Gusutafu Senior Member Sweden Joined 5456 days ago 655 posts - 1039 votes Speaks: Swedish*
| Message 9 of 67 06 December 2010 at 4:03pm | IP Logged |
tommus wrote:
Gusutafu wrote:
There could actually be a case for getting a PC based tablet computer, where you could install popup dictionaries. |
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The Sony 650 has 5 very good bilingual pop-up dictionaries (English to/from German, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch). I read some blogs where some people tried unsuccessfully to add other dictionaries. Maybe Sony will do it. In any case, there is lots of memory to add text dictionaries (bilingual word lists) for any language. Not pop-up but quite usable.
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That's excellent. Do they work for pdfs as well? Can the handle declined words? Does anyone know if this functionality exists on the iPad?
As to the number of apps, my feeling, based on little more than my experience with Linux on desktops, is that iPad apps are more worked through, demand less from the user in terms of installation (will 'just work') and are more mainstream in their intended market.
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slymie Tetraglot Groupie China Joined 5163 days ago 81 posts - 154 votes Speaks: English, Macedonian Studies: French, Mandarin, Greek Studies: Shanghainese, Uyghur, Russian
| Message 10 of 67 06 December 2010 at 5:40pm | IP Logged |
People still in denial of how helpful the ipad/itouch/iphone is in Language learning?
I have on my itouch
1. Anki (flashcard software)
2. Dictionaries - Rus-Eng, Greek-Eng, Han-Eng.
3. All the audio for current courses I am doing.
4. E-versions of magazines/Newspaper/Books in target languages.
5. 6-8 full length movies in Chinese and Greek if I get bored.
6. Phrasebooks in 10 different languages.
Not to mention that, offline maps of my city and subway system, some games to keep my girlfriend busy while I do homework or talk on the phone, calculator. And it fits in my pocket like a stack of 10 flashcards.
Oh yeah, and it can play songs.
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hrhenry Octoglot Senior Member United States languagehopper.blogs Joined 5065 days ago 1871 posts - 3642 votes Speaks: English*, SpanishC2, ItalianC2, Norwegian, Catalan, Galician, Turkish, Portuguese Studies: Polish, Indonesian, Ojibwe
| Message 11 of 67 06 December 2010 at 5:59pm | IP Logged |
slymie wrote:
I have on my itouch
1. Anki (flashcard software)
2. Dictionaries - Rus-Eng, Greek-Eng, Han-Eng.
3. All the audio for current courses I am doing.
4. E-versions of magazines/Newspaper/Books in target languages.
5. 6-8 full length movies in Chinese and Greek if I get bored.
6. Phrasebooks in 10 different languages.
Not to mention that, offline maps of my city and subway system, some games to keep my girlfriend busy while I do homework or talk on the phone, calculator. And it fits in my pocket like a stack of 10 flashcards.
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The "fits in my pocket" is definitely what's most important to me.
R.
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GREGORG4000 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5458 days ago 307 posts - 479 votes Speaks: English*, Finnish Studies: Japanese, Korean, Amharic, French
| Message 12 of 67 06 December 2010 at 6:06pm | IP Logged |
I can do all of that except maybe the dictionaries on my Nintendo DS.
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tommus Senior Member CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5801 days ago 979 posts - 1688 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Dutch, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish
| Message 13 of 67 06 December 2010 at 6:09pm | IP Logged |
Gusutafu wrote:
Do they work for pdfs as well? Can the handle declined words? |
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Yes. The dictionaries pop-up when you double click on a word in pdf, the same as in a plain text book, or I think any book.
The English<>Dutch dictionary handles verb tenses and noun plurals correctly. I haven't used the other dictionaries very much yet.
I have made a number of comments about the Sony 650 in these two threads.
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?T ID=23800&PN=1&TPN=1
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?T ID=23269&PN=1&TPN=1
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slymie Tetraglot Groupie China Joined 5163 days ago 81 posts - 154 votes Speaks: English, Macedonian Studies: French, Mandarin, Greek Studies: Shanghainese, Uyghur, Russian
| Message 14 of 67 06 December 2010 at 8:08pm | IP Logged |
Oh and to the OP, I noticed you are learning asian languages. I've never used a Kindle but I would not buy it if it has no way of installing a electronic dictionary that you can enter Kanji or Hanzi with a pen or touch pad.
I mean you want to be able to write the Hanzi on the screen and search it, not have to sit there counting strokes or searching by radicals, it will slow you down so much when trying to tackle a large text.
iPhone/ipad/itouch all have this kind of dictionary.
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aokoye Diglot Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5476 days ago 235 posts - 453 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Dutch, Norwegian, Japanese
| Message 15 of 67 06 December 2010 at 8:27pm | IP Logged |
slymie wrote:
I have on my itouch
1. Anki (flashcard software)
2. Dictionaries - Rus-Eng, Greek-Eng, Han-Eng.
3. All the audio for current courses I am doing.
4. E-versions of magazines/Newspaper/Books in target languages.
5. 6-8 full length movies in Chinese and Greek if I get bored.
6. Phrasebooks in 10 different languages.
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I have all of that on my Android based phone (an HTC Incredible). I think what people are questioning in threads is how one platform compares to another. I know that iPads are good for language learning, but I want to know if an Archos 101 (which is Android based) would benefit me more or less than an iPad.
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hrhenry Octoglot Senior Member United States languagehopper.blogs Joined 5065 days ago 1871 posts - 3642 votes Speaks: English*, SpanishC2, ItalianC2, Norwegian, Catalan, Galician, Turkish, Portuguese Studies: Polish, Indonesian, Ojibwe
| Message 16 of 67 06 December 2010 at 8:37pm | IP Logged |
aokoye wrote:
I have all of that on my Android based phone (an HTC Incredible). I think what people are questioning in threads is how one platform compares to another. I know that iPads are good for language learning, but I want to know if an Archos 101 (which is Android based) would benefit me more or less than an iPad. |
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Well actually, the original poster was specifically asking about either the iPad or the Kindle.
I brought up others because, while iPads and Kindles are arguably the best known brands for different things, there are other options that tend to get ignored because of the huge marketing campaigns by these two brands.
As for slymie's list, it's doable on pretty much any old hardware out there. Hell, I still have a 10 year old Sharp Zaurus that can do all of that and last half a day of constant use before a recharge.
R.
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