Author Topic: Japanese Technology > American ... Stuff (Read 4820 times)

Tatsujin · « **on:** September 22, 2009, 02:51:47 PM »

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/

Dictionary, not a laptop. They call it "electronic dictionary" and it is hand-size. Hoshi showed me what he uses, I'm like "wow ...".

starh · « **Reply #1 on:** September 22, 2009, 03:00:33 PM »

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sVsAZggLF7LL8rOStLkbPg?authkey=Gv1sRgCLjZzrDrpqKCZQ&feat=directlink

This is my Electronic dictionary.
Many of Japanese students use them.

Tatsujin · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2009, 03:07:27 PM »

antman400 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 22, 2009, 03:24:34 PM »

Not Japanese but I've been using Chinese electronic dictionaries for years.

Xtras · « **Reply #4 on:** September 22, 2009, 08:05:46 PM »

Wow, when I saw the title I was expecting something completely different. Electronic Dictionaries are not of much use for most people to be honest. A laptop with internet more than fills this purpose. A netbook with a wireless connect card has infinitely more possibilites (albeit with a higher price tag). And what is the comparison with american stuff? Mind I will admit, most of the stuff we have here we didn't make, but we use more of them than the countries that made the stuff.

kostya · « **Reply #5 on:** September 22, 2009, 09:55:02 PM »

Sorry to burst your bubble, but they've had electronic dictionaries in the US for years. I remember looking at one in Radio Shack at least 10 years ago. If I remember correctly, it was a lot smaller then the one that you guys linked to.

You can get English language electronic dictionaries in the US. $30 at Target.

fohfoh · « **Reply #6 on:** September 22, 2009, 10:39:14 PM »

Dude, which rock did you just crawl out from under? These things have been around for over 15 years IN that STYLE too. My mom had one. Cost her about 150 CAD back in the day. But it was mainly Chinese-Chinese, Chinese-English and English-English. She used it for a good 7 years before it failed. Not because it was built bad, but because the duracell batteries she put in for whatever reason decided to spew acid everywhere and fry the inside. (Musta been a bad batch or something)

And for the record, my mom's electronic dictionary thingy was a sexy powder metallic blue. Awesome color.

Tatsujin · « **Reply #7 on:** September 22, 2009, 11:28:22 PM »

Quote from: fohfoh on September 22, 2009, 10:39:14 PM

Dude, which rock did you just crawl out from under? These things have been around for over 15 years IN that STYLE too. My mom had one. Cost her about 150 CAD back in the day. But it was mainly Chinese-Chinese, Chinese-English and English-English. She used it for a good 7 years before it failed. Not because it was built bad, but because the duracell batteries she put in for whatever reason decided to spew acid everywhere and fry the inside. (Musta been a bad batch or something)

And for the record, my mom's electronic dictionary thingy was a sexy powder metallic blue. Awesome color.

1994? Source?

relic2279 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2009, 12:46:58 AM »

Electronic dictionaries probably have been around longer than 1994. Just not as affordable. I remember them when I was high school in the early-mid 90's. They looked more like calculators though.

Tatsujin · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2009, 12:57:37 AM »

Quote from: relic2279 on September 23, 2009, 12:46:58 AM

Electronic dictionaries probably have been around longer than 1994. Just not as affordable. I remember them when I was high school in the early-mid 90's. They looked more like calculators though.

Never seen one in America. Never heard of it. No one spoke to me about it. It was never mentioned in classes both in high school and college. Never been mentioned even on the web. Been shopping for ages on the computer and IRL. So in short, it's new to me.

bcr123 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2009, 02:11:42 AM »

I had an electronic dictionary/Thesaurus back in highschool, I graduated in '92.

fohfoh · « **Reply #11 on:** September 23, 2009, 02:26:54 AM »

I seriously can't find a good pic. But if you find a way to look at older models, then yes. They have been streamlined and in a certain shape for a long time.

Ok, double checked the model. It's an Instant-Dict EC5900HV released in 1997. So, it's a little less than 15 years. Only 12.

ilk3000 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 23, 2009, 03:19:30 AM »

They've pretty much gone the way of PDAs and electronic address books except for some translation dictionaries, though I've used them before and I think paper dictionaries are superior.

Xtras · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2009, 04:25:10 AM »

Considering that the whole thing has been compressed into an application on peoples phones and netbooks, nobody really wants to carry around an actual translator/pda/address book anymore. I suppose once the right technology comes around (i.e. special cooling systems and less than 20 nm technology with the newer biotech, non-silicon/semiconducter based stuff), PC's will become obsolete as well, and will be replaced by pretty blazing fast laptops. Who knows what the future holds, but the curiosity is certainly fun.

bloody000 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 23, 2009, 04:47:59 AM »

Quote from: xtras on September 23, 2009, 04:25:10 AM

Considering that the whole thing has been compressed into an application on peoples phones and netbooks, nobody really wants to carry around an actual translator/pda/address book anymore. I suppose once the right technology comes around (i.e. special cooling systems and less than 20 nm technology with the newer biotech, non-silicon/semiconducter based stuff), PC's will become obsolete as well, and will be replaced by pretty blazing fast laptops. Who knows what the future holds, but the curiosity is certainly fun.

A notebook is more powerful than an ancient mainframe. Did notebooks become the new mainframes? No. Mainframes are still mainframes and still much more powerful than puny little notebooks.

kureshii · « **Reply #15 on:** September 23, 2009, 05:15:45 AM »

Quote from: Tatsujin on September 22, 2009, 11:28:22 PM

1994? Source?

Wish I had a pic, but I've been seeing them in bookstores since ~age 8 (1993), which is as far back as I can remember going to a bookstore.

But this is Asia, so maybe things are different.

vuzedome · « **Reply #16 on:** September 23, 2009, 05:36:05 AM »

I still have those huge and thick dictionaries, all of them stacked up will be higher than me, not to mention 3 different versions of complete encyclopedias.
Books are still awesome.

Proin Drakenzol · « **Reply #17 on:** September 23, 2009, 05:56:06 AM »

I saw them shits in fucking elementary school

They've been around damn near forever.

FYI, many devices just incorporate the function, such as PDAs, smart-phones and e-Book Readers

Lupin · « **Reply #18 on:** September 23, 2009, 06:06:14 AM »

The statement still holds: Japanese Tech >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> American Tech

fohfoh · « **Reply #19 on:** September 23, 2009, 08:12:10 AM »

I did a quick google, it says the first electronic dictionaries came out in about 1988. But those things are STILL smaller than a dictionary. They're good for traveling I guess or portable "translations".

But yeah, nowadays, you can load a program of that shit onto a PDA or something. These things are just getting cheaper and cheaper because there's no longer a need for them.