BuBuGao Handhelds used by BLCU students

[David W Jackson]

Does anyone have any experience with any of the above brand handhelds? I was talking to some students at BLCU who said many of them used one. Couldn't find a pic on the website: it's a white plastic handheld with a pen thing and retails for around 1000RMB.

This one looks much cooler though: http://english.eebbk.com/productshow.asp?ID=100. Don't know if they have pinyin. Anyone know if they're worth a go Joe?

[cvkai]

Hello,

If you search for "步步高" or "9288s", you will find some threads that talk about Electronic Dictionaries, specially this one.

Reading these threads, you will see that they are more suitable for Chinese people learning English than for us. (What I don't like is its Pinyin input because we have to enter character by character, instead of letting the dictionary choose the right characters depending of the combination of the characters of the word).

And I think that you can't know directly the Pinyin of a searched word (using an English-Chinese dictionary). You have to do one more step: select the Chinese word and discover the Pinyin using the Xiandai Hanyu Cidian (which is a very good Chinese-Chinese-(English) dictionary).

I use Pleco on my PocketPC, and I really like his ABC dictionary.

[David W Jackson]

Thanks Cvkai. About the Pleco solution: most of the threads here seem to intimate going with the smartphone option. Did you pick up your PDA in China and what are the pros and cons of that over the Treo everyone seems so fond of?

[David W Jackson]

Thanks Cvkai. About the Pleco solution: most of the threads here seem to intimate going with the smartphone option. Did you pick up your PDA in China and what are the pros and cons of that over the Treo everyone seems so fond of?

[cvkai]

Well, I don't know very much about the Palm PDAs, including the Treo 650.

I bought my Dopod 830 here in China and I like it very much. Of course there are some bugs on Windows Mobile, but there is no problem for me. It doesn't have keyboard (no problem, I got used using the pen) and it fits in my pocket.

I also installed the MDict, and there are a lot of free dictionaries database available for this software.

Ah, and it comes with that Kingsoft dictionary. Sometimes it is very useful.

In my case, there wasn't a "logical" reason for choosing a Windows Mobile Smartphone instead of a Treo 650. I just liked it and it does what I need. Sorry for not being helpful.

But I don't think that the Bubugao 9288s is a bad dictionary. That Xiandai Hanyu Cidian is really good, because in the beginning you can use the English explanation, and then you can start using the Chinese explanation. The problem is that Pinyin input... but it is a cheaper solution.

[Xiao Kui]

i have bubugao 5988 electronic dict. I bought it abt 2 yrs ago for 700, it's one of the nicer bubugao models, tho don't know how it compares with the one you mentioned above. First of all let me say it is very pretty - it has all this calligraphy engraved on the outside.

tho it has come in useful at times i have to agree it's more suited to Chinese learning English than vice versa. Also you have to type in the pinyin word by word, it doesn't instinctively pick the next pinyin for you. The up button is stubborn, and I have to press very hard. IWhen I get my next Chinese learning aid, I will insist on sth with a pen as well - mine just has a keyboard.

I'm considering breaking down and getting a palm for plecodict, but I'm interested in hearing abt other chinese brands, options, especially a dict. with a good pen, because I've heard that there are some cheap and good chinese ones, and my chinese is already to the level where i can use a dict. meant for Chinese, though I'll probably have to improve my stroke order a little to reap the full benefits of a Chinese handheld.

[cvkai]

You can try that Bubugao 9288s, it doesn't have keyboard... and then you can use your handwriting skills.

Here in China, I also found some Besta dictionaries, and they have touchscreen, you can also try them.

I think that most of the Canon and Casio dictionaries don't have the handwriting input.

That guy of Travel in Chinese Program (CCTV Channel), Dashan or Max Rowswell, has also a brand of electronic dictionary, but I have no idea if this is good or not.

Well, but I think that the best option is still the PDA solution with a Chinese OS.

[Xiao Kui]

Thanks cvkai. i checked out the link to the 9288s and it looks pretty good. once a friend tho told me she got a touchscreen chinese-english dict for under 400 that was pretty good, so i'll keep looking or get my pda once i get my next windfall.

[self-taught-mba]

That guy of Travel in Chinese Program (CCTV Channel), Dashan or Max Rowswell, has also a brand of electronic dictionary, but I have no idea if this is good or not.

Not that good and more suited for the Chinese anyway.