Add dictionary?

Mabel · 07-31-2014, 05:53 PM

One of the great advantages of an ereader (or at least of my sony T3) is that i can, when reading books in a foreign language, just tap on a word and hey presto: a translation or explanation appears on screen. This feature alone could make it worth while to buy a reader, but to my astonishment it seems my device does not allow me to buy & load other dictionaries than the ones built in! There's a bunch of them and they are good-to-reasonable, but there's only one foreign language and I'd like at least 4 and of better quality as well. If I'm right and you can't add dictionaries I'm truly shocked: what a missed opportunity! I'd gladly pay twice the price of the reader itself for those additional dictionaries.
My question, then, is: are there readers around which will allow me to purchase and install additional dictionaries? And do they offer the same ease of use (just tapping on a word)?

eschwartz · 07-31-2014, 07:27 PM

Kindle has some dictionaries in the store, I think. I've never needed any but the builtin ones. Several foreign languages are builtin (although they reside in your Cloud Library by default).

You can also add your own mobipocket dictionaries via USB and they will appear under Dictionaries.

davidfor · 08-01-2014, 02:31 AM

The Kobo devices have dictionaries for eight languages. Plus translation dictionaries for to and from English for most of these. The dictionaries are not the best quality. Everyone says the Sony and Kindle are much better. But, there are ways to replace them.

Doitsu · 08-01-2014, 04:30 AM

Pocketbook also offers dictionaries for most of their devices via their Obreyy store.
This might be a good choice, if you're interested in Russian or Ukrainian dictionaries.

You could also buy a cheap Android tablet and install an ebook app that supports StarDict dictionaries.

HarryT · 08-05-2014, 05:47 AM

Kindle is by far the best choice if you want user-installable good commercial dictionaries. There are hundreds of different dictionaries for sale in the Kindle Store.

The moral of the story is "do your research before buying". It's no secret that you can't add dictionaries to a Sony.

Mabel · 08-06-2014, 07:41 AM

Thanks very much for the helpful reactions; yes doing some research beforehand is necessary - but very difficult indeed as most product-descriptions don't even mention dictionaries or, if they do, are very vague about them. A pity none of the answers here comments on the second part of my question, about the way dictionaries are used. Having to open a dictionary and typing in a word on the touch-screen keyboard is not my idea of 'user-friendly'. In contrast, on my device I simply tap on a word while reading a book and a short entry from the 'standard' dictionary (explanation or translation) appears in a window underneath the page. One more tap expands the entry to full page and allows changing the dictionary (while still retaining the same word-entry).
What I am still unsure about is whether other readers allow the same ease of use, with built-in or user-added dictionaries.
(By the way: there is just no way at all I could have known beforehand which dictionaries would come with my Sony. This is especially annoying in Europe - but that's another story.)

HarryT · 08-06-2014, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mabel

A pity none of the answers here comments on the second part of my question, about the way dictionaries are used. Having to open a dictionary and typing in a word on the touch-screen keyboard is not my idea of 'user-friendly'. In contrast, on my device I simply tap on a word while reading a book and a short entry from the 'standard' dictionary (explanation or translation) appears in a window underneath the page. One more tap expands the entry to full page and allows changing the dictionary (while still retaining the same word-entry).

That's exactly the way it works on other touch-screen devices, too.

Quote:

(By the way: there is just no way at all I could have known beforehand which dictionaries would come with my Sony. This is especially annoying in Europe - but that's another story.)

Sure there's a way: ask right here. That's what we're here for.

07-31-2014, 05:53 PM	#1
Mabel Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Sony PRS-T3	Add dictionary? One of the great advantages of an ereader (or at least of my sony T3) is that i can, when reading books in a foreign language, just tap on a word and hey presto: a translation or explanation appears on screen. This feature alone could make it worth while to buy a reader, but to my astonishment it seems my device does not allow me to buy & load other dictionaries than the ones built in! There's a bunch of them and they are good-to-reasonable, but there's only one foreign language and I'd like at least 4 and of better quality as well. If I'm right and you can't add dictionaries I'm truly shocked: what a missed opportunity! I'd gladly pay twice the price of the reader itself for those additional dictionaries. My question, then, is: are there readers around which will allow me to purchase and install additional dictionaries? And do they offer the same ease of use (just tapping on a word)?

08-05-2014, 05:47 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Kindle is by far the best choice if you want user-installable good commercial dictionaries. There are hundreds of different dictionaries for sale in the Kindle Store. The moral of the story is "do your research before buying". It's no secret that you can't add dictionaries to a Sony. Last edited by HarryT; 08-05-2014 at 05:56 AM.

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07-31-2014, 07:27 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Kindle has some dictionaries in the store, I think. I've never needed any but the builtin ones. Several foreign languages are builtin (although they reside in your Cloud Library by default). You can also add your own mobipocket dictionaries via USB and they will appear under Dictionaries.

08-01-2014, 02:31 AM	#3
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,907 Karma: 47303748 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	The Kobo devices have dictionaries for eight languages. Plus translation dictionaries for to and from English for most of these. The dictionaries are not the best quality. Everyone says the Sony and Kindle are much better. But, there are ways to replace them.

08-01-2014, 04:30 AM	#4
Doitsu Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,583 Karma: 22735033 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Kindle PW2	Pocketbook also offers dictionaries for most of their devices via their Obreyy store. This might be a good choice, if you're interested in Russian or Ukrainian dictionaries. You could also buy a cheap Android tablet and install an ebook app that supports StarDict dictionaries.

08-06-2014, 07:41 AM	#6
Mabel Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Sony PRS-T3	Thanks very much for the helpful reactions; yes doing some research beforehand is necessary - but very difficult indeed as most product-descriptions don't even mention dictionaries or, if they do, are very vague about them. A pity none of the answers here comments on the second part of my question, about the way dictionaries are used. Having to open a dictionary and typing in a word on the touch-screen keyboard is not my idea of 'user-friendly'. In contrast, on my device I simply tap on a word while reading a book and a short entry from the 'standard' dictionary (explanation or translation) appears in a window underneath the page. One more tap expands the entry to full page and allows changing the dictionary (while still retaining the same word-entry). What I am still unsure about is whether other readers allow the same ease of use, with built-in or user-added dictionaries. (By the way: there is just no way at all I could have known beforehand which dictionaries would come with my Sony. This is especially annoying in Europe - but that's another story.)

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