Three dictionary translation tool software in Mac horizontal contrast

Compared to the popularity of Windows platform, Mac platform because of its user group high-end, the overall style of simple and refreshing, the development system closed and so on, user choice of software focus is also different from Windows platform, software brand share and the market pattern and the Windows platform is far apart. So, the many Mac platform of translation software brand, which section of the performance better? which is more suitable for use under the Mac platform?

As a senior Mac users, small series specially selected two of the current popular Mac end dictionary software, coupled with the new version of the Youdao dictionary Mac, to carry out a horizontal comparison, to facilitate everyone better understand their respective advantages and disadvantages, make their own choice.

Of course, personality-advocating Mac users are not going to be swayed by random, so my evaluation will be as thorough as possible, as for you to choose which one, Nacho master's words to encourage: Follow your heart~~ Well, let's take a look at these three dictionary software simple official introduction bar.

Figure 1: The logo of the three dictionary

PowerWord: Installation package size of 12M.

PowerWord is already a more than 10-year-old old dictionary. The field of dictionary software has been ruled by a boxed dictionary. The Mac version was launched in 08 as a beta version. It supports the functions of Word reading, Word Library import, and search word history record.

Youdao Dictionary: Installation package size of 1.6M.

Youdao Dictionary Mac version is a NetEase company based on the search engine technology development, MAC under the exclusive network dictionary. It supports the powerful functions of word-taking, word-translation, network interpretation, professional nouns, encyclopedia, and other languages.

Euclidean dictionary: Installation size 60M.

The European dictionary is based on the Apple style and use of a custom design of a Mac platform on the dictionary software. Support to take words, strokes, local terms, full text translation, pronunciation aloud, new words and other rich functions.

Because of the excellent features of the Mac system, the installation process simply drags the files directly into the program. Installation process four Dictionary Small series is no longer in contrast.

First, Start Page

Powerword:

PowerWord Start Page Let small series is more disappointed. The blank middle area does not say, the above row of buttons's table meaning also really lets the small weave to touch the mind. In addition to a glance out of the pronunciation function, the front of a few icons are not very clear meaning. Had to let the little one think of the word America. Hope Jinshan can continue to the Mac platform to update the word bully, do not let him stay forever in this version of 08.

Figure 2: The start page of PowerWord

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao Dictionary Start Page is more concise and clear, keep the Mac software refreshing consistent characteristics. Check the words, examples, encyclopedia, translation classification is more clear, take the word, the switch is also more convenient to draw the word. But the arrangement position is somewhat not ideal, the whole concentrates on the left side.

The middle part uses the same daily English as the Windows version, which is helpful for the improvement of the user's English level. The point is that the word feature has not been fully integrated into the client, you need to open a separate Web access. However, because it is 1.0beta version, I believe the Youdao will be in the next update will continue to improve the function of the Mac version, to achieve their pursuit of, "still very small very strong" effect.

Figure 3: The starting page of the Youdao dictionary

European Road Dictionary:

Small series I have been using the genuine version of the European Road Dictionary. The price of 98 dollars is really not very cheap. Because the free powerword is too rough, cracked version of the European dictionary will not know when will be crash to let you buy again, a hard-hearted, small make up I still bought the registration code.

It has to be admitted that because of a special Mac dictionary, the starting page of the European dictionary is more in line with the style of the Mac platform. The color, the arrangement looks more comfortable. But the home page will record the history of the query, a little bit worse for the user's sense of privacy. At the same time, once you have a query operation, you can not go back to the Clean Start page settings, hope that in the later version of the update can be improved.

Figure 4: The start page of the Euclidean dictionary

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord: ★★★

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★

European Dictionary: ★★★★☆

Second, the Operation experience

Powerword:

PowerWord in the search word operation to small make up the impression is good. Simple, fast. Enter the completion of the hit return can be directly to the results page, empty the query box can be directly back to the start page. But it is still mentioned before and the biggest problem is that it is too shabby.

Figure 5: PowerWord Word Search interface

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao dictionary feel more refreshing, enter the words need to query the word direct return to the results page can be. When the word-search process is finished, you can immediately skip back to the start page by deleting the word you are looking for. It's more convenient.

Figure 6: Youdao Dictionary of Word-searching interface

European Road Dictionary:

The operation experience of the Euclidean dictionary is less than that of the first two dictionaries. Input completed to the results page requires two times to enter the results page can be reached. The biggest feature of Mac platform is simple, convenient and refreshing. Xiao Bian is not quite able to understand the European dictionary of this setting is why.

