Electronic Dictionary

[Sam Addington]

Gotta put in a plug for the Besta. I've been using it for several years now and it has everything. Mine is the CD-636. I just translated a pharmaceutical patent and it was a big help, though I would have been lost without the internet.

I like the Besta because it has officially published dictionaries. I don't always trust the online dictionaries. But I usually check several sources before I make a decision on the best meaning of the word.

I also like the cool touch screen.

I'd love to use an i-Phone, but it is too expensive.

[vicky20jak]

I recently purchased a Meijin X1 digital dictionary. The dictionary is good and works well. But i am facing on a problem which i've not been able to find a solution to.

The dictionary has an ebook function, in which you can copy text documents (*.txt files) to the dictionary for reading or even editing. Now the problem is, that when i transfer the text file from the computer to the dictionary, it shows some funny characters. Similarly, the document that i type in the dictionary shows funny characters on the computer. Though in both the devices i am entering chinese simplified characters, but they are not compatible in the devices.

I experimented one thing. I transferred a text file edited in the dictionary to the computer. The characters were not readable on the computer. I copied the text and pasted it on google translate and entered the destination language as chinese traditional. Thereafter i copied the translated text and pasted it again in the source text box and entered the destination language as chinese simplified. The website translated the characters perfectly. and i got the ones that i had entered initially. can someone help me with this? Is this a problem related to encoding? how can i sort this problem out? I am using mac OS X as well as windows XP.

[andreasro]

to andrewreis:

I didn't get your model name. What was it?

I'm asking mainly for my husband, who's been learning Chinese in Europe. A Chinese-English electronic dictionary with handwritten input option is very useful for him. He needs something portable to use anywhere. But, we don't know much about these devices and no one I know uses them.

I've read what's been written so far on this thread and others. It's been helpful, but I still need more advice.

I know only from few internet sources of products like Besta and BBK.

So far I've found out that we need a portable dictionary with:

- oonsecutive pinyin input

- examples

- pronounciation

- chinese handwriting option

- many words/expressions available

What more should one know about these devices?

There's someone who can buy it for us in China, if it's cheaper than to buy from outside China.

I just need to be sure which is the best thing he can possibly get, as a foreign student who has been learning Chinese at an advanced level.

[andreasro]

Does 步步高 E900 have consecutive pinyin?

[Don_Horhe]

Yes, apart from normal Pinyin input, it also has what is called 'Pindiao', which allows you to search for polysyllabic words and mark the tones with the keys 1-4.

[whitey.net]

Hi arzinger!

I've written software to allow Besta to do a two pinyin search

It allows you to search for a double-pinyin without tones, then gives you all matching

combinations in Chinese characters (both traditional and simplified form) and English.

For example, searching on "huoche" gives both "train" and "truck" and the associated

Chinese characters. (That's just a simple example.)

The number of Chinese character pairs in my 2-pinyin special dictionary is over 30,000.

These entries cover my everyday needs 99% of the time. I live in China and use my Besta

every day and have used my special dictionary for 2 years now.

Contact me if you want more details ... Besta Two Pinyin Search