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CAT Tools

Sun, 2009-11-01 17:13

In this article I want to give a presentation of CAT (Computer-Aided Translation) tools. If you translate regularly, these tools are great and can save you time and hassle. Of course, some of them are not free, but if you are a professional, they are worth the investment. If you don't feel like paying for them, there are also some free options which support quite a few of the features.

So, what can CAT tools exactly do for you?
Here are the main features:

1. They offer a single-window translation environment. Normally, when translating, you use Word or any other word processor, and you probably have two windows: one with the original text and one with your translation. Switching back and forth can be annoying so this feature spares you the trouble.

2. They use translation memory technology. This matches your translation with the original text as best as it can, and saves these pairs for later use. Every time you encounter one of the previous words or structures, the program offers you translation suggestions.

3. They support tagged and programming-language files. If you need to localize something, the software recognizes the computer language instructions and stops you from translating them, allowing you to focus only on the text to be translated.

Here are three of the most important CAT tools:

1. SDL Trados Studio 2009
OS: Windows
Web site: http://www.translationzone.com/en/products/sdl-trados-freelance/
Price: €755/$945

This is the market leader. It supports the basic features plus many others, so it's a bit complex. Its major drawbacks are that it only works on Windows and that it's quite pricey.

2. Wordfast Pro
OS: Mac, Linux, Windows
Web site: http://www.wordfast.com/products_wordfast_60.html
Price: €300/$485

This is the runner-up. It boasts simplicity of use while still supporting a lot of features, and it's also a lot cheaper than Trados. The low price combined with the multi-platform support makes it a very good choice for many translators.

3. OmegaT
OS: Cross-platform
Web site: http://www.omegat.org/en/omegat.html
Price: Free

OmegaT is a solution proposed by the open-source community. It supports many file formats, including some of the most important ones, and many features found in the commercial programs.

There are many more options to choose from. You can find a list of CAT tools here. Now, start experimenting and find the one suitable for you.
Happy translating.

Author: Lucas

A Windows user's first impression of Ubuntu Part 1

Mon, 2009-04-27 22:52

After several years of using Windows I have finally made the step towards Linux by choosing Ubuntu. I can't say I hated or hate Windows but it was the time to do some cleaning and since Linux had been an attraction for me for a few years I decided to switch. Now I feel like a kid with a new toy. I want to find all the goodies, and explore all the features of this OS.
Here are my impressions after several hours of using Ubuntu:

#1. I like the fact that Ubuntu installs so quickly. I got stuck at first because I wanted to create the partitions manually without having a clue about the Linux file systems and types of partitions, but after I received help everything was over in ~15 minutes. Considering I also formatted 70GB of my hard drive I consider it a real performance.

#2. Another strong point are the drivers. They are installed with the OS so you don't have to spend time searching for them and installing those too.

#3. I also like how Gnome organizes the shortcuts in the task bar. For my organized spirit, the fact that you have Applications where you can find the different types of software that you need, Places where all the different partitions and folders can be found, and System which contains the settings related to the OS is a real treat.

#4. Having software already installed with the OS is another big bonus. Furthermore, new software is just a few clicks away. It feels really great to know I have several options to choose from without doing much work. It takes 15 minutes to install an OS with drivers and plenty of applications while the same package with XP took me +3 hours. I'm starting to think more and more that Linux or at least Ubuntu is for lazy people. :)

#5. I'm really curious about the terminal. I've already used it twice today, once to install the flash player and the second time to move some folders. My friend, coolgoose, says I have a fetish about it. Well, it's kinda sexy, but it's not just that. I've always heard that one of the strengths of Linux was it's terminal and I don't want to be the Linux user that just goes click-click. I want to explore it deeper. I want to be a h4xor. :D

The only difficulties I've had so far are not finding a keyboard shortcut for switching between keyboard layouts and not being able to listen to some music from the Internet. I hope to fix both soon enough.

To be continued...

Author: Lucas
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