Although the process of looking up the word is quite cumbersome, but some small details or let small series more like. such as directly add to the new words this function, compared with Youdao dictionary network Word of the function, omitted the account login steps. Although can not like Youdao Dictionary of the word as much as the terminal synchronization, but considering the European dictionary only to do the characteristics of the Mac platform, it can be understood.

Figure 7: The word-searching interface of the Euclidean dictionary

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord: ★★★☆

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★☆

European Dictionary: ★★★★

Third, Word library data

For dictionary software, thesaurus data is the most important hard power. The next small series would like to compare the three dictionary thesaurus.

Powerword:

Query results only basic interpretation does not say, PowerWord does not have a network thesaurus. Relying on only the English-Chinese, Chinese-English Dictionary of two local thesaurus. But in contrast to the European dictionary, which is the same as the local dictionary, Jinshan 12M installation package contains the vocabulary is obviously not the same as the 62M, the dictionary is the most critical word library quality than the use of network Thesaurus of the Youdao dictionary and large capacity of the local thesaurus of the European dictionary is a lot worse.

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao Dictionary results in addition to the basic interpretation of the accident, but also in the same synonym words on the description of the type of professional vocabulary. Click on the pronunciation button to compare the standard vocals. At the same time, Youdao dictionary also has the function of network interpretation, from the Internet to crawl the corresponding information of this entry.

However, because the installation package is only 1.6M, there is no local thesaurus in nature. Results in a non-networked state that cannot be used. For this point, I specifically corresponded to see the next Youdao Dictionary Windows version. In the disconnected network state is only the basic thesaurus. It seems that "very small very strong" features still need to support the network. In addition, the Windows version is specifically designed for offline use of Youdao dictionary local enhanced version, I hope that the Mac platform can also be launched after the corresponding version to meet the needs of users offline.

European Road Dictionary:

Thesaurus, although not as well as the network Thesaurus dictionary, but its 42M installation package to foil the word base of the heavy feeling or more can let users rest assured.

In the same way, the European dictionary also supports the pronunciation function, but the pronunciation is not a real person pronunciation, some unpleasant.

Compared with the quality of thesaurus, it is natural to use some professional words and new words to examine the software's collection.

Due to the high end of the Mac platform users, often contact with professional English vocabulary. Small make up I also specifically chose the biochemical category of high-end words to see the results respectively. To acetogen-production of acetic acid bacteria, the word Youdao Dictionary and European Dictionary performance is good, have found the corresponding results. Jinshan performance is more disappointing, not included in this word.

Figure 8: The expression of biochemical vocabulary in three dictionaries

Then there are the questions that will arise in reading. Personality-advocating Mac users will certainly often contact some original English books. When reading, it is inevitable to encounter the words or phrases that do not know, with "Harry Potter" in the Diagon alley-Diagonal Alley, for example, Youdao dictionary not only gave the correct explanation, but also commented out the scene examples. The other two dictionaries were somewhat unsatisfactory, and did not give the correct results.

Figure 9: The expression of the professional vocabulary of the three dictionary works

In order to ensure the timely collection of new words hot words, interpretation to maintain the latest, the network interpretation function has been in the Windows platform, the Web version has been widely used, has become a different from the "Boxed dictionary" and its representatives of the previous generation of dictionary software Technology One of the important indicators. In response to this, the small series specifically selected ungelivable-not to force a word, to test to see whether the thesaurus of the three dictionary is a function of network interpretation, whether enough to cover today's forums, micro-blog often appear on these network vocabulary.

Youdao Dictionary has the network interpretation, gives the corresponding results. PowerWord and European dictionary does not have this function, can not find the results.

Figure 10: The expression of Internet vocabulary in three dictionaries

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord: ★★★

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★★

European Dictionary: ★★★★

Let's take a look at more highlights feature comparisons.

Iv. Examples of sentences

Powerword:

PowerWord examples are relatively simple, and the number is very small.

Figure 11: The example of Kingsoft

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao Dictionary example is a separate option, because it is a network dictionary, example examples from the network thesaurus. So both the quantity and the quality are not bad.

Figure 12: Youdao Dictionary of examples

European Road Dictionary:

This may be due to the local thesaurus, resulting in a number of situations that need to be controlled. But the example is not a complete sentence. This situation may make the user feel less experienced. For learners of English, complete sentences can better understand the meaning and usage of words. The Euclidean dictionary is still to be improved in the example above.

