Translation Dictionary Feature

[Iread]

I have been watching prices on the JetBook and JetBook Lites, waiting to see what would happen to prices on or after Black Friday. I am especially interested in the feature that allows a word from a book to be translated from English to another language, as well as the ability to read books from other languages and translate words to English. I think these features would be very helpful in learning new languages.

I recently learned that the new Sony models have 10 translation dictionaries built-in. The Sony's are much more expensive than the JetBook Lite, but also have some note-taking features.

Does anyone have experience using the translation feature of either of these brands? Are there other brands that offer this feature as well? I believe that the new PRS 350, 650, and 950 are the only Sony models that offer this feature. Is that correct?


It may be awhile before I make a purchase. I need to spend as little as possible. NewEgg has had some excellent sales on the JetBook Lite and I think I would like the LCD screen, but I would prefer a 6" or even the 7" screen like the Sony PRS 950 if I could afford it. I'm hoping some of you will have used the translation dictionary feature of your ereaders and can give me some insight. Thank you in advance!!

[jgray]

Having recently sold my jetBook and bought a PRS-650, I can give you my opinion. The dictionaries on the new Sony readers are far superior to those on the jetbook. It's no contest.

I also prefer the 6 inch screen size vs the 5 inch. I didn't see any point in going to the PRS-950 for the 7 inch screen, as it isn't any wider, only taller.

If the dictionaries are not an issue and you are happy with a 5 inch screen, the jetBook is a very good buy, especially with the recent price cuts. I bought mine at $169, which was a good deal at the time. Now that a jetBook can be had for under $100, it is a very good deal for a basic ereader that supports DRM'ed epub and other formats.

Joe

[dordale]

My husband is trying to learn Spanish--and he is very impressed with the Spanish-English and English-Spanish dictionaries on his 650.

dordale

[Iread]

Thank you for your opinions. Both were very helpful. There were several things about the JetBook that I thought I would like, but the translation dictionaries was the most important feature. Unless I can perhaps get a used JetBook at a low price to have as an additional reader, I will "set my sights" on the PRS 650. I definitely would prefer a 6" screen over a 5".

[jbcohen]

I had a friend that was learning Hungarian, I thought he was nuts. He downloaded the ebooks in english and opened them in Open Office then used the software to translate the file to hungarian. He then put the file back into the ereader once open Office got done with the file.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by Iread

... I recently learned that the new Sony models have 10 translation dictionaries built-in ...

My 650 has twelve:

1. New Oxford American Dictionary
2. Oxford Dictionary of English
3. Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (EN-FR)
4. Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (FR-EN)
5. Collins English-German Dictionary
6. Collins German-English Dictionary
7. Oxford Spanish Dictionary (EN-SP)
8. Oxford Spanish Dictionary (SP-EN)
9. Collins English-Italian Dictionary
10. Collins Italian-English Dictionary
11. Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Engels-Nederlands
12. Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands-Engels

[eriksnoopy]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

My 650 has twelve

[/LIST]

But the first two don't translate any languages.. maybe thats why they count 10

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by eriksnoopy

But the first two don't translate any languages.. maybe thats why they count 10

I take your point, in the pure sense of the meaning. However, surely it depends on what your mother tongue is. If the user isn't a native English speaker, and they use the English dictionaries, then they may be used to aid translation. Nevertheless, I agree, 2 English dictionaries and 10 bilingual dictionaries would be a more appropriate description.