Spanish Translation Software

It used to be that choosing Spanish translation software was like choosing my clothes when I was in elementary school. I was allowed to to choose the color of the pants, but they were all corduroy. So it was with translation software: you had a few options in the software you could choose, but each piece of software was basically a clone of all the others, and so really, there was no choice in the matter.

Things have definitely come a long way since then, and not only are there vastly different types of Spanish dictionary software platforms to choose from, each is unique in what it provides to the user. Your first thought might be that it's better when there was only one type of software to choose from, but the explosion in the language software field has yielded vast improvements in how automatic translation is done, and this has only helped fuel practical developments in translation software, especially for the Spanish language.

Due to the increase in the numbers of individuals and companies working on the translation issue, there are lots of choices for consumers who are interested in purchasing Spanish translation software, and like anything else, it can be daunting to try and figure out which software will work best for you. Too often people are worried about looking for the latest and greatest Spanish translation software reviews, when instead they should be more concerned with getting the software that will help them effectively do what they want the software to do, whatever that may be.

With that in mind, there are questions that a prospective buyer should ask before purchasing any Spanish dictionary software:

What Platform Will You Use?

First and foremost, it's important to first understand where you will be using the translation software. There are so many computing devices out on the market today, and as a Spanish translator software user you need to know where you want to use the software. For example, do you own a Smartphone and need to have translation access directly at your fingertips for use on a job site or while traveling? Are you a language student or translator that needs this language capability at your desktop PC at home? Maybe you use a Symbian OS device and need appropriate software for that. Or maybe you prefer using Palm OS. Then again, maybe you are an Apple iphone user and are looking for an Iphone Spanish app that can help you with your language translation needs.

Here are just some of the platforms that you might need supported by Spanish translation software:

1. Desktop PCs
2. Pocket PCs
3. Symbian Devices
4. Palm OS
5. Apple products

Even though you might find one application that can be used in multiple devices or across different configurations, there is no piece of translation software that will work on all of these platforms, so it's essential that you ask yourself which platform you need supported most by the software you will be purchasing. Nothing's worse than getting a tool that doesn't work.

How Will You Use The Translation Software?

Nearly as important as figuring out what device you'll want supported is figuring out exactly what you'll be using the software for. I've mentioned this plenty of other places, but I'll say it again here: You shouldn't spend money on something as important as a Spanish translator or Spanish translation software without knowing exactly what you'll need it for. The needs of a Spanish language student are going to be a lot different than a business user needing translation or dictionary software, for example. And if you're a translator, you're going to be using the software a lot different than a casual user might.

That being said, you might think that there aren't that many differences between the different types of dictionary software available on the market, but the truth is that there is a lot of variation in what is out there. Companies realize two things when creating software, and that is that different users have different needs, and that the company can earn more money by providing different packages to different users. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, because having a wide range of choices helps the consumer only buy what he/she needs without having to spend on unnecessary features.

Which brings me to following...

What to Avoid in Purchasing Translation Software?

Depending on what platform you'll be using your software on, and what you'll be using the software for will determine what kinds of things you should look to avoid when purchasing Spanish dictionary software. However, there are some general things that you should avoid as I have found them to be either a waste of space, or unnecessary for effectively using the software.

1. Software with a limited vocabulary
Another thing I've often said is that translation software is only as good as the vocab database included. Don't get software that comes with a small vocabulary database or you'll soon find that it doesn't provide for your needs.

2. No ability to add your own vocab
Speaking of vocabulary, one of the best features of translation software is the ability to add your own vocabulary words and definitions to existing vocabulary databases. You would think that this feature would be included in all translation software but you'd be mistaken. There are always subtle regional differences in vocabulary so it's nice to have the ability to edit what you want for your own needs.

3. Only available with Microsoft products
First let me say that I use both Macs and PCs. Right now I have a MacBook, as well as a PC laptop and PC desktop, and use all of them, so I have no interest in debating which one is best. What I do have an interest in, though, is being able to use Spanish software on both platforms. It does me no good if I can only use the software on one platform because as a translator, I often switch between computers and need the ability to go back and forth. Also, I don't only rely on Microsoft products and will stay away from software that can only be used with the Microsoft Office suite of products.

Translation Software or Translation Toolkit?

Since I've mentioned translation, and the fact that I'm a translator, it's important to distinguish between Spanish translation software and toolkits used by translators. Believe it or not there is a a difference, and if you're going to be buying some language software, you'll want to make sure you know the difference between the two because they are not the same.

When most people (those who aren't translators anyway) think of Spanish translation software, what they are really thinking of is dictionary software that is able to translate words and possibly even short phrases and sentences into Spanish or English so that they can study their Spanish homework (if they are students) or help them in their next overseas trip or business meeting (as a tourist or international business traveler).

Translators, however, need something more suited to their profession of taking large amounts of text and transferring it into a different language, and as such they require software that will not only help with the strict language aspect but will also aid in managing that large amount of data that is in two (or even more) different languages. For translators, Spanish translation software helps them perform their job faster and more efficiently while standardizing translations within and across domains which is an absolute must for any translator dealing with a decent amount of translation work.

Both types of software I just mentioned do cost money, and usually the more features the software has, the more it will cost, many times costing upwards of a few hundred dollars. However, if you want to understand the difference between these two types of software at a basic level, you can look at Google. Most people know that Google has a free online translator at translate.google.com where you can get a rough translation of a limited number of words. However, most people don't know that Google also freely provides the Google Translator Toolkit to aid translators. If you're curious how real Spanish translation software for translators works, it's free to use and thus a great tool for the price.