Figure 13: Example of the European dictionary

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord: ★★★★

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★★

European Dictionary: ★★★☆

Five, encyclopedia function

Powerword:

PowerWord No encyclopedia function.

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao Dictionary of the Encyclopedia with the Interactive Encyclopedia of the database. The use of graphic matching effect, more clearly clear. However, from the terms of jobs can be seen in terms of timeliness, there are some minor flaws.

Figure 14: Youdao Dictionary Encyclopedia Interface

European Road Dictionary:

The European dictionary uses Wikipedia's database, which is obviously much more powerful than the dictionary-Interactive Encyclopedia database. But there are problems in the picture: Wikipedia's visit is not very smooth. This has a great impact on the use of the European Dictionary Encyclopedia.

In addition to Wikipedia, the European dictionary in the reference to the integration of common materials, practical Web sites, job search and so rich information. These contents make the small weave to feel still very intimate.

Figure 15: The European Dictionary Encyclopedia interface

Figure 16: Reference content for the European dictionary

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord:--------

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★

European Dictionary: ★★★★☆

Vi. translation functions

Powerword:

PowerWord also does not support the translation function.

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao Dictionary can support the Chinese and British Japanese and Korean law of the five languages of the full text of the translation, to meet the needs of small language users. From the perspective of Chinese-English translation, the accuracy is also very gratifying. Some regret that the translation function also needs to be done online.

Figure 17: Youdao Dictionary Translation interface

European Road Dictionary:

The European dictionary also supports the five languages, the Chinese and English French and German Portuguese respectively. There is no dictionary of Japanese, Korean, more German and Portuguese. Like Youdao dictionaries, translation functions also require the support of the Internet. The bright point is to support reading aloud, but again, this is a paid version of the function. The unpaid words only support partial reading.

Figure 18: The translation interface of the European Road Dictionary

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord:--------

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★

European Dictionary: ★★★★☆

Seven, take the word to draw the word

At the end of the whole evaluation, small part of the focus on the comparison is very convenient for the word stroke function.

Because of the last update of PowerWord in 08, Nature is not a word to draw words function. Here the emphasis is to compare the Youdao dictionary and the European Dictionary.

Word-taking switch:

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao Dictionary of the word to the switch in the entire interface below, there are two check box. Can be easily checked and canceled.

Figure 19: Youdao Dictionary of Word-taking switch

European Road Dictionary:

And the European Dictionary of the word switch is directly placed on the toolbar. Although not as intuitive as a dictionary, but for users accustomed to Mac operation, it is not difficult to find.

Figure 20: The Euclidean dictionary's word-taking switch

The quality of the stroke Word:

As for the quality of the word, this distinction is more obvious.

The small series used Safari, Chrome, firefox7 to test the effect of word-taking.

Youdao Dictionary:

Youdao dictionary performance are excellent, able to accurately and quickly respond to the results. And from the results, it is not just translation, but also included in the content of the encyclopedia.

Figure 21: At the same time open the two dictionary software Word test-Youdao dictionary to take the word interface

European Road Dictionary:

The European dictionary, because of the use of the Word OCR method, resulting in the success rate is not very high, need to be repeated operation. Small knitting in the firefox7 did not take the word success. and trigger also need to click on the Word button, compared to Youdao dictionary "called to go to" the word-taking window, the European dictionary to take the word operation is a lot more complicated.

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord:--------

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★★

European Dictionary: ★★★★

The end of the whole article, small series in the form of a table for you to show the specific performance of the next three dictionaries.

Comprehensive Assessment:

PowerWord: ★★★☆

Youdao Dictionary: ★★★★☆

European Dictionary: ★★★★☆

This concludes my partial comparisons and evaluations, and now you can make your own choices based on your own focused application scenarios. Small part of the proposal is that in the case of a network can use the comprehensive performance of the Good Youdao dictionary, offline, you can choose to support the local thesaurus of the European dictionary, 98 dollars in the cost of the Mac users are not much, of course, if you really do not want to pay this money, you have to wait Youdao dictionary mac The version also supports local thesaurus like Windows version. Kingsoft in the evaluation performance slightly worse, as a veteran of domestic software brands, Jinshan in the internet era is always slow half beat, and hope they catch up as soon as possible.

Of course, how to choose the right Mac translation software, or to see your own choice, or Chowa the Lord left us the sentence: just follow your heart~~