Customer Reviews
device works fine for me 
2008-04-22
I have very little spanish background. I bought the device before going to Guatemala for a month for spanish lessons. Worked fine, no defects, all the buttons worked. The speaker works well enough to tell you where the accent on the word is, which is really all you need to know once you've grasped that all the spanish letters make the same sound with all the exceptions in the english language. No one in my spanish class laughed at me for having the device because I could look up words faster than anyone with the old-fashioned paper dictionaries. Sometimes my spanish teacher who spoke spanish as a second language would blank on a word - guess who everyone turned to? yeah that would be me. The friends that I made in Guatemala only spoke spanish, so I took this device with me everywhere and when they said a word I didn't know or I couldn't think of how to explain something, I used the dictionary. I admit that the screen is dull, it's certainly not as clear as the Franklin English dictionary. That makes it somewhat difficult to read at times, but never impossible for me. I used this device so much while I was in Guatemala that I burned out the batteries in 2 weeks - obviously, if it were impossible to read I could never have accomplished that. I was disappointed that the dictionary lacks profanity. Profanity is as much a part of the english language as it is the spanish language, thus you will hear it spoken in spanish speaking countries - surprised?. Most of us will agree that it is important to know when someone is using such language towards you. Is Franklin/Merriam-Webster on some sort of crusade to rid the world of profanity? Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this product for anyone learning spanish. The really awesome thing about it is that it conjugates the verbs - you won't find that feature in paper dictionaries, unless you get the really big ones. Once, while in Guatemala, I dropped my Franklin - that was when I realized how useful it was to me because I started thinking how am I going to keep increasing my vocabulary, how am I going to translate my assignments, how will I talk to other people? Fortunately, it still worked, and I was still able to function as well.
Waste of money! 
2008-04-10
1. Does not translate phrases, just words!
2. Can barely read the text.
3. Does not pronounce the Spanish word, just the English word!
Excelent 2008-02-14
A little complicated at the begining but once you read the instruction is really easy. Good Stuff.
Works better than others 
2008-02-13
This translator is better than another, less expensive gizmo I used to use. It translates back and forth between English and Spanish and has a pretty extensive library. Also incorporates a few little games to help you build your vocabulary. It will also speak the correct pronounciation in a clear voice. Downside is the backlit display is necessary to use in most situations and it keeps going off after what seems like 20 seconds. That gets annoying. For now this machine is decent. It will slide in a wide pants pocket but it is a little bulky compared to others. I can't help but think in a few years somebody will leapfrog this technology with a superior machine.
Decent dictionary for the price 
2007-12-29
I bought this dictionary along with the German expansion card. I ended up buying a BES-1870 instead, and this thing is sitting on the shelf unused. The BES-1870 (or LIB-1870) is a much better device if you are serious about learning Spanish.
However, this wasn't a bad purchase for the price. Here are my first impressions after a couple of days.
THE GOOD:
1. Vocabulary is extensive in both languages. Verbs conjugated in all tenses. (Keep hitting "CONJ" (Spa) or "BEUG" (Ger) for more tenses.)
2. Turns on quickly: no need to "boot up". In this regard it is better than some much more expensive electronic dictionaries that I have used.
3. Remembers which dictionary you were in when you turn it on.
4. Cultural notes that note when a word is used in Spain vs. Mexico or other countries.
THE BAD:
1. Switching to the next conjugation tense in Spanish is tediously slow. Weirdly, the German expansion card switches quickly between tenses.
2. All the vulgar words seem to have been removed from the dictionary in English and (apparently) Spanish as well. By contrast, the ENG/GER dictionary on the expansion card exhibits no such prudery. All the (at least most common) dirty words seem to be there in the ENG/GER side. For example, "Poop" (which is completely missing in the SPA/ENG side) has in the ENG/GER side translations of "Poop deck", "Did you get the poop", and a child's word for excrement. The more vulgar word for excrement is there in German, too (but not SPA).
THE UGLY:
Everyone says it. I will too. The screen sucks. Don't be fooled by the picture. The text you see on the screen in the picture is just a sticker that peels off that makes it look like a 21st-cent. LCD panel before you turn it on. Turned on, it is more like a 1992 LCD panel. (For comparison, the BES-1870 has an excellent modern LCD.)
THE NEUTRAL:
Form-factor is slightly bulkier than I expected, but serviceable. The top sticks if you pull it head-on, but with a little practice you can open it quickly and easily.
Many have complained about the speaking. I don't really use that, but when I tried it I didn't have any problem understanding the speech.
SUMMARY:
Carrying two languages at once (ENG/SPA plus the ENG/GER expansion card) is a real bonus. Because of the slowness of conjugation tense switching in Spanish and also the lack of vulgar words in Spanish, it may actually be a better ENG/GER dictionary than ENG/SPA. But unless you are watching telenovelas (as I do sometimes) the lack of vulgar words may not be that big a deal.
For comparison, the BES-1870 (or LIB-1870) has a better, more comprehensive SPA/ENG dictionary, a great, contemporary LCD, and it will take the same expansion cards as this device. If you can afford the slightly higher price, it is a much better choice.
Dim display is kiss of death 2008-07-14
I read reviews before I purchased. Some said the display was very dim. I took the risk. Wish I had not. It's really, really dim. So dim, it cannot be used outdoors. Recommend you look elsewhere
Great product but: 2008-06-29
This is a great product and works well. The only thing I found is that I am over 60 and have difficulty reading the print.
not too bad 2008-06-09
Not a bad little gadget although we are still learning how to use it. I like that it gives all the different definitions of the words. The only problem I have found so far is that the volume is very low without the headphones. I turned it up all the way and it is had to understand what they are speaking. With the headphones, it is much clearer and easier to understand.
Useless speaking Dictionary 
2008-05-03
Franklin Electronic Publishers BES-1890 Speaking Spanish-English Dictionary
This product did NOT provide a spoken translation from English to Spanish.
The LED's were hard to see (black on gray) and lots of unneeded games.
Great purchase! 2008-04-27
This has been a great addition to my Spanish education. I like the features on this electronic Spanish-English dictionary. The screen can be hard to see in certain lighting, but in the classroom it's perfect... If you need a good dictionary for Spanish to English translations (I've had many) buy this one!!
