Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
Hm... I reckon a simple PDF format should last longer than some other formats, but we also thought diskettes, CD-ROMs, removable drives, etc. were here to stay and they have been gradually phased out.
I keep thinking that a dictionary is the best option in the long run. At least for me and my way of working! Of course I also use the software version of some of my dictionaries, but just because it is the same quality and information. I thought we were discussing electronic-only dictionaries.
Well, Tomás, I can't hide my love for books, paper books, that is, and I really do think there is a hint of romanticism in clinging to them. I have 3 paper dictionaries perched on my desk as I write this.
Nevertheless, if I could go "all electronic", except for pleasure reading, I would. I am constantly entering terms from paper sources into my databases. Should anything happen to my computer (or house) for that matter, all of that data will be safe, thousands of miles away.
I agree that technology evolves in leaps and bounds, and if you are not alert, you can lose your precious data stored on obsolete media. But if you monitor these changes, you can upgrade without losing any information. Even if you have no floppy drive on your PC, there are external USB floppy drives you can buy. Both of my computers have CD/DVD drives. I don't use them often, but nevertheless they are there. You can still buy stereos with cassette players and cassettes are from the...the 70s and 80s!
So I think that you can have your cake and eat it too with on-screen/online dictionaries and glossaries. Did I mention that you can print them out, thus converting them to paper format?
Anyway, this is not meant to be an airtight argument, so back to the electronic dictionary discussion if you please.
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