carry it around with me everywhere. Whether your trying to improve your english or spanish vocabulary knowledge, this is a great piece of electronic advice to own.

This dictionary has a lot of information packed into a slim case. Translating from English to Spanish or viceversa is a breeze. It doesn't matter if the user is a native English or Spanish speaker since it only takes a press of a button to switch language modes. I did not give it a five star rating becuase there were some words that were not in the dictionary. For example the English noun "sower" could not be found (??!!) and did not even recognize it as a word; however, I did find the verb "sow". I think this is a limitation of the Merriam webster dictionary included in the Franklin electronic dictionary. My suggestion is to remove the games and increase the vocabulary. In this day and age, I doubt it that the games included in the dictionary can compete with other electronic games out there. This gadget also includes verb conjugations which I consider very useful.

The Franklin Electronic Spanish-English dictionary is a reasonably good product.Franklin Electronic Spanish/English Dictionary Most words that I look for are found, but my paper back dictionary sometimes has more useful and easy to understand definitions. By far the biggest drawback is the pathetic LCD screen which is unexcusably difficult to read. It just defies common sense as to why anyone would design such a difficult to see screen. If it were not for the screen, I would have given this a 4 star rating.

By an error in the delivery (in the hotel), I could not obtain this product. I hope that the next time, is successful!

This item comes in very handy. In some light it's a little hard to see, but you can move it around. I'm very glad I got it, it sure beats carrying around a heavy dictionary.

This is a very convenient aid. I no longer have to carry my dictionary and verb book when leaving the house. It has a pretty amazing dictionary with great examples of how the word is used. Definitely worth the price.

I bought it for my daughter who is travelling in South America. I didn't know much about digital dictionaries and had to mail it to her (a chance that it would get lost) so I found out that Franklin is a reliable company for this type of thing and decided to buy one that was in the middle of the price range. My daugher LOVES IT!It's quick, easy to use and small to store safely in a bag.

Agree with all the positive statements of others. Keep a couple of spare sets of batteries handy. They burn out quick and all at once.

This is a handy item, but rather limited in content. It doesn't contain the majority of Spanish words I search for.

On the whole, I like this product.

Definitions and conjugations are useful.

I have found that not all common words are in it.

It is compact and easy to carry.

The instructions say that if the battery is not changed quickly,information I have input will be lost. I have not had the opportunity to test this, but it seems to be a disadvantage.

Easy transaction. Fast delivery. Well packaged. Would purchase from this seller without hesitation.

I recently used this translator while traveling in Guatemala. It was very helpful, though sometimes lacked the specific words used in this country. Overall, it was easy to use and a great help. I'd recommend it, especially for the price.

It is so much quicker to look things up on here than in a normal dictionary, and 95% of the time I find what I need. There are even games on here which can be useful little tools to learn parts of the spanish language, games such as Hangman, Word Train, Guess the Word, there's a gender tutor as well which gives you a word and you answer if it is feminine or masculine, and afterward it gives the translation. There are a few other games... and "spelling bees" as well as flash cards that you can test yourself with. You can add your own words to a vocabulary list and test yourself with those too. There are little english grammar lessons and Spanish grammar lessons, which go over parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, etc. There's an SAT Spanish word list, there are english and spanish usage examples. A bunch of stuff. You can search for translations from spanish to english and also from english to spanish.

I bought this electronic dictionary at a Borders store for $50, and it's definitely worth it. You can get it for even cheaper online ($30-something) I was actually pretty surprised at what I got for my money. It's easy to bring around anywhere & quick to find what you're looking for. I use mine almost every day and haven't used my "normal" dictionary in a long time.

Franklin DBE-1490 Merriam-Webster Spanish-English Dictionary

This translator is really nice for the price. It is strictly a
Spanish-English translator (no other language) and has about 5 million
translations. That is why I bought this particular one. It has many ways to learn Spanish or English; like a word list, games, phrases, verb conjugation, and one can look up a word in either language. It is a real
handy tool for traveling or just learning. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Esto es justo lo que necesitaba, me ayuda bastante, Just what I needed, very useful

I love my new dictionary. My only complaint is that I cannot translate phrases. There are several english and spanish phrases that they have pre-translated for you, but you can't translate you own. Otherwise, I love it! It is much better to keep in my backpack than a full paper dictionary.

Conjugation is vital for spanish! This dic has very little to none. If you already know how to conjugate then this is a good dic but if you don't then this will still be a big problemo for you!

This is nice! My husband has trouble using devices like this. This one is easy for him. I would definitely purchase it again.

Merriam-webster® Spanish-english Dictionary
Excellent for what I expected and paid for. However, it lacks pronounciation details. If I had it to to do over, I would invest the extra bucks to get an audio version. Otherwise, it is well worth the money.

This paperback dictionary is so great we've bought it three different times. We have to keep buying it because it's just a little too fat (about 4" x 7" x 2") and keeps breaking apart after 4 or 5 months of heavy use; pages start loosening from the middle. Taping works for a while, but then it just gets to be too floppy. But we keep buying it because it has more comprehensive entries than other dictionaries; it's just more helpful for learning Spanish.

