Poll: On average, how much do you invest every year in new software? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On average, how much do you invest every year in new software?".
This poll was originally submitted by Erik Hansson
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On average, how much do you invest every year in new software?".
This poll was originally submitted by Erik Hansson
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
| | | | John Cutler 
Spain
Local time: 07:42
Spanish to English
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I answered other, but it’s really because I don’t have the slightest idea.
What I mean is, up until now, I haven’t really had any need to shell out much money. I’m assuming software means (but isn’t limited to) CAT tools, DTP applications, or other media in relation to translation. If that’s the case, I haven’t had much reason to make any purchases in the last year.
I’m often intrigued by posts from so many translators who mention all the various and sun... See more I answered other, but it’s really because I don’t have the slightest idea.
What I mean is, up until now, I haven’t really had any need to shell out much money. I’m assuming software means (but isn’t limited to) CAT tools, DTP applications, or other media in relation to translation. If that’s the case, I haven’t had much reason to make any purchases in the last year.
I’m often intrigued by posts from so many translators who mention all the various and sundry programs they use and how they seem to be, or feel, obligated to use them. I get the impression I live in a sheltered translator’s world in which I’m only ever sent documents in MS Word and return them in the same form. Is it that I have very undemanding clients? (I’m talking about large companies, museums, universities, etc.)
At any rate, I do plan on purchasing, at some point, Wordfast and Dragon speak as I believe they’d be of great use and seem reasonably priced. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Idea behind the poll | Feb 26, 2008 |
Hello John,
Thanks for your comments.
The idea behind the poll was simply to figure out how much fellow translators invest in software they use for their daily translation business. It might be crucial to stay updated in order to stay competitive.
I didn't want to spark off a discussion whether it's useful to buy this or that software just because a client ask us to do so, maybe for one single job without any chances for future jobs. That could be another ... See more Hello John,
Thanks for your comments.
The idea behind the poll was simply to figure out how much fellow translators invest in software they use for their daily translation business. It might be crucial to stay updated in order to stay competitive.
I didn't want to spark off a discussion whether it's useful to buy this or that software just because a client ask us to do so, maybe for one single job without any chances for future jobs. That could be another poll Go for it, John!
So far about two thirds of the participants have voted for 0 until 500 EUR. But where do all translators who have voted "Nothing" really get their software? Maybe just working with the pre-installed programs you get when you buy a new computer? Or is there something else?
Regards
Erik ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Updated, but not expensive | Feb 26, 2008 |
I try to update my software (used for work and privately) as soon as new versions appear, as they often remove existing errors or add new features. Using mostly open sourse software makes my updates cheap or free, so I consider keeping up to date very important, but it doesn't mean I spend lots of money.
Anni
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Elena Carbonell
Netherlands
Local time: 07:42
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
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| It actually depends | Feb 26, 2008 |
These last two years I have spent quite a lot of money on software but I don´t plan to buy anything else in the near (far) future. Once you have your CAT tools (a few in my case), your Office Programs, all your Adobe programs, Dragon Naturally Speaking, dictionaries and Omnipage, I cannot think of anything else I need to buy. There is also the freeware option for programs such as Olifant to edit your TMs and format them so they can be interchangeable between Wordfast and Trados.
So my g... See more These last two years I have spent quite a lot of money on software but I don´t plan to buy anything else in the near (far) future. Once you have your CAT tools (a few in my case), your Office Programs, all your Adobe programs, Dragon Naturally Speaking, dictionaries and Omnipage, I cannot think of anything else I need to buy. There is also the freeware option for programs such as Olifant to edit your TMs and format them so they can be interchangeable between Wordfast and Trados.
So my guess is that next year I won´t be expending a cent (fingers crossed!!) and even less the year after...So, it depends on the year.
John: How could you not use a Cat tool? Once you get over the manual-reading(I am bored to death)-learning obstacle they are quite useful. Life changer. They even make you coffee!!
And now I wonder although there is probably a poll about it somewhere... How many translators out there don´t use Cat tools? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Shouldn't it be | Feb 26, 2008 |
'< 100 EUR' instead of '> 100 EUR'?
| | | | John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 07:42
Spanish to English
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| Mmm, because... | Feb 26, 2008 |
Elena Carbonell wrote:
John: How could you not use a Cat tool? Once you get over the manual-reading(I am bored to death)-learning obstacle they are quite useful. Life changer. They even make you coffee!!
And now I wonder although there is probably a poll about it somewhere... How many translators out there don´t use Cat tools?
Oops, sorry Erik, getting off the subject again...
I suppose the reason I don't use a CAT tool is that I rarely if ever do the same type of translation twice. There's nothing to build a TM on. There's nothing in common between the documents I do from one day to the next. I rarely if ever even need to put together a simple glossary. I did take a course recently on Wordfast and was very impressed, but that was a month ago and I'm still waiting to receive documents that would lend themselves to using it.
Now if it would really make my coffee, it would be a different story...
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| And hardware? | Feb 26, 2008 |
Is someone going to post a similar poll for hardware I wonder (or has there been one relatively recently)?
Noni
Ah, and in reply to Elena, yes I think there may well have been a CAT tool question recently. I for one am a bit like John, not a huge amount of repetition (and for what repetition there is, the TM in my head doesn't work at all badly - and v gd value for money), so haven't invested so far.
[Edited at 2008-02-26 14:53]
| | | | | | Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:42
Flemish to English
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| An ideal world. | Feb 26, 2008 |
Nobody is so unethical to ever go to the pirate bay.
Nobody ever heard of p2p.
Nobody ever heard of student licenses of M$ software.
We live in an ideal world and are happy to pay for software and all that goes with that software that advocates gaining less as a marketing tool in the translationzone.com.
| | | | elen_d
Local time: 07:42
English to French
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I voted for "nothing" since I already have Trados and the only investment I did was to buy a flat screen (what a comfort!).
However, a screen is useful even without any translation to do and I don't consider buying any other CAT tool.
elen
[Edited at 2008-02-26 21:36]
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Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 23:42
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
Well, I voted "nothing", but that is "nothing added", anyway, if I buy a new computer then I buy it with what I need (latest verion of MSWord, Powerpoint and whatever, those two cover just about anything) and that's it.
Actually for many years I even worked with pirated software.
I have not really found a need for much software.
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 07:42
Spanish to English
+ ...
It really depends, Erik. I think that if we limit ourselves to updates and improvements (granted we have bought previous versions) and small operating requirements, such as OCR and PDF converters for editing, and billing as per certain national requirements, anti-virus subscriptions and tools, etc., you'd get the majority response. After all, how many times do we have to spend for initial CAT purchases?
You could get a year or two in excess if the translator wants to buy major produ... See more It really depends, Erik. I think that if we limit ourselves to updates and improvements (granted we have bought previous versions) and small operating requirements, such as OCR and PDF converters for editing, and billing as per certain national requirements, anti-virus subscriptions and tools, etc., you'd get the majority response. After all, how many times do we have to spend for initial CAT purchases?
You could get a year or two in excess if the translator wants to buy major productivity software or decides to expand his/her service areas (DTP, speech recognition, subtitling, etc.), but once more we're talking about initial outlays. I've had years in which my software expenses were in the area of 700 eu., but those were all initial years of use of that particular software. ▲ Collapse
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