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Paragon Software - Multi-Language Dictionaries
Written by Upton Au  [author's bio]  [read 22972 times]
Edited by Derek

   

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The Buzz: A collection of foreign dictionaries featuring quick lookups, small file sizes, and an array of powerful features.
Developer: Paragon Software, databases licensed from Arsenal
Availability: Paragon Software for Pocket PC's, as well as Palm and Psion devices
Price: $24.95

Editor’s Rating: 4 / 5

After being informed as to Paragon Software's imminent release of a collection of Foreign Language dictionaries several months ago, I found myself eager to try them on my iPAQ. Foreign languages are very much a part of my life: I'm fluent in French as a result of living in Montreal for several years, and I am currently studying Spanish. I did keep my anticipation to a minimum however, as there were several criteria that I felt PDA dictionaries would need to meet in order to be practical and useful. Whether you're simply brushing up on a language you took during High School or you're a traveler or a student in a strange place, a large number of common, relevant entries is of the utmost importance. With a large number of entries though, it's simply too easy for the databases to become bloated or the interfaces crawling slow.

Several months ago, I had been in correspondence with Michael Fadeev, Paragon's marketing director, while writing up a review on their PenReader handwriting recognition software. When I expressed my interest in their new dictionary software, Michael was eager to let me be among the first to try out their new release.

The dictionaries are available from the developer's website as a demo, which contain the full array of features and dictionary entries. Buyers receive the appropriate codes upon paying for registration and to unlock the software. The dictionaries install simply enough from the zipped self-executable and are then ready for use.

Once the SlovoED Dictionary is open, the list of available entries updates itself as successive letters of the desired word are entered into the search field. After the word has been entered, the appropriate entry appears in the bottom pane. The entries are succinct but sufficient, with the word in bold, followed by grammatical information such as the part of speech or gender under it in italicized blue, and then the applicable translations. The simplicity with which the software operates complements the other features, which are accessible through the commands Dictionary, Edit, and three icons on the toolbar.

The Dictionary command presents options to close, get help, or to find out more about the program. One can also switch between the languages in a language pair, or load a different dictionary. The Edit command houses the options Copy, Paste, Select All, and Clear, to facilitate transferring text or words to and from other applications.

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