Franklin Merriam Webster Spanish English Dictionary (DBE-1500)

I love this translator! It's so helpful!

This is a wonderful, fabulous device and is probably the best investment you can make in the future of your learning. It has a large vocabulary and the price is amazing (plus free shipping if you order through Amazon). The dictionary and translation is wonderful, but this electronic gem offers more than just that. It features several learning tools, such as a list area, where you can add newly learned words to a list (in either English or Spanish) and quiz yourself. My only lament about this is that the number of words that fit on the list are limited, to about 50-100. Another great feature are the games. Though tacky they may be ("Word Train", anyone?), I found them to be entertaining and educational.If you are unsure about a conjugation, there is even an option to look up word conjugations. This is a great tool, but I wouldn't suggest using this while you are trying to talk to someone, because it takes forever to scroll through the multiple tenses to get to the one you want. However, if you want to learn the proper conjugations for future use or for a written assignment, this feature is great, especially for students.If you are traveling to a Spanish speaking country (or if you are a Spanish speaker traveling to an English speaking country), and you just need to be able to get by with the basics, then there is a section for you too. If you drop down to the main menu, there is an option for Spanish phrases and an option for English phrases. Once you select this option, you are led to a handy list of categories to choose from (emergencies, dining, health, postal services, etc). There are a plethora of phrases in these sections that you will surely find useful if you are a tourist or are learning the language.Personally, I found the spell correction to be of a lot of use. When you hear a word in Spanish, it is impossible to always guess how it is spelled (ex. hecho and echo sounds like the same word). If you misspell a word, the dictionary gives you a list of possible words to choose from. If you type in an already conjugated word, then the dictionary will recognize it and take you to the un-conjugated form with the definition.Now, if you are a student learning Spanish or English, then I encourage you to buy one of these immediately. Not just for the translations and definitions, or for the games or the list option, but more importantly, for the study options. In the main menu, if you click over to "Learn" there are several opportunities to improve your language skills and help you excel in class. There are Spanish and English Usage examples, English and Spanish Grammar lessons, a Spanish word list for the SAT's and a TOEFL Test word list for those preparing to take the TOEFL test. All of this in a little hand held device. Other options include spelling tests and flash cards.As for the mechanics of it, I found the mini keyboard to be easy to use and comfortable to hold with both hands. It is fairly easy to navigate your way around, but take a look at the manual so that you make full use of it. The lid can stay open or shut without flopping around, which minimizes distractions.I purchased this from Amazon and received it quicker than expected, with everything in tact and working (batteries included), and with free shipping.

I live in Spain and speak reasonable Spanish. I have had this item for some time now and I am never without it in my pocket. It is not a translator but a full dictionary. I know that apps can be bought for smart phones these days but I find this stand-alone dictionary much more useful. If I am sitting somewhere with nothing to do a little while I like to use the learning features as well.

I bought the Franklin MW Spanish English dictionary a few weeks ago and have used it fairly frequently. I have the font size at the maximum, so it is quite reasonable to read under most conditions. It has, however, failed me fairly frequently as a dictionary, coming up with no answer to a number of not uncommon Spanish words. It is also, as others have pointed out, highly censored, not offering translations of coarse words, and frequently offering totally unrelated words as alternatives. What business is it of these people to protect the user from 'bad words'? A few years ago I had a Palm Pilot that had a terrific Spanish English dictionary application. The Palm is long gone and I miss it. The Franklin MW Spanish English dictionary is a poor substitute.

I bought this product to take to Spain instead of my dictionary as it can be easily carried around. What a mistake. Before I reel off a list of negatives let me give you the one good point - most single words are on the machine (but not all e.g "casillero"). Now for the cons;1. Type in the English word "bad" and you would expect to at least get the Spanish word "malo". This machine decides to repeat the word "bad" and tell you the adverb is "badly" no translation at this point whatsoever. Only by pressing the scroll down button does it reveal the possible translations.2. Type in "go away" and it does not recognise the words, but then comes up with alternative words such as "goat". The Spanish dictionary is no better, type the words "se puede" and you get the words "sorry can't help". The clear fact is this machine has not been programmed to translate anything other than a single word. So if you are struggling to remember the Spanish for "I went" this machine is not going to help you.3. Type in "go" and it does come up with "ir" and by pressing the CONJ button there is an overview of the first person tense. However if you want the Spanish translation of "he/she went" you now need to press the CONJ button three times to take you through the present and imperfect tenses before you reach the preterite tense. By the time you get to the imperative tense you will have probably forgotten the word you were looking for!!4. Perhaps the worst feature of this machine is the screen. It is not back lit and the blue headings are difficult to read even in optimum conditions. I dread to think what it will be like on a sunny day in Spain.5. Why they have included a clock, calculator, metric converter, currency converter, and games is beyond me. Surely it would have been better to utilize the memory these items take up to improve the overall product offering.My reviews are not normally negative, but this product is a great disappointment. It is very much a case of this product trying to be a "Jack of all trades" and failing badly.