Power Translator Pro 7.0 [OLD VERSION]

by L&H Speech Products

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004SZJK
• Item model number: PTPU7000
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 11, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,612 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Software that can translate as well as a highly trained (and highly paid) human does not truly exist. Translation software technology is based largely on generative grammar, but the theory is still imperfect--and so is software modeled on it. Like all translation software, PowerTranslator Pro 7.0 (for English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese) produces comprehensible rough drafts. But if the source language is convoluted or ambiguous, the translation will suffer. In the end, for 100 percent reliable copy, human translators remain your only option.

So what is PowerTranslator Pro good for? Professionals or students who need to understand foreign Web pages, e-mail, or simple documents fast can run them through PowerTranslator Pro to get the gist (and evaluate the necessity of an expensive professional translation)--perfect for multilingual companies and international projects.

Also, if you are a professional or amateur translator, it is an affordable alternative to pricier Trados or Déjà Vu software. True, PowerTranslator Pro lacks their sophisticated functionality, but its dictionary look-up from within Word or WordPerfect is handy, and rough-draft translations save time. It translates in HTML, RTF, and TXT format--or you can type directly into the two-window interface. Add your own terminology as well, so that future projects benefit from your existing work. Its biggest strength: 30 built-in technical dictionaries--you've got lots of otherwise-expensive references rolled into one.

The package also includes OCR software to change hard copies in 50 languages into soft copies you can then translate. Like most OCR software, it never works as well as you hope it will--but it does save time.

Caveats: Language teachers know instantly when software helped produce your essay, so if you're a student, don't bother with this unoriginal stunt. Similarly, if you're a manager, don't issue official memoranda using only the software. In the end, however, PowerTranslator Pro is a strong competitor in translation engines, providing fairly accurate results and meaningful extras--above all at an affordable price. --Erik Macki

Amazon.com Product Description

L&H Power Translator Pro 7 easily translates English to and from Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese. This version includes an easier-to-use interface and enhanced dictionaries for increased accuracy. The integration with Microsoft Office 2000 products gives seamless translations that preserve document formatting. Use the L&H Web Translator feature to browse international Web sites and translate them on the fly, keeping images and links intact.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As good as the technology can deliver, April 13, 2001

By 

Ricardo Maragna (Santa Cruz de TENERIFE, Canary Islands Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power Translator Pro 7.0 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

...I doubt that translation programs will ever be able to substitute a professional translator when it comes to dealing with text that carries emotional implications, a poem, or a novel for example. However, they are extremely useful when it comes to dealing with legal, technical, or scientific text translations. Provided that the original language was written with clarity an extremely good machine translation can be produced. The writer is only then required to correct the machine translation slightly, and then only in order to ensure that it is in keeping with the semantic meaning of the original. The translation may lack style but it will carry meaning. This is a tool, not a substitute for an education. A user should be using such software to translate from a foreign language into his own language in order to obtain the best from it, and in that way be in a position to more easily spot errors of translation. A translation program's utility lies in its ability to speed the translation process, rather than substitute for a translator. Machine translation also requires an extensive understanding of grammar, so that the program's syntax engine may be modified to improve translations of specialised documents. In essence, a user must be familiar with the grammatical and semantic structures of both the task language and the target language in order to achieve the maximum benefit. As a regular user of a number of translation programs...I can honestly say that this is quite efficient and good value...As the program's unaltered Spanish translation, inserted below, demonstrates.

...Yo dudo que los programas de traducción alguna vez pudieran sustituir a un traductor profesional cuando viene a tratar con texto que lleva implicaciones emocionales, un poema, o una novela por ejemplo. Sin embargo, ellos son sumamente útiles cuando viene a tratar con las traducciones del texto legales, técnicas, o científicas. Con tal de que el idioma original era escrito con la claridad que una traducción automática sumamente buena puede producirse. El escritor sólo se exige entonces corregir la traducción automática ligeramente, y entonces sólo para asegurar que está siguiendo el significado semántico del original. A la traducción puede le faltar el estilo pero llevará el significado. Ésta es una herramienta, no un sustituya para una educación. Un usuario debe estar usando el tal software para traducir de un idioma extranjero en su propio idioma para obtener el mejor de eso, y en por allí esté en una posición descubrir errores de traducción más fácilmente. La utilidad de un programa de traducción queda en su habilidad dado acelerar el proceso de traducción, en lugar de suplente para un traductor. La traducción automática también requiere una comprensión extensa de gramática, para que el procesador de la sintaxis del programa pueda modificarse para mejorar traducciones de documentos especializados. En la esencia, un usuario debe estar familiarizado con las estructuras gramaticales y semánticas del idioma de la tarea y el idioma designado para lograr el beneficio máximo. Como un usuario regular de varios traducción programa...yo puedo decir honestamente que éste es el valor bastante eficaz y bueno...Como la traducción española inalterada del programa, insertó debajo, demuestra.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best value for your money, October 20, 2000

By 

Jim M. Leary (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power Translator Pro 7.0 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

I work on a cruise ship where we deal with people from lots of different countries, but mainly Europe. I was AMAZED at the extensive vocabulary, and translation accuracy this program offered. Not only does it translate into different tenses, but is remarkably accurrate. It does a MUCH better job than most on the market. It seems a little pricey, but it works and as far as I am concerned, it is a worthy investment if you need written communication with people who speak French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars God's gift to web page surfers, December 11, 2000

By 

Ron Sieloff - See all my reviews

This review is from: Power Translator Pro 7.0 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

I will most likely never use the translator in word or excell, but the job it does on web pages is well worth the price. It takes a web page, with all of the pictures and the links, and translates them to a chosen language without messing up the web page format. You essentially see the exact same page with all the same layout transformed into another language. Currently, 40% of all pages on the web are not in English. WIthout this tool you are missing 40% of the available data. I saw this program demo at COMDEX and I bought it on the spot. THe translations are not always perfect, but you will get the information you need without much straining. Anyone who needs to surf the web for information should have this program!