| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: How soon did you invest in a CAT tool after launching your business? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How soon did you invest in a CAT tool after launching your business?".
This poll was originally submitted by AC Translation
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more infor... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How soon did you invest in a CAT tool after launching your business?".
This poll was originally submitted by AC Translation
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jocelyne S 
France
Local time: 20:07
French to English
+ ...
One of my very first clients, an agency that I still occasionally work with, offered me a really interesting project when I was setting up shop. The only condition was that I needed a CAT tool...
The PM was really nice and understanding. She explained why I needed a CAT tool and the advantages that such technology would bring to me as a translator. She then suggested that I start with a test version of Wordfast rather than buying an expensive CAT tool right away. I followed her adv... See more One of my very first clients, an agency that I still occasionally work with, offered me a really interesting project when I was setting up shop. The only condition was that I needed a CAT tool...
The PM was really nice and understanding. She explained why I needed a CAT tool and the advantages that such technology would bring to me as a translator. She then suggested that I start with a test version of Wordfast rather than buying an expensive CAT tool right away. I followed her advice and, although the learning curve was somewhat steep, translated the files successfully, worked with my first glossary, TM, and the rest was history, as they say.
Have a nice day,
Jocelyne ▲ Collapse
| | | | m_temmer
Local time: 12:07
English to Dutch
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I just don't know why there still are translators who haven't bought a CAT tool. It's the best investment a translator can do, if you ask me.
| | | | | The option "years after" should have been there | Mar 25, 2009 |
You seem to have forgotten those who have been in the business a bit longer. Personally, I started out in 1994 and my first time working with a CAT tool was in 1997, but it was not until 1998 that I bought one - paying a a x$%&/$$$ amount of money back then.
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| I don't have them until today. | Mar 25, 2009 |
I think the investment is extremely high. I have been a professional in the market for quite a while now and I still don't have one. To be honest with you all I have lost some opportunities certainly, but not enough to persuade me to make such a high investment. Besides that sometimes you get clients with a very unique program VENTURA for instance that works with nothing else but itself then the CAT is worth nothing.
Well this is my opinion.
Flávia Tafner
| | | | Cristina Munari
Italy
Local time: 20:07
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
| After 2 years | Mar 25, 2009 |
I waited 2 years just because most of my work involves translating patents that do not require a TM - I purchased SDL Trados Freelance last year and I have aligned memories, created glossaries and I use it whenever I can, I find it extremely helpful.
| | | | Suzanne Blangsted (X)
Local time: 11:07
Danish to English
+ ...
| Many, many years. | Mar 25, 2009 |
When I started translating in early 1970s, there were no commercial CAT available.
suz
| | | | Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:07
English to Arabic
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| Many, many years later | Mar 25, 2009 |
The poll options appear to assume that CAT tools were around when we all started our business, but that some of us decided to put off the decision for a few months, or over a year (perhaps out of laziness, ignorance, fear of technology, financial reasons...).
Efficient CAT tools in many of the world's languages weren't around until well into the 2000s, and by that time I for one had been translating for a decade.
I think the poll might have made more sense if the quest... See more The poll options appear to assume that CAT tools were around when we all started our business, but that some of us decided to put off the decision for a few months, or over a year (perhaps out of laziness, ignorance, fear of technology, financial reasons...).
Efficient CAT tools in many of the world's languages weren't around until well into the 2000s, and by that time I for one had been translating for a decade.
I think the poll might have made more sense if the question was: When did you invest in a CAT tool: [... months/years] ago.
[Edited at 2009-03-25 13:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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DianeGM
Local time: 21:07
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
| since the beginning | Mar 25, 2009 |
One of my first clients provided me with license and support for an early IBM Translation Manager, so I worked with software from the beginning of my own business, I still use the updated version for that specific client and a few others who that client referred to me.
In 2006 I also purchased Trados, I had been thinking about it but because one week I had four clients requesting it at the same time for large projects, so I was reimbursed for its cost almost instantly. Now I hav... See more One of my first clients provided me with license and support for an early IBM Translation Manager, so I worked with software from the beginning of my own business, I still use the updated version for that specific client and a few others who that client referred to me.
