Houghton Develops iPhone Apps for Dictionaries

By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 8/28/2008 8:13:00 AM

In the first move by a major American publisher to publish iPhone-ready (and friendly) reference material, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has rolled out applications for four of its reference titles. The titles, which can be purchased in Apple's App Store range in price from $29.99, for The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, to $8.99 for Wall Street Words.

David Langevin, v-p and director of electronic markets at Houghton, said that the $29.99 American Heritage 4th Edition app brings the 2,074-pages of content in the print title (which weighs some 7.5 pounds) to the device in a functional and user-friendly way. The app features photos, maps and sound (so users can hear pronunciations) and, Langevin noted, its release marks the first time a publisher has made a dictionary of this size available on a handheld device.  

The App Store features a collection of downloadable software add-ons for the iPhone 3G, some of which are free and some of which are not. Apps range from games to an e-reader; Houghton's titles sit in the Reference section of the Apps Store where, at press time, top Apps (all free) include Wikipanion (a download that allows iPhone friendly access Wikipedia) and a Bible reader. According to Langevin, the establishment of the Apps Store--it opened with the release of the 3G, which performs faster than the previous iteration of the iPhone--has allowed publishers to tailor their content for use on the iPhone.

Houghton, which developed the apps with the software company Enfour (one of various approved Apple developers), plans to roll out "dozens" of other apps built around other reference titles in the coming months. Langevin said he intends to make apps for everything from cookbooks to field guides. Of its four titles now available in the Apps Store Langevin said the Desk Dictionary has been the house's bestselling title since its release three weeks ago.