recommendations for PC-kanji/dictionary software?

[gkanai]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for both recommendations on hand-held kani/English dictionaries as well as PC/Windows software (like Dr. Mouse) which do the same thing.

Anyone have any recommendations for me?

Thanks!

Gen

[Steve Bildermann]

You could start here.

http://www.asiasoft.com/language-translation/index.html

[devicenull]

go find an edict port

[American Oyaji]

What is an edict?

[gpvillamil]

EDICT is a public domain Japanese-English dictionary project. Based on the output from EDICT, a number of companies have written software that streamlines using it.

A good package is from Declan Software, oriented towards students of Japanese. I have used their hiragana, katakana and kanji learning software as well, it's pretty good.

[GomiGirl]

If you are in Japan - use your mobile phone!!!

Now what was the name of that excellent service????

That's it.

TangoTown

[kotatsuneko]

if you want a crack for those apps, pm me

*link removed, on second thoughts..*

does anyone perchance have a copy of their "full 103,000 word version of the dictionary is available to registered users on request." ?

[GomiGirl]

if you want a crack for those apps, pm me

*link removed, on second thoughts..*

By "crack" what are you suggesting?

[kotatsuneko]

err that u use the app without paying for it..

not everyone has a disposable income y'know, or likes paying for something they can get for free..

this is a place for f*cked, not moral gaijin after all ^^

[GomiGirl]

err that u use the app without paying for it..

not everyone has a disposable income y'know, or likes paying for something they can get for free..

this is a place for f*cked, not moral gaijin after all ^^

I knew what you were suggesting, I just wanted to hear you say it.

It is not meant as a personal atttack on Kots because many people think that it is OK to share software or use a stolen licence number.

As a software developer in a small company I must take issue with this. I know, I know that EVERYBODY does it, but not often do people consider what happens as a result.

Small companies that make software are not faceless multi-nationals that have zillionaire geeks as their figureheads. Most software companies are small groups of extremely passionate and hardworking people trying to build applications that make people's lives easier or more interesting.

But, you know, the trouble with this is that we have to eat and pay the rent occassionally too, just like everybody. Piracy, or cracking date codes, hacking into copy protection or whatever you want to call it - is THEFT!!! And it is not a victimless crime.

This means that staff don't get salaries on time or worse have to be laid off. These staff have families and rent to pay as well. It goes down the line. Sometimes I think I would prefer that people actually broke into my house and stole my TV or CD player directly from me rather than steal something that I have spent months or maybe years working on.

OK perhaps I am being a little melodramatic, however, one case in particular really hurt me as I had quite a few beta testers on some software - they all knew that this was a trial in order to get their feedback to make a better product for the commercial version. When we released the commercial version, someone broke the time limiting setting on the beta version and shared it with 600 of his closest friends!! We were only charging $30 for the software for chrissake!!

It killed the product that had been 2 years in development. I think I have sold about 150 copies which doesn't nearly cover the cost of development.

So I will end the rant - but while you may think that you are not hurting anybody by sending around cracks for apps, or doing the black pen around the CD trick, there are people out there that suffer as a result.

I wouldn't expect anybody to work for nothing - I just ask the same curtesy in return.

[ramchop]

Small companies that make software are not faceless multi-nationals that have zillionaire geeks as their figureheads.

So it's still OK for me to copy the Disney videos from across the street to babysit (and melt the brains of) the FG kids with?

[GomiGirl]

Small companies that make software are not faceless multi-nationals that have zillionaire geeks as their figureheads.

So it's still OK for me to copy the Disney videos from across the street to babysit (and melt the brains of) the FG kids with?

Why don't you just borrow them rather than violate copyright law?

Videos from TV are slightly different. You can copy or record from TV as long as this is for personal use and not for re-renting and thus making money without sending royalties back.

[kotatsuneko]

well, i have worked for various soft/hardware companies in the past including: nintendo/namco and snk, with some pr work for sega also

and back in the uk have many friends who work in the games industry and you know what? ppl working for software houses are the biggest pirates in the world...

no, thats wrong, the ppl working in the music biz outdo them, but if you count costs/volume of goods spread then the softcos are way ahead..

let me say this - i am a data thief and proud of it - my life has always been enriched by being a liar, cheat and a thief

when i wanted language books in london, i would go to foyles etc and indeed stole around £900 worth of language/cultural books from them, which i am rather happy about

you howeve are talking about small companies, and , yes, that is somewhat different, and i removed the direct link to the cracks, not out of concern for the firm, but rather, with so many forums being held liable these days, thought that was the best thing to do

i do buy a lot of software, games mostly even though i have copies of them way before their release date. but with pc apps, the thing is 99% of them are wip, especially those from the major companies, so even though you pay a fortune for the licence/ware it will be bugged and take a year or more to actually work without issue

yep i know that with small companies its different, but the thing is, coming from a mentality that revolves around , if something is available for free, take it, spread it, use it.,. thats a very difficult thing to break out of, and one i have no desire too

i am not a moral person, far from it, i also have never had a decent salary, so i will always steal and spread data, thats just the way it is, and no matter how far and wide it is spread, you know surely that the amount is miniscule compared to the damage done by people working for the major softcos..

wares are a sideline for me, emulation is what i am really into.. and tho it is often compared to the wares scene, well most games cos still in biz don't have full archives of their own product, but thats a whole different argument..

i have been as honest as possible here, and acknowledge your opinion on this and please don't take this as deriding it that isnt/wasnt the point
it's a valid opinion, and one that i respect, but ultimately data has always been , and always will be stolen ^^

[GomiGirl]

let me say this - i am a data thief and proud of it - my life has always been enriched by being a liar, cheat and a thief

OK my apartment will be locked - just break in and take what you like!!

