Dictionaries and language reference on the road

(updated on 2013)

Best of reference and translation dictionaries for some of the following operating systems:
PalmOS, Android, MacOSX, Windows and  Linux

PalmOS


Although I always used my Maemo "PDA" to read reference information, in the last weeks I have been doing an intensive use of languages dictionaries in my PalmOS phone, and I realized that the applications/databases I was using had lacks in some aspects, I decided to found solution for my requirements, specifically phonetic symbols and pronunciation sound.



On the other hand, is possible to have and read Wikipedia in your device, there is no price for this free(as freedom as well) encyclopaedia, but your its utility is incalculable.





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 DictionaryForMids (Android v0.92.2)
(MID=Mobile Information Device)

Amazing open source and multiplatform dictionary software.

Available for platforms supporting JAVA ME or SE such as Nokia, Blackberry, SymbianOS or PalmOS (with IBM MIDP SW)


-Supports phonetic symbols
-Colored dictionaries

 Recognize:
.jar (dictionaries in jar files)

 http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net
 http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/android.html




Colordict  4.1.8 (Android)
Compatible with:
Dictd .index/.dict(.dz)



No compatible with:
Stardict format using (.idx, .oft files)
lingoes (.ld2)
aar files

Copy dictionaries in folder:

internal SD/dictdata

to force reindex, delete dict folder in   /dictdata
Delete:
Phone\Android\obb\com.socialnmobile.colordict




Stardict (Maemo/Window/Linux/MacOS 10.5)
****Windows Stardict 3.0.4 **


****Windows Stardict 3.0.3 **Technical info:
-Dictionary folders inside:
\StarDictPortable303\App\StarDict\dic\stardict-dict
or (unzip/installed version)
C:\Users\xx\AppData\Local\StarDict

-Config file with dictionaries info:
.\StarDictPortable303\Data\settings\stardict\stardict.cfg (ver. portable)
or
C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Roaming\StarDict\stardict.cfg (No portable - Window)
-Dictionary description inside xxxxx.ifo
-Prerecorded Sound for some words using WybdcRealTTS (version 3.0.2 is not working for me)


GoldenDict (Maemo/Window/Linux/Android ) gpl
The evolution of Stardict, supports Babylon dictionaries, ABBYY Lingvo LSA audio files.
Recognize:
Babylon .BGL
Dictd .index/.dict(.dz)


Notes on Maemo:
madplay (to play WybdcRealTTS audio files)
mplayer (to play Lingvo LSA audio files)


Notes on Windows:
  v100, v101
  Not works with Stardict format using (.idx, .oft files)

  Portable version: Dictionaries under ./content/ directory
  Installed version. Config files in   C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\GoldenDict


Notes on Android (v1.4.1):
   Default folder: \goldendict (db will be indexed)
   Free version max 5 dictionaries at same time
   Folder(additional) for dictionaries can be specified in preferences (i.e  \dictdata)
   Supported formats:

QuickDic (Android -free -f-droid)
own format;extension .quickdic
Default Path: /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/de.reimardoeffinger.quickdic/files

My CustomPath: ¿working?
/mnt/sdcard/external_sd/SD_DATOS/quickdic/files




Qdict (Android)
Stardict format files
/mnt/sdcard/Qdict
(BB10 Android RT) Custom folder is not working but default folder works
/misc/Android/Qdict


MDict (Android)
Read .mdx file format

From:
Default Path:  /mnt/sdcard/mdict/
(BB10 Android RT) /misc/Android/mdict/

My CustomPath: /mnt/sdcard/external_sd/SD_DATOS/mdict




Kiwix
 .zim files (wikipedia, wikivoyage,...)
 folder is detected (i.e /kiwix_sd)



Aard (Android/Maemo/Windows)
Just aar and html.aar formats (support big files as wikipedia, wikivoyage,...)

Any folder in SD, open the dictionary file from an file browser and Aar will detect and save the locations.

Aard1 uses .aard files

Aard2  Android/BB10 runtime
Select a folder with contents

Aard2 uses .slob files












Dictionaries and databases



Download dictionaries from:

XDXF
and dictionaries with phonetic can be downloaded from http://code.google.com/p/ppdict/downloads/list

In desktop OS such as Linux, MacOS, or Windows, compatibility with database format is an important feature since there are many free language databases in different formats such as:
DICT (filenames .index and .dict (.dict.dz =compressed)
Startdict (filenames xx.if, xx.idx, xx.idx.gz, xx.dict or xx.dict.dz, xx.syn(optional)
)
XDXF (XML Dictionary eXchange Format)
Babylon, SDICT,...






We have other interesting applications for MacOSX

Dict OS X
Translate it