Franklin Merriam-Webster ((Speaking)) Spanish-English Dictionary (BES-1850)

Since the advent of smartphones with apps such as wordreference, this product is probably on the decline. But if you don't have a smartphone, or don't have connectivity in a Spanish-speaking country, this is a terrific product to have with you. I have spent about 25 days a year in Mexico City for the last 8 years or so. At the beginning, my Spanish was very basic, and I never left home without this product. You can easily look up words in either language, and you can also tap a word in the definition and the translator will then take you to the translation of that word. The pronunciation function is of limited utility, as it's done by a computer algorithm. Think Stephen Hawkings. But overall this is a very good product, and would be invaluable for an English speaker traveling in a Spanish speaking country or vice versa.The chief limitation is that it doesn't do a great job of translating menus in Mexico. And the device is hardly to be blamed, as they eat a lot of foods in Mexico that don't really have an English translation. Even though I now speak fluent Spanish, I have no idea how to say chilaquiles, molletes, panuchos, pambacitos, buñuelos, or many other Mexican dishes in English.But for everyday words, this thing rocks.

I bought the BES-1850 BACK IN 2004 (I used it every day since then), it worked very well until 2010 when the screen started working really bad because after entering the word it was impossible to see anything and the screen was looking totally opaque...but, after 6 years of use!!!!(what else can I expect? it was really good). When I bought it I did not English at all and it was a very helpful tool...it is fast and easy to use, gives you the pronunciation, conjugation and the meaning of the words.I am a Latin speaker and I know that some words are not the right ones we use (when you need to come from English to Spanish), but I do not see any problem because I know what the exact meaning could be....from Spanish to English I can not say the same thing because I have to trust the dictionary; However, I bought the SCD-1870 English-English dictionary and it gave me all the confidence I needed to be able to confirm and find real grammatical meanings...This combination was the best tool I have ever had to learn English.The problem is that they are so good that if I do not have them handy I feel uncomfortable writting or even some times talking. I am so perfectionist and I have been doing my best to learn the language the right way.I DO RECOMMEND THIS TOOLS TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO LEARN ENGLISH THE RIGHT WAY.

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.

I do not know why folks like the 1890 more than this one. A half inch smaller in each dimension and curved edges make it fit into pockets better. The cover actually make it convenient to throw into a backpack, purse, or pocket with junks and not worry about the LCD getting broken. Folded up, the cover function fine. I have an 1890, and I always reach for the 1850 first. It automatically default to either the Eng/Span or Span/Eng dictionary first, whereas the 1890 default to the "books" section, and you have to toggle three times, or click down, and chose the dictionary of choice. An extra 3 clicks before you can access the screen you need. For the convenient size (wish Franklin will comeout with one smaller), direct access to dictionary (very useful if you are in the 2 min battery-saver-shut-off mode). Do not buy those rectangular ones, unless the dimension can be made smaller. And do not buy one that do not let you have direct access to the dictionary of your choice with one click. Vocab wise, I have found it to contain 99% of the definitions that I need. Much better than any pocket dictionary, and the breath of definition is sufficient for 99% of my need. All the conjugated forms are found, but it does not define which one, except for the infinitive's definition. I love this device and prefer it much over the 1890.