LongShiKong
举人
I'm sure you've considered marketing Pleco to Chinese learning English.
Why not?
You'd already expressed an interest in making Pleco available in other languages:
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by mikelove on Fri Jun 18, 2004 12:46 am
This is something we'd definitely like to do, but unfortunately we haven't been able to find a French/Chinese or Chinese/French dictionary to license yet (and same goes for German/Spanish/Italian/etc).
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=63
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For the Chinese market, you wouldn't have to license another dictionary--just translate the menus and remove the Pinyin.
I'm sure it wouldn't be easy to compete with the ubiquitous Kingsoft 金山词霸. I don't know about their mobile version* (reviews, anyone?) but their desktop software is the most comprehensive set of bilingual dictionaries I've ever seen providing bilingual definitions, examples (covering various usages), collocations; synonyms & antonyms, and even etymologies. Data-wise, it's a great product but the software end--cursor translator, 'NewWordPad', and absence of frequency info leave a lot to be desired. I use it as much as Pleco. I'm about to get the 2009 version just hoping to see some improvements. With Google's backing, maybe they've done something on this end: (8 May 2008 ... Google and Kingsoft launched today a free Chinese-English-Chinese dictionary.)
How many of us have proudly shown our beloved Pleco to Chinese? I'm sure the $100 US is the major deterrent from entering this market but that's competitive with electronic dictionaries. At least if my T3 gets stolen or dies (after warranty expiry, like my ¥1800 electronic dictionary), I haven't lost everything.
My guess is it's marketing. Am I right?
Why not?
You'd already expressed an interest in making Pleco available in other languages:
-------------------------------------------------
by mikelove on Fri Jun 18, 2004 12:46 am
This is something we'd definitely like to do, but unfortunately we haven't been able to find a French/Chinese or Chinese/French dictionary to license yet (and same goes for German/Spanish/Italian/etc).
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=63
------------------------------------------------
For the Chinese market, you wouldn't have to license another dictionary--just translate the menus and remove the Pinyin.
I'm sure it wouldn't be easy to compete with the ubiquitous Kingsoft 金山词霸. I don't know about their mobile version* (reviews, anyone?) but their desktop software is the most comprehensive set of bilingual dictionaries I've ever seen providing bilingual definitions, examples (covering various usages), collocations; synonyms & antonyms, and even etymologies. Data-wise, it's a great product but the software end--cursor translator, 'NewWordPad', and absence of frequency info leave a lot to be desired. I use it as much as Pleco. I'm about to get the 2009 version just hoping to see some improvements. With Google's backing, maybe they've done something on this end: (8 May 2008 ... Google and Kingsoft launched today a free Chinese-English-Chinese dictionary.)
How many of us have proudly shown our beloved Pleco to Chinese? I'm sure the $100 US is the major deterrent from entering this market but that's competitive with electronic dictionaries. At least if my T3 gets stolen or dies (after warranty expiry, like my ¥1800 electronic dictionary), I haven't lost everything.
My guess is it's marketing. Am I right?