Or perhaps people should just give up making applications as people will just steal them so there is no point.

I think it is interesting as you have seem to have taken people to court when you have felt violated.. just a tad hypocritical don't you think?

Perhaps if you were a bit more ethical in the way you approach things you would be more likely to get a good a job that pays you a decent wage.

[kotatsuneko]

i took compamies to court for other people, not myself

and all humans are hypocritical..

show me one that isnt ..

id rather remain unethical and low waged as money has no meaning or value - what is the point being a slave to money?

thanks for the flame!

[GomiGirl]

Sorry for venting at you Kots, but your attitute about piracy just made me see red.

I work my ass off for very little personal money and when I have wanted something I have saved for it or gone without. The reason I work my ass off is to try to make good software that is of use to people and hopefully make their lives a little easier. But I also have bills to pay and staff salaries to worry about so when things get stolen from me I take it personally.

I don't believe in sitting back and just taking from the world, albeit an imperfect world - rather I try to contribute to it.. otherwise there is just no point. Cradle to grave is a short time and I mean to be make my time productive.

et me say this - i am a data thief and proud of it - my life has always been enriched by being a liar, cheat and a thief

This I don't buy for a second. I believe you reap what you sow. I know you have had some problems lately - health and otherwise - so perhaps your lifestyle/values are contributing to this.

Just a few thoughts..

[kotatsuneko]

heh , i don`t know how much you read before you reacted to it..

but, if i may...

i do know where you are coming from, as i have worked in the same kind of field, albeit on perhaps a larger scale..

but we come from completley different mindsets, so will never agree on this..

thing is, well i don't know what generation you are from, and it`s none of my biz, but the way i, and my peers see things is that using and spreading wares is a good thing.. and often having access to the latest is a key to trading for stuff you dont have..

often, well almost always the way people that i know see software , is a product, the company isnt normally recognised, that is, an on the shelf product isnt normally distinguished from something from a start up

all that is seen is a title on a release site/nfo file, someone mentions/requests an app, and whether a cracked/serial release is available and it gets spread

there has always been the mentality to do this as i guess most people have something against large companies, but unfortunatley due to lack of information, small companies suffer also

having betas leaked like that is the worst, i know of several excellent emulators that have been canned due to this happening, and on occasion the authors have quit the scene altogether, leaking betas is really unforgivable

well, my mindset on piracy has always been that if its available, spread it, and if you really like it, buy it, i myself buy a lot of software after using a pirate version, believe it or not...

perhaps more small/startup developers should include a note on piracy and its effects in the helpme file..

no hassles on the flaming part , i`d have done the same ^^

[ramchop]

Why don't you just borrow them rather than violate copyright law?

Videos from TV are slightly different. You can copy or record from TV as long as this is for personal use and not for re-renting and thus making money without sending royalties back.

Are you sure about that?

Personally I don't see much difference in copying from TV (cutting out the moneymaking ads) and renting from a video shop and pirating the thing.

The only difference I've noticed in quality is the sound isn't so good on the pirated ones (only one VCR is stereo). And I'm not so quick on the pause button with the TV copied stuff. Hence the little darlings when watching Beauty and the Beast get to hear the a snippet from a Beverly Hills Cop ad:

Foley: "You've chaanged man!"
Crim: "I'm gonna blow your fucking brains out!"

Regardless, all videos will be binned before we head back home. (we might have actually bought the dreaded Lion King if it wasn't for regional differences)

[gpvillamil]

Just my two cents:

Declan software is a *tiny* company. It's a few people in Australia, I think. I purchased all the products I use, and in return they've been very helpful and supportive, to the point of making changes/corrections in the software in response to my feedback. Their products are not expensive - it's worth spending the money.

I generally pay for all the shareware I use, and have always found the developers to be very helpful and responsive. In particular, I've been using J-OS, KDIC and PalmRadic (Japanese language tools for the Palm OS), and could not have made much progress without actually contacting the developers directly.

There is a moral issue, about paying for someone's effort, and an issue of practicality, about being able to contact knowledgeable people when you need help.

I'd have to agree with GomiGrrl that living according to a moral code and having a clean conscience affects your life & health, in some cases dramatically.

[American Oyaji]

I've downloaded stuff from the net. But the only products I do this with are software packages that costs HUNDREDS of dollars. I don't make any money off of it, but if I did, I would buy the software outright, or if I could possibly afford it I would.

The other time I do this is when I cannot gain access to the product through normal purchase channels. I did that in Japan when I didnt have a credit card and couldnt purchase from the states.

There are many reasons for it. Are they right? no. But unfortunately, most people that have been using the net since its nascent days when people swapped data under the radar before it became mainstream still have this same attitude and they spread it to others.

The only way to combat the beta testing issue is security. Keep your code secure and encrypted if possible. Or make it so that the beta tester doesn't have a copy he can monkey with.