In 2006 I also purchased Trados, I had been thinking about it but because one week I had four clients requesting it at the same time for large projects, so I was reimbursed for its cost almost instantly. Now I have it on all my machines and I use it for everything except the translations of certificates and other specific documents (contracts, manuals, pils, etc) for which I have templates that its quicker to type straight into and for some EU docs for which I am provided with Trados unfriendly templates.
For me it was definitely worth it.
Diane ▲ Collapse
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 20:07
English to French
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| Quite a few years AND I do not use it | Mar 25, 2009 |
I invested in a CAT tool after quite a few years but used it only once: the customer was very dissatisfied with the quality of my translation and I never used it again!
| | | | virginia1
Ireland
Local time: 19:07
English to Italian
+ ...
| Test version | Mar 25, 2009 |
Like Jocelyne I have downloaded a free test version of Wordfast, just to get familiar with the software during the first year of freelancing (when you're still trying to get established as a transaltor and cannot afford too many expenses). So far I've never used it though.. It really depends on what kind of clients (and how many) you get in your network and their requests.
| | | | Laureana Pavon
Uruguay
Local time: 15:07
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
MODERATOR | Many, many years later | Mar 25, 2009 |
Just as many of my colleagues, I have been translating since the pre-Internet days.
Oh the horror!!!!!!
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Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 14:07
Portuguese to English
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| why buy when there are free alternatives? | Mar 25, 2009 |
Michaël Temmerman wrote:
I just don't know why there still are translators who haven't bought a CAT tool. It's the best investment a translator can do, if you ask me.
I still haven't BOUGHT one, but have been using several for some time.
There are FREE/Open Source Software alternatives that function great.
OmegaT http://www.omegat.org
and
Anaphraseus http://anaphraseus.sourceforge.net
are the ones I use, but there are others, as well.
| | | | Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 14:07
Portuguese to English
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| tem opções gratis | Mar 25, 2009 |
Flavia Martins dos Santos wrote:
I think the investment is extremely high. I have been a professional in the market for quite a while now and I still don't have one. To be honest with you all I have lost some opportunities certainly, but not enough to persuade me to make such a high investment. Besides that sometimes you get clients with a very unique program VENTURA for instance that works with nothing else but itself then the CAT is worth nothing.
Well this is my opinion.
Flávia Tafner
Mas, Flávia, existem opções gratis:
http://www.omegat.org é o melhor,
também tem o anaphraseus http://anaphraseus.sourceforge.net
Existem outras opções também, mas não as conheço bem.
Qualquer duvida, pode contar comigo.
[]s
| | | | Melzie
Local time: 20:07
French to English
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| bought it, binned it | Mar 25, 2009 |
I clicked on 'I did not', then remembered a delightful moment when, as a young translator, I said to myself, said I; "What I really enjoy doing is playing around with the language once the overall rough translation has been done.
I should buy myself what's hot on the market and then I'll enjoy myself even more in my job."
I won't say I spent a lot of money on it in 'real' terms but, for a very young person starting to ply this trade/craft it was $*** loads! The disappointment! I'm ... See more I clicked on 'I did not', then remembered a delightful moment when, as a young translator, I said to myself, said I; "What I really enjoy doing is playing around with the language once the overall rough translation has been done.
I should buy myself what's hot on the market and then I'll enjoy myself even more in my job."
I won't say I spent a lot of money on it in 'real' terms but, for a very young person starting to ply this trade/craft it was $*** loads! The disappointment! I'm sure that today there is tons of really good software out there, it's just not for me. I very rarely deal with repetitive stuff and, for what I have research and replace is amply sufficient.
I type as fast as I can think and think as fast as I can type.
In response to Laureana's comment about Internet. Yes, that is the revolutionary tool for good translation. I'd hate to go back to spending days in the library and even then not finding everything I want/need.
Like all good tools, including chainsaws, Internet for translation has to be handled with care. Once you know how to use it properly there's good food on the table and logs on the fire. ▲ Collapse
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