iPad for Studying Chinese

[feihong]

@imron: I prefer the pinyin input method on iPad. I think the handwriting recognition input is pretty nice, but way too slow. There is also another stroke-based input method that seems to be the same one used on cell phones, but I don't know how to use it.

I do think that inputting Chinese on an iPhone/iPod is faster though, which might seem counterintuitive to some. Therefore between the two devices I usually do my writing on my iPod.

[deathtrap]

As an iPad user, I've found my iPad to be a great tool for helping me learn Chinese. I scanned and put my textbooks on it, I put the audio and video that accompany the textbooks on it as well. I also use it to practice flashcards(SRS, I use Anki). Watching streaming Chinese TV, streaming radio(usually 88.7 from Beijing), not to mention I can quickly look up any words I don't know using the Nciku app which is so worth it. I also like to compose essays for posting on language exchange websites such as lang-8.com and the onscreen keyboard for Chinese works wonderfully. I don't own a BT keyboard, haven't found a need for it yet. Also if you get one, there are story apps developed by Nciku that are great as they provide built-in dictionary features and the stories available range in difficulty so you'll always have something to read. Personally I haven't found a need for another dictionary after I bought the Nciku app for my iPhone and was updated to a universal app to work with the iPad, all for $5 at the time.

That's just for Chinese, now add in all the other activities I can do with my iPad and it has quickly shown its value and worth to me. I love gushing about the iPad, been waiting 10 years for a tablet that didn't have a god awful UI *glares at all the Windows tablets of the past decade*

Now if you consider also what you can do with it after jailbreaking it: Use it as a normal USB removable drive, FTP files onto/off of it, tons of other software for it, and a whole load of other things that you can google for yourself.

I'd love to buy Pleco and the camera OCR functionality but it's expensive when you start adding on some other needed features from Pleco, I think it was somewhere over $100 =/

Also, don't compare an iPad or any tablet with a netbook. The simple fact that they have different form factors changes their use patterns significantly. It's a great device if you stop trying to shoehorn it into the established paradigm of Desktop/Laptop split.

[roddy]

Also, don't compare an iPad or any tablet with a netbook.

A number of posts doing just that have been split off to here - there's a lot of great information on using an iPad for learning Chinese here, so I'd like to try and keep that focus.

[imron]

@feihong, that's a fair point. I'm still using a first-gen iPhone though and even just switching to pinyin input requires a half-second delay. Add to that tiny surface area for each candidate character, and handwriting becomes much more attractive (plus it's good practice for learning characters ).

@deathtrap, Pleco is expensive (especially when compared to other iPhone apps), but it's an investment that will pay off over time and you do get value for your money.

[kdavid]

Pleco is expensive (especially when compared to other iPhone apps), but it's an investment that will pay off over time and you do get value for your money.

I'm about to take the plunge with Pleco. Yet, is it true there's no software for PC?

If I could get Pleco on my PC, and coordinate it with an iPad/iPhone, that would be ideal. If I have to rely on only one mobile device for Pleco, then that's a big restriction for me.

Edit:

I did read this first before asking. No update since March 24, so I'm assuming still no "love" for PC-only users?

[kdavid]

Another side thought:

Are there any videos demonstrations of Pleco on the iPad?

[deathtrap]

Anki and AnkiMobile are great pieces of software if you're looking for an SRS program to use on your PC and iOS device.

[Glenn]

...handwriting becomes much more attractive (plus it's good practice for learning characters ).

100% agree with the practice part. I like to handwrite characters on my iPod Touch and ignore the suggestions from the associated characters just to get practice writing words. It's kind of a game for me, and I don't like having it spoiled by having the answers given to me.

[Areckx]

handwriting input is also good for looking up characters you don't know the readings to. I also use it in order to use my Japanese dictionary for characters I don't know the readings to, since the iOS doesn't have a handwriting keyboard for Japanese... Looking up by radical tends to be more efficient, but sometimes it's good to practice your handwriting.

If you get good enough, you can do it pretty fast, and your handwriting will be a lot better and faster, and you will be able to recognize and understand a lot more by being so intimately involved with the characters.

[Brian US]

If you don't have an iPhone/Android phone yet, I would suggesting getting that first before the iPad.

A friend of mine described it best when he said the iPad is definitely a luxury item. For people who already have a computer and a smart phone.

After another member demonstrated his iPad and pleco skills today, I'm sold on purchasing one myself.

[mikelove]

I'm about to take the plunge with Pleco. Yet, is it true there's no software for PC?

Not yet, no. The VM option mentioned in that thread is still a possibility - Google finally released an X86 version of the Android Native Development Kit this summer - but at the same time, the fact that iCloud also works on desktop Macs (and Windows systems) certainly adds to the potential usefulness of a native desktop version.

Are there any videos demonstrations of Pleco on the iPad?

No, though we probably should have done one - we're working on a big UI redesign and we didn't think the original design would be around long enough to justify taking the time to make a video out of it (though it turns out that it actually would have been).

[imron]

If I have to rely on only one mobile device for Pleco, then that's a big restriction for me.

To be honest, at first I thought it would be nice to have a desktop version so I could study on my phone or on my computer and sync flashcards and other things between them, but then I realised (with thanks to a comment by gato I recall) that even if I'm sitting at my desk I can still use my phone and I don't have to worry about syncing and the like because the phone is the sole version. It certainly simplified things, and my phone is more or less always with me, so why would I care about having a separate version.

[kdavid]

I'll likely buy an iPad and Pleco over this holiday.

For a student of history, which Pleco dictionaries would be essential?

[mikelove]

For a student of history, which Pleco dictionaries would be essential?

ABC has good historical references, but if your Chinese is good enough to deal with a monolingual title you might also want our not-yet-released Classical dictionary.

[kdavid]

ABC has good historical references, but if your Chinese is good enough to deal with a monolingual title you might also want our not-yet-released Classical dictionary.

Oooooo... when is this going to be ready?

[roddy]

A number of posts doing just that have been split off to here - there's a lot of great information on using an iPad for learning Chinese here, so I'd like to try and keep that focus.

And again. Keep trying though folks, I'll give up eventually.

[mikelove]

Oooooo... when is this going to be ready?

Soon, we're preparing to release a whole bunch of new dictionaries but we're still waiting for the data files on one and for the signed contract plus data files on another one. We like to launch lots of new dictionaries together at the same time, since then people can know exactly what their options are (and what their options are likely to be for a while) before making any buying decisions, plus then we can offer an upgrade bundle that incorporates all (or almost all) of the new dictionaries.

[gato]

Mike, will the new dictionaries come out before you are done with UI upgrade in Pleco 2.3? ;-)

[mikelove]

Mike, will the new dictionaries come out before you are done with UI upgrade in Pleco 2.3? ;-)

Probably at the same time - wrangling results from something like 15 different Chinese-to-something dictionaries in the current interface would be a bit of a challenge. But they should line up pretty well completion-wise anyway.

[bande]

In addition to the other apps that people have mentioned, I primarily use my iPad to read magazines. My city in the Midwest doesn't have easy access to Chinese or Taiwanese magazines, so the iPad has been a godsend in this regard. My current favorite is the 财信新世纪 app. You have to buy each edition of the magazine, but I consider it well worth it. I also haven't had any connection issues in the US. My second favorite is the 南都周刊 app. It's visually very nice, but I have connection problems in the US. I'm never sure when I'll be able to finish downloading the edition that I want. Finally, there's a reader called Zinio, which has some Taiwanese magazines that I occasionally read. Also, I have a shenhua bible app that I think is good. I'm not really religious, but I like how they've combined line by line English translated text with voice naration.