The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words, making it an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new upgrade version of The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM offers unparalleled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version has been augmented with the inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. System requirements: PC with minimum 200 MHz Pentium-class processor; 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended); 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended); Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 200, or XP (Local administrator rights are required to install and open the OED for the first time on a PC running Windows NT 4 and to install and run the OED on Windows 2000 and XP); 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk: SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels: 16-bit (64k, high color) setting recommended. Please note: for the upgrade, installation requires the use of the OED CD-ROM v2.0.

Now in its Third Edition, the Communications Standard Dictionary maintains its position as the most comprehensive dictionary covering communications technologies available. A one-of-a-kind reference, this dictionary remains unmatched in the breadth and scope of its coverage nd its pprimary reference for communications, computer, data processing, and control systems professionals.

Communications * Standard Dictionary is a comprehensive compilation of terms and definitions used in communications and related fields. Communications is defined as the branch of science and technology concerned with the process of representing, transferring, and interpreting the meaning as signed to data by and among persons, places, or machines. Communication is defined as the transfer of information between a source (trans mitter, light source) and a sink (receiver, photodetector) over one or more chan nels in accordance with a protocol, and in a manner suitable for interpretation or comprehension by the receiver; or as a method or means of conveying informa tion of any kind from one person or place to another. In short, communications is a branch of science and technology, whereas com munication pertains to the actual transfer of information. Thus, the word com munication should be used as a modifier, as in communication center, communi cation deception, and communication line, just as in the field of electronics one speaks of electronic devices and electronic circuits.

Fiber Optics Vocabulary Development In 1979, the National Communications System published Technical InfonnationBulle tin TB 79-1, Vocabulary for Fiber Optics and Lightwave Communications, written by this author. Based on a draft prepared by this author, the National Communications System published Federal Standard FED-STD-1037, Glossary of Telecommunications Terms, in 1980 with no fiber optics tenns. In 1981, the first edition of this dictionary was published under the title Fiber Optics and Lightwave Communications Standard Dictionary. In 1982, the then National Bureau of Standards, now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, published NBS Handbook 140, Optical Waveguide Communications Glossary, which was also published by the General Services Admin istration as PB82-166257 under the same title. Also in 1982, Dynamic Systems, Inc. , Fiberoptic Sensor Technology Handbook, co-authored and edited by published the this author, with an extensive Fiberoptic Sensors Glossary. In 1989, the handbook was republished by Optical Technologies, Inc. It contained the same glossary. In 1984, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers published IEEE Standard 812-1984, Definitions of Terms Relating to Fiber Optics. In 1986, with the assistance of this author, the National Communications System published FED-STD-1037A, Glossary of Telecommunications Terms, with a few fiber optics tenns. In 1988, the Electronics Industries Association issued EIA-440A, Fiber Optic Terminology, based primarily on PB82-166257. The International Electrotechnical Commission then pub lished IEC 731, Optical Communications, Terms and Definitions. In 1989, the second edition of this dictionary was published.

From fundamental physics concepts to the World Wide Web, the Telecommunications Illustrated Dictionary, Second Edition describes protocols, computer and telephone devices, basic security concepts, and Internet-related legislation, along with capsule biographies of the pioneering inventors who developed the technologies that changed our world. The new edition offers even more than the acclaimed and bestselling first edition, including: Thousands of new definitions and existing definitions updated and expanded Expanded coverage, from telegraph and radio technologies to modern wireline and mobile telephones, optical technologies, PDAs, and GPS-equipped devices More than 100 new charts and illustrations Expanded appendices with categorized RFC listings Categorized charts of ITU-T Series Recommendations that facilitate online lookups Hundreds of Web URLs and descriptions for major national and international standards and trade organizations Clear, comprehensive, and current, the Telecommunications Illustrated Dictionary, Second Edition is your key to understanding a rapidly evolving field that, perhaps more than any other, shapes the way we live.