Declan

[Qiuyue]

Aren´t there any people using the Declan Software?

I would very much appreciate some unbiased information about it, especially in comparison with the Plecodict.

Which one shoud I by for my Palm? At least the price of Declan seems fairer, but what about functionality?

[Jockster]

Hej på dej,

I've got both Declan's desktop software suite (dictionary, flashcard, read/write). Overall, the software is pretty good, especially the flashcard software. You get lots of files to practice with that include audio, and it is easy to create your own flashcards.

As regards the dictionary, one of my quibbles is that there is no column for Pin Yin in the interface. Overall searching is a bit cumbersome, but the biggest shortcoming is the simple fact that CEDICT is not very comprehensive. CEDICT does not compare to Oxford or ABC (which are included in Pleco), it's that simple. If you want to give CEDICT a go, why not try DimSum (www.mandarintools.com), it is free of charge; it is also a very good application, more versatile than the Declan dictionary application, as a matter of fact.

I am happy with Pleco, and with the update that is due later this year, it sounds like it is going to get even better. Nothing is perfect, but Pleco is comprehensive and user-friendly, and that goes a long way.

[Qiuyue]

Hej hej

Yes, everything speaks for Plecodict. Accept that the price of Declan is fairly low.

I want something for a handheld (yet to by though...) as I am spending enough time in front of my desktop anyway.