Sharp's Electronic Dictionaries Close the Book on Hard-Copy Reference Tools

Aug. 24, 2005--Bringing together an extensive library of reference books for students, travelers and professionals, Sharp introduces a new line of portable electronic dictionaries. Small enough to slip into a purse, briefcase, backpack or school bag, the units can help students and teachers carry the equivalent of 15 pounds of books in a PDA-sized device. To assist travelers and business professionals, these devices feature a Spanish/English dictionary for easy translations.

"Educators and students at all levels need access to reference information every day but usually need to carry several books to get the information they need," said Dan Wynne, Director of Marketing, Sharp Information Systems Group. "Instead of carrying these heavy books from classroom to classroom, students can access this information at the touch of a button with an electronic dictionary that fits into a school bag pocket. Our new line of electronic dictionaries places the full contents of a Spanish dictionary and other educational tools at anyone's fingertips, making a great addition to everyone's back-to-school shopping list."

Packing the full contents of four reference books into a compact, lightweight device, Sharp's PW-E250 is the only product in its class to include a Spanish dictionary for instant translations to go. More than just a standard electronic dictionary, the PW-E250 has the full contents of the following best-selling reference books:

-- Oxford Pocket American Dictionary and Thesaurus - provides instant access to more than 150,000 definitions and related words
-- Oxford Pocket Spanish Dictionary - provides access to more than 90,000 words and phrases, and 130,000 translations
-- Oxford Essential Geographical Dictionary - delivers geography facts including a listing of continents, countries, cities, states and natural features with key statistics and pronunciation
-- Oxford Essential Guide for Puzzle Solvers - searchable reference for word game players, which includes answers arranged by the number of letters, rhyming pairs, double meanings, palindromes, acronyms and more

Combined with its superior content, the PW-E250's search features provide clear results and a variety of functions. The "quick view" method shows multiple definitions simultaneously and simplifies long descriptions to a one-page view, eliminating the need to scroll through multiple pages. "Super jump" and filter functions allow faster cross-reference between dictionaries so a word can be defined and translated into Spanish in one key stroke. Making the PW-E250 even more easy to use is the "zoom" key, which allows users to enlarge the font size for an easy-to-read display; comparable models require users to reset the font size from tool menus that take several screens to reach.

The PW-E150 is an electronic version of the Pocket Oxford Spanish/English Dictionary for students and professionals seeking an all-in-one reference product. The PW-E150 is also a translator and organizer and can be a helpful tool for Spanish-speaking individuals who are learning English as a second language or students in more advanced Spanish-language classes. For fun on the go, the PW-E150 has three games - 777, Snake and Poker.

Travelers, teachers and students can use the PW-E250 and PW-E150 in low-light conditions thanks to the built-in backlight. The dictionaries also provide important functions that often require additional devices or tools, including a spell checker, calculator and metric converter in the PW-E250 and a calculator, converter, basic organizer functions and world clock in the PW-E150.

The PW-E250 is available for a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $49.99 and the PW-E150 is available for a MSRP of $29.99.

For more information on Sharp's PW-E250 and PW-E150 electronic dictionaries, contact Sharp Electronics Corporation, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, N.J., 07430 or call 800-BE-SHARP. For online product information, visit Sharp's Web site at www.sharpusa.com.

SOURCE Sharp Electronics