User Comments - calkins
calkins
Posted on: Sorry and Thank You
March 1, 2009 at 8:13 AMHey Light, I didn't say that. But I'll go along with it ;)
Posted on: Newserino
March 1, 2009 at 5:24 AMkevina, PlecoDict isn't a desktop application (though one is in the works). It's a mobile dictionary and flashcard program that can be used on smart phones and Palm devices. It works with Macs and PCs.
It's not cheap, but I can tell you that it is by far the best $100 I have spent on any Chinese language learning tool (Cpod included). And there are also many free flashcard sets on the web that can be downloaded into Pleco.
If you have ever used Pleco, you know that the program is far superior to Cpod's flashcard program. This is not a knock on Cpod, it's just that this is all that Pleco does.
Go here to see a few screenshots of what Pleco's flashcard program can do. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Compare it with Cpod's and you will know the difference.
Again, not saying Cpod's is not an okay tool. It's just not in the same league. Why reinvent the wheel when you can create a simple tool to work with the wheel that is already out there? Just my 2 cents.
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The professional version is $100, basic is $70. Either way, I understand it's a lot of money. But again, well worth it. And maybe Cpod and Pleco could partner together to offer a bundled price.
Sorry to belabor this topic, but Cpod and PlecoDict are very powerful tools when used together.
Posted on: Newserino
March 1, 2009 at 5:04 AMPlaying devil's advocate here....
Why is a mobile flashcard app. being developed when the online flashcard tool is sorely lacking? Especially when Android only works in 9 countries (China excluded).
I'd rather see a simple export tool so that Cpod vocabulary can be imported into PlecoDict, a much much more powerful flashcard program, which also isn't limited to certain smart phones and/or service provider. A simple export tool would create less front-end and back-end work for Cpod.
I only know a little about Android, so maybe I'm missing something completely. Please enlighten us.
Posted on: The Attitude Pattern (yǒu shénme... 有什么...)
February 27, 2009 at 11:24 PMIm Back Bitches!
...in true Clay Roup fasion! Things just aren't the same here without you (and Amber). Give us an update on your latest 上海 adventures.
Posted on: I Miss Daddy!
February 25, 2009 at 11:40 AMThe following expansion sentence has a grammatical mistake (English):
我们都不喜欢他。
None of us like him.
like should be likes. Very nitpicky I know, but it is a language site :)
I enjoyed this lesson. I've always wondered about the similarities of "to miss" and "to want" used with 想。
Posted on: More News!
February 22, 2009 at 11:57 PMlicha, 你說得對。
Posted on: More News!
February 22, 2009 at 1:32 PMI have to agree with bababardwan regarding posting pinyin and a translation.
How many native Chinese write in hanzi and pinyin?
How many tools are out there on the web for reading hanzi or rolling over the hanzi and quickly getting the pinyin? How many are there that provide an English translation? Learning Chinese is a difficult adventure...it shouldn't be made so easy, otherwise you lose some important information.
I believe that you gain a lot more when the pinyin and translation aren't handed to you on a silver platter. I think you will learn more quickly if you use a dictionary and/or the many web tools...maybe not at first, but the additional knowledge you gain (from research) will snowball.
And like bababardwan, I also think that if you don't want to read hanzi-only posts, or feel like being lazy on a given day, just skip it and go to the next comment.
Posted on: Expired!
February 21, 2009 at 1:12 PMHi paulinurus, the bold/italic font has happened to me a few times and I finally figured out why.
Whenever you copy and paste someone's user name, the text afterwards is usually in bold. Now I just copy the name, paste it into the URL, copy again, then paste it into the comment box....pretty funny, but it works when I know I will butcher someone's name if I don't copy it!
Posted on: Where Do You Live?
February 19, 2009 at 10:48 AMJiaojie, thank you for your answer. It actually surprised me that “我是美国人，我住在台北” is more common...just because Chinese seems to be so succinct to me. But I will definitely take your word for it!
Changye, thanks for the really great additional information. Very useful.
Posted on: Sorry and Thank You
March 1, 2009 at 8:41 AMLight 没关系, I can understand the mixup...we both complain a lot!