Glossary of Geology app for iPhone and iPad
Developer: American Geological Institute
First release : 20 Oct 2010
App size: 122.8 Mb
This indispensable reference tool contains nearly 40,000 entries of terms used in the earth and environmental science literature. Long considered the definitive reference by geoscientists and other students and professionals needing fully supported and detailed definitions of earth science terms. Long published as a 800+ page hardbound book, the app version provides all of the rich content with the portability and power of searching the entire glossary. In addition to definitions, many entries include background information. The Glossary draws its authority from the expertise of the more than 100 geoscientists in many specialties who reviewed definitions and added new terms. This is a must-have for all geoscientists, engineers working with earth-related issues, and students and other professionals.
Special enhancements for this version of the app include:
* Full-text search
* Hyperlinked See-Also
* Flag and store terms
* Share terms and definitions
* Special access to AGIs GeoWord of the Day with a simple touch
* Search partial terms using wildcards (%)
* Browse by letter
Latest reviews of Glossary of Geology app for iPhone and iPad
I have the hard copy printed version and was looking forward to a portable version, but I am a bit disappointed. There seems to be no way to adjust the relative sizes of the search window vs the definition window. The app could use hyperlinks to similar terms, for example. The word list alphabetical menu is too compressed and the scrolling search resolution is poor, thus if you wish to scroll to a sequence of letters the word begins with, you have to be content with scrolling to the general vicinity. There are so many definitions that scrolling is a real chore, so unless you spell out the word in the search box, be prepared for repetitive strain syndrome caused by scrolling fatigue. Very expensive app for just a clumsy word list, however the accuracy and basic usefulness is certainly there.
Its shocking that the text doesnt have hyperlinks in the definitions so that you can easily look up related terms and words you dont know. It would also be nice to have some sort of predictive search (like Wikipedias search box) to avoid having to type long words/phrases and to circumvent spelling ambiguities (e.g. UK vs. U.S. spellings or when you simply dont know how a word is spelled). As a previous reviewer said, the app should also maintain a search history from one invocation to the next and should reorient itself to landscape if you turn the device.
Glossary is great; app on the other hand needs updating to support landscape view; hyperlinks amongst other features mentioned by on here already.
App keeps crashing on iPhone 4. Please fix
There are only two options to find words, i,e. search(word input) and word-list(alphabetical list). There is no search history window, no infomation(about) window, no bookmarks, no index, no landscape mode (only portrait), no sophisticated internal cross reference(link). Worst of all, partial word matching(search) cannot be done. I tried to enter "bri" looking for "brittle", but as soon as I entered the three letters, input-window shows "rbi" not "bri", then a few seconds later "ALERT no matches found"!!! It also claims that the iPad version is optimized for the larger visual experience of that device, but I dont see any optimaization other than the rather vacant space which is left unused. Very professional and auhentic information is confined in a primitive implementation. I should have bought a printed book.