I'm also of the opinion that books won't vanish. Has anyone ever tried to track down an address or telephone number when the power is out or connection is lost? Also, I never curl up with my monitor while reading in bed.
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Originally Posted by skip spence
A dictionary however is different. In this instance I'd much prefer the E-format to a bulky hardback, since it's a million times more convenient, and what you want from a dictionary is information, not a pleasurable reading experience by the fireside.
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There's definitely a value in an E-format OED but I have to admit that, word-nerd that I am, I do take out my hard copy OED and wander amongst the words sometimes (magnifying glass in hand, as I have the micro-reduced one), seeking the pleasure of reading the history of meanings and their changes. (I don't do this with any other dictionary.)
I also find it much easier to compare definitions from different dictionaries in hard copy. It's quite interesting to see how often the OED had been cribbed by other "respectable" dictionaries.
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Originally Posted by Nerwen
Content is far more important than the medium in which it's delivered– especially when we're dealing with text in each case. So, um... I'm afraid I think you're quite wrong. (Sorry if I'm starting to look like The Downer Who Always Contradicts Davem; I don't have a vendetta against you, mate, it's just the way the topics have been going at the moment.)
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Here's one for
davem: To quote Marshal McLuhan, "the medium is the message."