Everything rests on the developer kit. So there's no way of knowing if there'll be an iPhone version until that's released. So no definite answer until about March I suspect (while the kit is being released in February, it will take time to digest). If that works out, I have no idea how long until something usable. Too many factors involved for anyone to really say I think.
iPhone Hope
- Thread starter mikelove
- Start date
rapaczynski
Member
So on the assumption that the SDK Apple releases in February is good enough for you to develop an iPhone version of Pleco Dictionary (with handwriting recognition), how long would it take for the Pleco dictionary to be released?
MattWhyndham
Member
Let's hope it's OK.
I've been a Treo and Pleco user for 3 years, and whilst I'm not riven by iPhone lust, I am at least iCurious. I'd love to chuck the clunky old Treo in the drawer and go with the iPhone, except for this one thing. Apple and O2 UK should be paying you overtime to develop this.
I've been a Treo and Pleco user for 3 years, and whilst I'm not riven by iPhone lust, I am at least iCurious. I'd love to chuck the clunky old Treo in the drawer and go with the iPhone, except for this one thing. Apple and O2 UK should be paying you overtime to develop this.
mangochutney
举人
Hi there.
I would be thrilled if a native iPhone/iPod touch Plecodict would become reality.
(I'd go for an emulated PalmOS and Pleco too, but only if I have to.)
I mean, I love this software on my Treo650 but I've kept an eye on the iPod touch since it was released.
Pleco on the afore mentioned would be last reason I need to buy it!
So, I concur with MattWhyndham on making Apple paying you overtime to make a iPhone-version. :wink:
The issue of the missing stylus on those little buggers is IMO a non-issue.
How many students of the chinese language have found themselves painting HanZi into thin air, for whatever cause?!?
Also the interface is precise enough to handle it. I've tried some small painting app on a jailbroken iPhone (similar to 'ye olde' diddlebug on PalmOS), and you could even adjust the thickness of the brush.
I will stop using the Treo as a phone in a few weeks, making a Nokia e51 my primary phone, and even though I love my Treo, an iPod touch equipped with PlecoDict and some classical music would be the ultimate character-learning-machine. At least for me.
Let's all hope the SDK will be good.
@maxhastings
Go and get Pleco in any case.
Don't wait for a PlecoDict on the iPhone/iPod touch!
Buy a Tungsten T|x if you can afford it, or a Tungsten E2.
I am certain that if (or hopefully when) Pleco will run natively on the iPhone the cost for an upgrade won't be that high.
The licensing model currently applied, allowed a friend of mine to switch his PalmOS license for a PocketPC license.
Given that a "PlecoDict for iPhone" would have to be programmed almost from scratch, a small upgrade/transition fee would be something I would pay in a jiffy.
This app is a blessing for anyone studying chinese (in my case modern and classical chinese).
I attended BLCU last year to improve my chinese and Pleco made my life way easier.
I even got four fellow students to buy it.
They had a hard time returning their top-of-the-notch electronic dictionaries by Casio they had bought only four days ago in ZhongGuanCun. :|
@mikelove and the Pleco-Team
Thank you for your great work!
That's all I can say.
I would be thrilled if a native iPhone/iPod touch Plecodict would become reality.
(I'd go for an emulated PalmOS and Pleco too, but only if I have to.)
I mean, I love this software on my Treo650 but I've kept an eye on the iPod touch since it was released.
Pleco on the afore mentioned would be last reason I need to buy it!
So, I concur with MattWhyndham on making Apple paying you overtime to make a iPhone-version. :wink:
The issue of the missing stylus on those little buggers is IMO a non-issue.
How many students of the chinese language have found themselves painting HanZi into thin air, for whatever cause?!?
Also the interface is precise enough to handle it. I've tried some small painting app on a jailbroken iPhone (similar to 'ye olde' diddlebug on PalmOS), and you could even adjust the thickness of the brush.
I will stop using the Treo as a phone in a few weeks, making a Nokia e51 my primary phone, and even though I love my Treo, an iPod touch equipped with PlecoDict and some classical music would be the ultimate character-learning-machine. At least for me.
Let's all hope the SDK will be good.
@maxhastings
Go and get Pleco in any case.
Don't wait for a PlecoDict on the iPhone/iPod touch!
Buy a Tungsten T|x if you can afford it, or a Tungsten E2.
I am certain that if (or hopefully when) Pleco will run natively on the iPhone the cost for an upgrade won't be that high.
The licensing model currently applied, allowed a friend of mine to switch his PalmOS license for a PocketPC license.
Given that a "PlecoDict for iPhone" would have to be programmed almost from scratch, a small upgrade/transition fee would be something I would pay in a jiffy.
This app is a blessing for anyone studying chinese (in my case modern and classical chinese).
I attended BLCU last year to improve my chinese and Pleco made my life way easier.
I even got four fellow students to buy it.
They had a hard time returning their top-of-the-notch electronic dictionaries by Casio they had bought only four days ago in ZhongGuanCun. :|
@mikelove and the Pleco-Team
Thank you for your great work!
That's all I can say.
Thanks!
