Postby privard » July 4th, 2008 3:52 pm
Hi, all. To be upfront, I'm the maker of the one Jason and cliang78 are writing about.
In answer to one person's question, you can put a flashcard program on it. There are free ones, but I like KingKanji ($35): it grades my kanji as I write, really helping me nail the stroke order and proper position, and there are premade card sets for all the major tests and texts. Also runs on desktop computers, so even if you don't get my system, it might be worth a look (I don't sell or benefit from King Kanji).
I don't have a great answer to the battery life issue: a computer with a high-resolution screen is going to use more juice than a low-power single use machine with an old-fashioned LCD screen, even if the computer is smaller. You can get two days or more worth of strictly dictionary use per charge (it's not like you spend 4 hours a day reading dictionaries), but as someone noted you end up using it more often and for more things than you would a denshi jisho, so in real life you should charge it every night (if you're going off grid for a few days or a week, you can get extra batteries fairly cheaply). The Japanese OS version is built on a different PDA with about 70% longer battery life than the English OS version, but it still won't compete with a Wordtank or Ex-Word running for weeks on an AAA battery. If that's not a deal breaker, you'll get used to charging it nightly--instead of putting down on the nightstand when you empty out your pockets before going to bed, put it down on the charging stand (you've got to put it down somewhere anyway, and this way you'll always know where to find it in the morning).
I also don't have a great answer to the high price. I wish I could make it cheaper, but given the time that goes into it and what I have to pay for the hardware and software, that's what I have to charge (I stick to the high-end PDAs because I think the processor speed and sharp display make a difference even just for dictionary use, plus only the high-end models are available refurbished to new condition by the factory--selling plain used stuff is a pain because then I have to worry about the condition of every unit not being up to snuff). I like to think my system gives you five times the use for twice the price--but that's in the eye of the potential purchaser. It really is twice the price of a mid-range denshi jisho, and some people aren't ever going to be happy about spending that much on a dictionary. If you know someone who's got one, ask them what they think or try theirs out for yourself--and be sure to compare it with a regular denshi jisho.
Actually, I do have a great answer to the price issue: the same site I sell these things through gives complete instructions for making exactly the same dictionary system on your own. If you get a cheap used Japanese OS PDA it won't be as fast as mine, the screen will only be a little better than a good denshi jisho's, and it won't have as many additional features, but for dictionary use it'll give you the same function for less money. You can downlaod all the dictionaries and software except Eijiro from or through my site for free.(You can get the stock version of Eijiro from the maker for 1980 yen or you can get the version with full yomigana for 6500 yen from me.)
