The computer in front of you is proof that the world is shrinking — that internet-capable machine can bring us closer than ever with anyone who shares the same kind of access anywhere in the world. The problem is that the long-enduring language barriers are still there, and the most effective way to overcome them is by learning said language. Still, there have always been tools to help people along the way. And one of the most popular tools available for the Mac is TranslateIt!
Design. TranslateIt! minimizes the tedious task of working yourself through dictionaries efficiently into its one-window inteface, which helps simplify all the work that’s to be done with the app. But the most amazing thing about the app is its integration throughout Mac OS X — as long as you’re working with a Cocoa app, you may move the mouse cursor to a word, and a small window will pop up any info available from the app’s dictionaries to aid you with it.
Functionality. TranslateIt! will essentially serve as your one stop for everything a dictionary may come in handy for (and more): definitions, synonyms, translations, etc… All that information is at your grasp as long as it is installed through one of the available dictionaries. What makes the application very effective is its ease of use — you can look up for specific information regarding a word and have it displayed in seconds. Whether it’s through another app, the app’s window, drag and drop, or the clipboard, it’s all there to work with. It also allows for notes to be stored, saves your history, and can be flipped through like any ordinary browser. Even in case of doubt, the app can even speak out the word as well as any computer can (which doesn’t mean that’s always good, but it’s something). TranslateIt! can also detach information in form of little windows that you can clutter your screen with in good sticky note fashion. And there’s even a game to quiz you on recently-browsed words, as well as printable flash cards, to refresh everything in your head.
Limitations. Besides that the app only offers support for Cocoa apps in its in-text searching, there’s nothing bad to be said about TranslateIt!
Final thoughts. TranslateIt! does exactly what it says to, and really delivers a good experience to the user. But the thing is that TranslateIt! is geared towards the professional user that works with various languages each day, instead of the regular user — as non-professionals may find OS X’s built-in language services more than enough enough. The question you should ask yourself is whether you need such a robust tool to deal with the words that swarm your screen each day. If you do need it, give it no second thought, as it’s the best app to help you with the task. And if you don’t need it, just move along as there’s nothing here the average user could use on a constant basis. Either way, TranslateIt! costs 15€ for a year’s license (or 35€ for a lifetime license), and a 20-day demo is available for download.
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