Merck Index 13th edition now available.

[megalomania]

Who's excited? I know I am :) It is larger and more jam packed with info than ever, but I think the price went up a bit this time. It's $60 straight from Merck, with free shipping and handling. I'd scan the order form ad, but I don't have it with me now.
There is also a new CD-ROM edition, anybody happen to be able to acquire this?

[Ctrl_C]

If it's information and it's out there...I give it a week before its on the FTP.

[Polverone]

Hey, it just so happens that I went to my university's library today to look something up in the Merck and this new 13th edition was sitting on the shelf. The old one seemed to be gone. I don't know what they did with it, but I can hope that it makes its way onto the free book shelf!

I've got to say that after I grabbed the last electronic Merck from Ctrl_C's site that I wasn't too impressed with it. The interface was odd and the entries themselves were less complete than those from the paper version. I'd say it's worth less than the print edition, not the 10x the price Merck actually wants. Maybe the new CD-ROM is better; I can hope so.

[megalomania]

As I hear it, Cambridge software is responsible for producing the CD version. I find their software to be less than user friendly (I used to be a beta tester for some stuff). The price of the CD reflects their "search" utility, which is what is supposed to make it valuable. I hope (in vain I am sure) that one day they will have a freely searchable web version.

[Polverone]

I doubt Merck will lead the way when it comes to free database access to chemical properties. Someone else could, though. Basic chemical facts can't be copyrighted, although the Merck Index (as an original compilation) can. It would be painstaking, but not difficult, to start a chemical database with basic properties obtained from MSDS and other fields (such as history, uses, literature references) reserved for when such information becomes available. I have high hopes that at some point in the future, databases of all sorts of physical constants and facts about the natural world will be available on the web, likely thanks to the work of some government agency or nonprofit organization. Once you have a solid core of information to build upon, the database(s) can practically grow independently, with volunteers adding new facts and cross-checking each others' work.

[Ctrl_C]

bah Merck is ok. I mean...where else can you type in explosive under properties and have it pull up 50 results?