Portable Devices: Dedicated or Multi-purpose?

I’ve been reading a few articles over the past few weeks about dedicated vs. multi-purpose portable devices, and the pitfalls and merits of each. For example, I’ve read comments that the iPod is a better device for playing music than the PocketPC because it is dedicated to that task – but also that PocketPC users prefer listening to music on their device as they can do other tasks with the hardware. Although I don’t hold resounding opinions in the matter, I do have an experience to share…

While in Japan last week I thought it time to brush up on the little Japanese that I do know by buying an electronic translator. If you have never been, you’ll find a wide collection of electronic translators in most of the electronic stores in Tokyo. About the size of a large calculator, these devices let you enter an English word and will suggest a number of Japanese translations (and of course, vice versa).

After exhaustive research and having found a particularly nice Seiko model that seemed to boast the features I wanted, I was on the verge of parting with Y19,800 (just under $200) for this little gadget, and I was almost to the point of approaching the salesman when it struck me. Err… What am I buying here? What’s my $200 really going to get me?  

I concluded that once we discount the packaging and the manuals, I’m buying some hardware (a nice compact translator) and some software (the stuff that actually does the translation, built into the machine). After pondering on this (and maybe it was an admission of guilt about how much I’d been spending on gadgets recently<g>) I realized that not too long ago I had purchased a Pocket PC. Surely, there must be some English-Japanese software I could buy for this device? After all, I’d already invested in the hardware…

Reluctantly replacing the Seiko translator back on the shelf, I headed back to the hotel and began my online search. After 30 minutes of searching through translation software for the Pocket PC (which was a lot less stressful than fighting the crowds in Akihabara), I found exactly what I was looking for. Ectaco is a company that specializes in translation software for all kinds of devices, and their Japanese Partner Dictionary software is available for the PocketPC. I downloaded the evaluation software, tried it, immediately liked it (and it blew away most of the functionality of the dedicated one), paid $49.95 for my registration key and was done. I had my translator for the rest of the trip and didn’t even have to carry around another device.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that multi-purpose devices have their limitations. For example, do I need a color screen to translate English to Japanese? No. Sound? Not really. Wireless networking? Nope. What does this all add up to? Well, you could argue accessiblity - typcially, I don't have to go through steps to load the application on the dedicated device - and also power consumption. Chances are I’ll be recharging my ‘new translator’ by the end of the week, whereas the Seiko would have likely lasted for months on the supplied lithium battery. 

With all this in perspective though, I'm pleased with my choice and think this truly highlights some of the values of multi-purpose devices and commercially available software. If you are willing to forgo some elements of a dedicated device, this can all add up to a lot of flexibility, only one device to lug around, and the possibility of saving a few dollars.