This is the second electronic Spanish dictionary I have purchased. My first one had 150,000 word translations, this one has double that amount. It seldom fails to find a satisfactory translation. I find the added features very useful, especially the calculator, practice word lists, converter (temperature, weights, lengths) currency converter.

I am completely satisfied with this dictionary, and would recommend it to anyone.

Bought this for my teenager who is in her 1st year spanish in high school.. this has helped her especially with reading, it easily gives meanings to words and how to pronounce them. Highly recommend for students or people traveling, a great investment & very reasonable price.

Spanish-English-Spanish dictionary on MMC Card for Franklin Ebookmans

I found the Franklin Spanish English dictionary very difficult to use. First, it is not easy to see the screen unless you are in excellent light. Second, the directions for use are insufficient and I have not been able to type in an English word and get the Spanish word and the monitor to say the word in Spanish. The only way I have figured out how to use it is to type in the English word and get the Spanish spelling and then type in the Spanish word. I thought this would be a great way to learn the pronounciations as well as the spellings of words I knew in English and wanted to know the Spanish pronounciations. However, I have found it so time consuming and difficult that I've given up and ordered a regular book dictionary.

I felt a bit tentative when I decided to purchase this as I had a terrible experience with my English-only Franklin dictionary, but this Spanish-English version is much better. Simple folding design (the cover doesn't cheaply break off, as it did on my previous Franklin), easy to use buttons and in-depth grammar guides. Perfect to have while you're doing your Spanish homework, reading Spanish articles etc.

I made good use of the previous edition, but this is much improved in button placement and comfort. It's been a useful tool when reading chilren's books in Spanish. (Right now: Las Cronicas Spiderwick: El Libro Fantastico) High "bang-for-the-buck" ratio

I first purchased an earlier version to take with me to Costa Rica in 1993 for a Spanish immersion program. I found the earlier version very helpful and continued to use it over the years including a recent trip back to Costa Rica to teach ESL to the birdwatching guides and staff of Rancho Naturalista near Tuis, CR. I gave the earlier version to my best student and bought its replacement when I returned to the US. The replacement is simply marvelous because of added functionality. I recommend it for its small size, more ample screen, and ease of use.

This functions pretty much the same as my old Frankln 1440a. The on/off key was sticking so I opted to buy a new one hoping that the million words description might mean it had a larger vocabulary. As a somewhat advanced user, I find a lot of word just aren't in the machine and I have to resort to real dictionaries or online dictionaries. So that was disappointing. Otherwise, other that it being notably larger, it works the same. The larger size and keys actually took some getting used to. The trade off being that by having bigger keys, you have to reach more for them. It does fit in a man's shirt pocket but is a bit big for my hand so I worried about dropping it at first. But I've adapted quickly and love having it handy. I use the word list heavily to save and review new words.

English is my first language and Spanish my second. I learned Spanish by living in Chile and Mexico and became fluent. I wanted a Spanish-English translator to refine my Spanish communication and find that it has the sort of nuanced definitions and ease of use I was looking for. I endorse it highly!

It is very easy to use if you have worked before with electronic dictionaries it is very simple. I wish someone would think of putting lighting on the screen, that would make it perfect. I am very happy with mine and the price was right.

Thanks

I've been using this item only a couple of weeks, but several things have immediately diminished my satisfaction:
1) The lid can be difficult to open -- it could use a raised ridge or something to make it easier to grab;
2) Backlighting would greatly improve readability;
3) Some entries are long. It would help if it would remember where you were when it turns off -- especially when it turns off automatically, if you let it sit too long (2 minutes default)without hitting a key!
4) Paging down a screen at a time takes either two hands or two different key presses -- very inconvenient.
5) It would help to have a non-slip pull-out stand on the bottom (or if the lid were designed to wrap around as a stand), so that it would sit on a table at an angle. You can't read it when it's flat without being right on top of it.
6) It seems to be made to demand two-hand use, like a keyboard, rather than one-hand use, which would be much more preferable -- because most of the use is not typing, it's navigating the displays that result from your word entry. You should be able to do this with one hand, but one-handed use is burdensome.

Lots of potential but takes time to learn to use all of the capabilities. I would buy it again.

I wore out the 1440 as my primary Spanish learning tool. Replaced it with this one, and LOVE it just as much.

It often has words which our favorite paperbacks miss. (The specifications indicate that it has a much larger vocabulary than the 1440.)

It is light enough, and small enough to carry. Those paperbacks are bigger than you realize, until you try and keep one with you at all times!

It will find the infinitive (root) word when given the conjugated form! Great for eliminating confusion with new learners!

If you leave the 'time out' settings at the factory default, you won't notice any problem with battery life.

This is my FAVORITE of ALL my Spanish/English dictionaries.

(Second favorite: Oxford Spanish Dict. 3rd ed. Also use it on CD-ROM, which will put the huge bi-lingual dictionary at your fingertips when using the computer! Nicely done.

Family's favorite: Harper Collins Concise (paperback) It's Collins now.)

I bought this product after seeing my Spanish teacher use it for several months. It's worth the price and I like that it fits in my purse. I enjoy playing the games and I like the examples of useage that it gives when looking up a vocabulary word. I know it has helped me improve my Spanish. A major disappointment is that due to the dark screen, its almost impossible to use it in dim lighting such as while lying in bed or in a dimly lit restaurant.