Unfortunately, though, the licensing situation for iPhone would be a bit trickier than the current Palm-to-PPC one. If Apple requires some sort of a per-copy royalty or fee to release software for iPhone then we won't be doing an iPhone version at all (and instead I'll be back here singing the praises of Windows Mobile 7), but even without that, at a minimum it's looking increasingly likely that we'd have to use a different handwriting recognition engine (probably a variation on the old Motorola one from Oxford Dict) which means more license fees for that, and there's a potential cascade effect with some of our other licenses that could leave us in a situation (much like what we had to do with Palm-to-PPC until recently) where you'd have to pay 50-60% of the new purchase price to switch platforms.
If we don't do an iPhone version, though, we'll almost certainly do one for Symbian, so even if you couldn't run Pleco on your iPod Touch you could have some version of it on your E51 at least.
Unfortunately, though, the licensing situation for iPhone would be a bit trickier than the current Palm-to-PPC one. If Apple requires some sort of a per-copy royalty or fee to release software for iPhone then we won't be doing an iPhone version at all (and instead I'll be back here singing the praises of Windows Mobile 7), but even without that, at a minimum it's looking increasingly likely that we'd have to use a different handwriting recognition engine (probably a variation on the old Motorola one from Oxford Dict) which means more license fees for that, and there's a potential cascade effect with some of our other licenses that could leave us in a situation (much like what we had to do with Palm-to-PPC until recently) where you'd have to pay 50-60% of the new purchase price to switch platforms.
If we don't do an iPhone version, though, we'll almost certainly do one for Symbian, so even if you couldn't run Pleco on your iPod Touch you could have some version of it on your E51 at least.
Alternative form of iPhone hope:
http://www.styletap.com/product_apple.php
Of course, the same things that would prevent us from developing an official iPhone version might also prevent StyleTap from developing one, but I can certainly conceive of a scenario where they'd be able to do an iPhone version and we wouldn't - for example, if Apple forces all distribution to be through iTunes and charges a hefty commission, which kills our profit margin thanks to all the other royalties we have to pay but might leave StyleTap with enough profit to make it feasible for them. Now obviously a non-iPhone-optimized version of Pleco running on a Palm OS emulator would be a far cry from a fast, native, finger-friendly version, but if you absolutely have to have Pleco on the iPhone and no other platform will do then this might be a way to get that.
http://www.styletap.com/product_apple.php
Of course, the same things that would prevent us from developing an official iPhone version might also prevent StyleTap from developing one, but I can certainly conceive of a scenario where they'd be able to do an iPhone version and we wouldn't - for example, if Apple forces all distribution to be through iTunes and charges a hefty commission, which kills our profit margin thanks to all the other royalties we have to pay but might leave StyleTap with enough profit to make it feasible for them. Now obviously a non-iPhone-optimized version of Pleco running on a Palm OS emulator would be a far cry from a fast, native, finger-friendly version, but if you absolutely have to have Pleco on the iPhone and no other platform will do then this might be a way to get that.
mangochutney
举人
Thanks for the heads-up Mike!
That looks like an interesting solution to me.
A native PlecoDict for iPhone/iPod touch(tm) would of course still blow it away, but I can fully understand your uncertainty.
The release of the SDK seems to be delayed by one or two weeks, but then we'll have hard facts to base our speculations on.
I'm currently waiting for my iPod touch 32GB to be delivered, but in any case I will keep my Treo just for the dictionary (That's how much I love it.).
To tell the truth, you soothed my mind a bit with the possibility of running Pleco on a S60 Nokia (E51).
That looks like an interesting solution to me.
A native PlecoDict for iPhone/iPod touch(tm) would of course still blow it away, but I can fully understand your uncertainty.
The release of the SDK seems to be delayed by one or two weeks, but then we'll have hard facts to base our speculations on.
I'm currently waiting for my iPod touch 32GB to be delivered, but in any case I will keep my Treo just for the dictionary (That's how much I love it.).
To tell the truth, you soothed my mind a bit with the possibility of running Pleco on a S60 Nokia (E51).
See here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1232
hleperlier
举人
Very interesting news about the iPhone Pleco. I see one post about iPod Touch are the specs and Dev. Kit the same? Will the development of Pleco for the iPhone also apply for the iPod Touch. By the way I can't wait for Beta 4 if it has a tool for converting existing flashcards.
Thanks Mike, I'll be in Beijing next week, what a pity I can't be there to meet you when you'll be in China. Pleco software is such a pleasure to use. It has weaned me away from keyboard input which can make everybody forget how to write using a pen (including native speakers living abroad who type Chinese much more often than they hand write it).
:shock:
罗维文
Thanks Mike, I'll be in Beijing next week, what a pity I can't be there to meet you when you'll be in China. Pleco software is such a pleasure to use. It has weaned me away from keyboard input which can make everybody forget how to write using a pen (including native speakers living abroad who type Chinese much more often than they hand write it).
:shock:
罗维文
mangochutney
举人
ipsi posted a link one post before yours. Read this thread.
I have an iPod Touch and can't wait to get Pleco onto it.
The iPhone adds phone-funtionality, WiFi-independent Internet-access, external volume controls and speakers over the iPod Touch.
I have an iPod Touch and can't wait to get Pleco onto it.
The iPhone adds phone-funtionality, WiFi-independent Internet-access, external volume controls and speakers over the iPod Touch.