The 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It traces the usage of words through 2.4 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources. The OED has a unique historical focus. Accompanying each definition is a chronologically arranged group of quotations that trace the usage of words, and show the contexts in which they can be used. Other features distinguishing the entries in the Dictionary are authoritative definitions; detailed information on pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet; listings of variant spellings used throughout each word's history; extensive treatment of etymology; and details of area of usage and of any regional characteristics. This special offer combines the magnificent 20-volume second edition (published in 1989) with the portability and powerful search capabilities of the OED on CD-ROM v4.0, which is now Mac compatible. System requirements Windows: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 1.6
GHz processor or equivalent (2GHz recommended); Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista, Windows XP, Windows ServerTM 2003, Windows 2000 Macintosh: Power PC(R) G4 867MHz or faster processor; Intel coreTM Duo 2.13GHz or faster processor; Mac OS X v.10.4.x, 10.5.x All platforms: 512MB of RAM; 1Gb free hard disk space; minimum monitor capability: 1024 x 768 pixels and high colour (16 bits per pixel, ie 65,536 colours): local CD-ROM/DVD drive (for installation); runs from hard drive only