The changes in the small digital device sector lately have brought many companies to a turning point in their product lines. PDA's are a very mature product and have what the market would consider a mature set of expected features, ie. Adress book, Calendar, etc. These days integration is the driving factor that will hit the largest target consumer audience. According to Business Week, sales of PalmOne's Treo 600 are the real strength of the company. Rival companies, especially Symbian, have already penetrated the market with their smart phone centric OS. It is somewhat surprising that Palm Inc (PalmOne & PalmDev), did not display the agility to evolve their OS in time to really grab the integrated device market the way Symbian based smartphone companies are doing now. PalmOS has one strength in that it's application base is very large. Windows based smartphones are a strong contender, but really only because of the momentum held by Microsoft in the US corporate world and it's indirect influence on the home consumer. Microsoft's momentum entirely revolves around integration of software information. The problem, however, is that Microsoft's assumption is that companies like Pleco will not innovate in a way that will disrupt market control of an area of software technology. Proof of this is that when this happens and they anticipate it, they buy the company or product rights.
Symbian is not competing head to head with PalmOS. Considering the way they are marketing the product they use Java and other standards to allow for the large software gap held by PalmOS and Microsoft based Win32 to be easily bridged. Furthermore, Symbian based phones are sporting functionality demanded by Business customers seeking integration. The next generation of PalmOS (Cobalt) will fight more head to head with Symbian because of this. Writing applications for PalmOS becomes an exceptional case because of it's specifics.
Pleco is a company that did innovate and created a superior product on the PalmOS platform. Michael Love's comments about keeping an eye on Symbian OS before Windows is very wise. It is really not the OS that is important for a product like PlecoDict or Oxford Dict, but availibility and quality. Quality having the dimensions that the product will have better dictionaries with richer examples and content, also the integration of smarter flashcards with that do not limit users to just words looked up individually, but allow storing and review of naturally encountered phrases, or phrases that comes from experience or exist in the dictionaries themselves. One of the short comings on the Oxford E-C dictionary is that many English words can be used in different contexts and hold different meanings, and for every different context there may be a totally different Chinese word or phrase that expresses the idea. Studying the Character alone is not enough. This is not a shortcoming in the software engine, but in the dictionary itself.
Sony has released the P910 Symbian 7.0 cellphone here in China. The phone includes a Bilingual Chinese English dictionary and supports written input on the screen itself without calling additional features or panel. Michael is aware of the advantage of allowing input at all times as reflected by his post.
The meaning of software is changing from a product that demands a platform to a product that demands functionality. Pleco should hit the phone market while the going is good, because with the advent of phones with more informational features like dictionaries coupled with 'office document' editing capability, functionality of integrated devices is quickly becoming homogenous. If Pleco can catch it just right, their product can be the one licensed by major manufacturers.
You never want satisfied customers! You want loyal customers that keep coming back. There is only one way you get those, the customers must believe that your product or service is the highest quality possible.
I eagerly await PlecoDict as I have a collection of Chinese Harry Potter books with my name on them! Though Oxford hails from the author's home, the hometown dictionary somewhat struggles to provide the richness that allows a truely great translation.
Symbian is not competing head to head with PalmOS. Considering the way they are marketing the product they use Java and other standards to allow for the large software gap held by PalmOS and Microsoft based Win32 to be easily bridged. Furthermore, Symbian based phones are sporting functionality demanded by Business customers seeking integration. The next generation of PalmOS (Cobalt) will fight more head to head with Symbian because of this. Writing applications for PalmOS becomes an exceptional case because of it's specifics.
Pleco is a company that did innovate and created a superior product on the PalmOS platform. Michael Love's comments about keeping an eye on Symbian OS before Windows is very wise. It is really not the OS that is important for a product like PlecoDict or Oxford Dict, but availibility and quality. Quality having the dimensions that the product will have better dictionaries with richer examples and content, also the integration of smarter flashcards with that do not limit users to just words looked up individually, but allow storing and review of naturally encountered phrases, or phrases that comes from experience or exist in the dictionaries themselves. One of the short comings on the Oxford E-C dictionary is that many English words can be used in different contexts and hold different meanings, and for every different context there may be a totally different Chinese word or phrase that expresses the idea. Studying the Character alone is not enough. This is not a shortcoming in the software engine, but in the dictionary itself.
Sony has released the P910 Symbian 7.0 cellphone here in China. The phone includes a Bilingual Chinese English dictionary and supports written input on the screen itself without calling additional features or panel. Michael is aware of the advantage of allowing input at all times as reflected by his post.
The meaning of software is changing from a product that demands a platform to a product that demands functionality. Pleco should hit the phone market while the going is good, because with the advent of phones with more informational features like dictionaries coupled with 'office document' editing capability, functionality of integrated devices is quickly becoming homogenous. If Pleco can catch it just right, their product can be the one licensed by major manufacturers.
You never want satisfied customers! You want loyal customers that keep coming back. There is only one way you get those, the customers must believe that your product or service is the highest quality possible.
I eagerly await PlecoDict as I have a collection of Chinese Harry Potter books with my name on them! Though Oxford hails from the author's home, the hometown dictionary somewhat struggles to provide the richness that allows a truely great translation.
