| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | dictionary as software or rather books? Thread poster: Cordula Abston
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Cordula Abston 
United States
Local time: 19:24
English to German
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In memoriam
I'm looking to get new general English-German and Spanish-German dictionaries. I am currently indifferent whether to get software or books again. What is your preference and why? What are the typical problems you face with either one? Can you make recommendations for software?
Thanks so much in advance!
| | | | Carolyn Brice
Greece
Local time: 20:24
Member (2005)
French to English
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| CD-ROM all the way! | Jan 6, 2006 |
I try and get dictionaries on CD-ROM as much as possible, it's simply so much faster when looking up words.
| | | | Niina Lahokoski
Finland
Local time: 20:24
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
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The searcing is much faster, and as I do practically all my work on the computer, it is much easier to use electronic dictionaries so I don't have to find a place for a giant book on my already full desk...!
| | | | | software, absolutely! | Jan 6, 2006 |
books are great and whenever possible I get both CD-ROM and the paper version. but when it comes to actually using the dictionaries, it's software and nothing but
BTW, I'm old enough to remember the first PCs, and also my hopes that one day someone would perhaps turn all the heavy dictionaries into software...
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Hipyan Nopri
Indonesia
Local time: 00:24
Member (2005)
English to Indonesian
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| CD Fisrt, Dictionary Second | Jan 7, 2006 |
Considering all its benefits as have been mentioned by our fellow translators, CD is much more helpful than dcitionary.
| | | | Prokop Vantuch
Czech Republic
Local time: 19:24
Member (2005)
English to Czech
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| Software, definitely | Jan 7, 2006 |
As I'm often traveling somewhere I'm doing my translations on my laptop. Then, obviously, the CD software is absolutely necessary. Can't imagine myself bringing a huge bag full of dictionaries with me all the time.
Moreover, CD dictionaries sometimes allow you to search in fulltext, which can help you find a certain word in all examples throughout the dictionary.
Prokop
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 19:24
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER | Until Book vocabularies will be allow me to Copy and Paste,,, | Jan 7, 2006 |
... I'll stick to CDROMs.
Otoh, a lineup of thick, gaudily colored bookends showing behind our backs on our WebCams is of course advantageous for business;)
Regards
smo
| | | | | Use virtual CD software | Jan 7, 2006 |
My experience is that one dictionary is usually not enough, especially if you speacialize on something. Having 5 CD-ROM drives is not an option, so, risking that I mention something that everyone knows very well, use virtual CD programs (ones that use an "image" of your CD, a large file on your hard drive and pretend they are another CD-ROM drive in your computer). There are excellent ones, even for free (Daemon Tools). My favorite is Alcohol 120%, but there are plenty more.
Hope th... See more My experience is that one dictionary is usually not enough, especially if you speacialize on something. Having 5 CD-ROM drives is not an option, so, risking that I mention something that everyone knows very well, use virtual CD programs (ones that use an "image" of your CD, a large file on your hard drive and pretend they are another CD-ROM drive in your computer). There are excellent ones, even for free (Daemon Tools). My favorite is Alcohol 120%, but there are plenty more.
Hope that helps. ▲ Collapse
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| alcohol is great | Jan 7, 2006 |
I mean of course Alcohol 120%
but basically most of my dictionaries (let me see... it's about 30, oh my God!) are safely installed on my HD and just one click away
I prefer the ones that can be installed fully and then run without the CD in the drive... BTW, even those that don't can be persuaded to
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 20:24
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
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| Books can be amended | Jan 8, 2006 |
I use to write terms not found in the dictionary at the margin and strike-through those which show to be clearly wrong or outdated. I hope this feature will be added to software dictionaries soon.
But I use a general 20 language software dictionary most of the time. Many special dictionaries are not yet available other than on paper.
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Heinrich Pesch wrote:
I use to write terms not found in the dictionary at the margin and strike-through those which show to be clearly wrong or outdated. I hope this feature will be added to software dictionaries soon.
some of my software dictionaries already have the edit function
But I use a general 20 language software dictionary most of the time. Many special dictionaries are not yet available other than on paper.
just an idea: one might scan a dictionary and then possibly also convert the scan into a format permitting edition... would that consitute a violation of the copyright...?
| | | | Prokop Vantuch
Czech Republic
Local time: 19:24
Member (2005)
English to Czech
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| Don't think so... | Jan 8, 2006 |
Joanna Krahelska wrote:
just an idea: one might scan a dictionary and then possibly also convert the scan into a format permitting edition... would that consitute a violation of the copyright...?
I think that if you use the edited version only for your work and do not spread it anywhere else, then it's not the violation of the copyright. Just an example: I copy a dictionary into an Excel file and then edit my own words and phrases. That seems OK to me.
Or if you do not present the edited version as your own product. Then I think it's not violation of the copyright. Anyway, I would carefully go through the conditions and terms of particular product, to be on the safe side.
Prokop
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just what I thought... and of course you're right that it would make sense to go through the terms for the product to be submitted to this procedure
most serious books have a note that any copying is forbidden - but then again, if it's for private personal use only...
ah well, whatever the legal situation, dictionaries as software are the only solution that makes sense
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Whenever possible I buy the CD-ROM. It's faster and good for my back.
Have a nice day!
| | | | | Books are great when the online/software dictionaries don't work | Jan 8, 2006 |
Well, on the whole, it's convenient to have terminology just a click away somewhere on the computer. However, if my favourite online dictionary or software dictionary is, for some reason, not working, then I would be out of business if I did not also have plenty of good paper dictionaries to consult. I suppose the ideal is to have both versions. However, if translating is your full-time job, just make sure you don't get into a position one day where you can't translate, just because you don't ... See more Well, on the whole, it's convenient to have terminology just a click away somewhere on the computer. However, if my favourite online dictionary or software dictionary is, for some reason, not working, then I would be out of business if I did not also have plenty of good paper dictionaries to consult. I suppose the ideal is to have both versions. However, if translating is your full-time job, just make sure you don't get into a position one day where you can't translate, just because you don't have paper dictionary back-ups. It has happened to me in the past.
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