Microsoft® Computer Dictionary,
Fifth Edition (Cpg-Other) by Microsoft
Press
First Buy. Great Success.
Computers--and the community of people that surrounds them--do an
excellent job of generating jargon. Theyve created a world of RJ-11 jacks,
Lempel Ziv compression, TACACS protocols, and data forks. Microsoft
Computer Dictionary, Fourth Edition, explains all these terms and
thousands more. Its a sort of miniencyclopedia of computing topics. The
dictionary focuses on providing beginning and intermediate computer
users with a solid grounding in terms, technologies, and concepts related
to productivity software, databases, and networks. Communications
technologies--such as those related to mobile phones--get attention too.
This latest edition of the dictionary includes a selection of terms related to
the Year 2000 bug, though these terms are inexplicably isolated in a
special appendix. The Microsoft Computer Dictionary generally treats
non-Microsoft technologies evenhandedly--the entries related to Sun

Microsystems Java language might even be construed as boosterish.
However, a Microsoft slant sometimes appears, as in the coverage of
palm-size PCs. Theres no mention of 3Coms topselling Palm computers
or its operating systems, though Windows CE is mentioned. Cross-
referencing, particularly of acronyms, is excellent. The companion CD-
ROM allows you to quickly search for dictionary terms and also includes
The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications. --David Wall
Personal Review: Microsoft® Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition
(Cpg-Other) by Microsoft Press
The Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, is, in my opinion, still the
best all-around computer dictionary out there. For technical writers,
consultants and anyone who needs to use technology related words
precisely, this is the place to go. (There is also another volume from
Microsoft Press on networking terms.)
It's 10,000+ entries are unambiguous and precise. There are a few
illustrations, but they add little to the value of the dictionary.
Microsoft stopped supplying a CD-ROM with the dictionary which is a
great loss.
The big problem is that the Fifth Edition was published in 2002 and much
has transpired since then, adding hundreds, if not thousands of new terms
and acronyms to the lexicon of information technology. Yes, there are
online dictionaries that purport to be more current, but the lack the
authority of the Microsoft Computer Dictionary. I hope Microsoft and its
Microsoft Press unit have not dropped future revisions for this. It has been
a valuable resource.
Jerry
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