| Páxinas no tema: [1 2] > | What's the most user-friendly CAT software? Persoa que publicou o fío: Charlotte Fleming
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Hi all,
I'm a newbie to CAT software and to this site. I've started off using OmegaT but I find it really clunky and unintuitive; I also followed their instructions for downloading a dictionary but they didn't seem to work. What (preferably low-priced) CAT software do more experienced members recommend? I've looked in the Translation Tools drop-down menu and there's plenty of choice but no info to base a decision on.
Or should I just uninstall/reinstall OmegaT and persevere w... See more Hi all,
I'm a newbie to CAT software and to this site. I've started off using OmegaT but I find it really clunky and unintuitive; I also followed their instructions for downloading a dictionary but they didn't seem to work. What (preferably low-priced) CAT software do more experienced members recommend? I've looked in the Translation Tools drop-down menu and there's plenty of choice but no info to base a decision on.
Or should I just uninstall/reinstall OmegaT and persevere with it?
Thanks for any/all advice! ▲ Collapse
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I think the question of "user-friendliness" when it comes to CAT tools is extremely subjective! Some translators will rave about a certain CAT that others absolutely loathe. So I fear the only way to find one you love is to give them a try.
On a positive note, most CATs give you the opportunity to try them out for a while for free. Trados and Memsource are probably the most popular among agencies; I have Trados (2015 version) and I wouldn't be able to do without it no... See more I think the question of "user-friendliness" when it comes to CAT tools is extremely subjective! Some translators will rave about a certain CAT that others absolutely loathe. So I fear the only way to find one you love is to give them a try.
On a positive note, most CATs give you the opportunity to try them out for a while for free. Trados and Memsource are probably the most popular among agencies; I have Trados (2015 version) and I wouldn't be able to do without it now.
You are lucky in that there are loads to choose from now, many more than a few years ago, so if you are committed to finding one you like and learning to use it, you should find one that fits the bill.
[Edited at 2018-10-05 11:49 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ivana Kahle 
Germany
Local time: 04:16
Membro (2007)
German to Croatian
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| Marjolein Snippe
Netherlands
Local time: 04:16
Membro (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
I find Wordfast user friendly and intuitive; I started using Wordfast Classic but switched to Wordfast Pro after a few months. I still use WF pro 3 though, as I found version 5 less intuitive so have still not got round to using it. There is a freeware/test version you can use to see whether you are happy with this CAT tool.
I also like MemoQ and use it for some of my clients, but it may be worth looking into its subscription model before committing - renewing after letting your lic... See more I find Wordfast user friendly and intuitive; I started using Wordfast Classic but switched to Wordfast Pro after a few months. I still use WF pro 3 though, as I found version 5 less intuitive so have still not got round to using it. There is a freeware/test version you can use to see whether you are happy with this CAT tool.
I also like MemoQ and use it for some of my clients, but it may be worth looking into its subscription model before committing - renewing after letting your license lapse sometimes means you will need to pay for renewal counting from the moment your previous license ended. All explained pretty well on the Kilgray website.
Although there are many clients requiring Trados, I find I can usually work with Trados packages and files.
I agree with Fiona - this seems to be a very personal, and often quite strong, preference.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
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| Marjolein: working with Trados? | Oct 5, 2018 |
Marjolein: You wrote: "Although there are many clients requiring Trados, I find I can usually work with Trados packages and files."
What do you mean -- that you can "work with" Trados using other software packages you have, or you've found you don't need trados? Thank you.
[Edited at 2018-10-05 16:26 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 03:16
Membro (2007)
English
+ ...
Have you considered upgrading to "Plus" membership here? Or maybe that's what you have already. One of the many "perks" of the package is a free CafeTran licence. There are a lot of other things that benefit those who are new to professional translation.
| | | | | Trial Versions | Oct 5, 2018 |
Most CAT tools have trial periods, so why don't you take advantage of that? Personally I find memoQ more intuitive, compact and less scattered than Studio (although I feel its quality has been deteriorating as of late), but you should try them out for yourself.
At any rate, I believe they are #2 and #1 (respectively) as far as overall usage and diffusion are concerned, so I'd look into those first, especially if you think you'll be working with agencies quite often.
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Don't ask me why. Well, actually yes, do ask me:
1. User-friendly
2. The best total ownership ratio among the “mainstream” CAT tools
3. It doesn’t “keep your target file hostage” (as some mainstream CAT tools do)
4. They have a new version release evert three years or so, not every year, as some other “mainstream” tools do
5. The support is just excellent; I’ve used it maybe five or six times and always “on spot”
Disclaimer: n... See more Don't ask me why. Well, actually yes, do ask me:
1. User-friendly
2. The best total ownership ratio among the “mainstream” CAT tools
3. It doesn’t “keep your target file hostage” (as some mainstream CAT tools do)
4. They have a new version release evert three years or so, not every year, as some other “mainstream” tools do
5. The support is just excellent; I’ve used it maybe five or six times and always “on spot”
Disclaimer: not in any way related to them. Just a happy user.
Good luck!
MD ▲ Collapse
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DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
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All the CAT tools cut texts into choppy 'segments', rendering the translation rather unnatural, because of different tempo, various length, alternative words order, collocations, readability and so on. While it might be ok for manuals and techy stuff, unless it's about 'paragraph' segments, such inter-lingual semi-finished products require much extra work, alas.
I mostly work with MS documents, so (providing you don't mess with hidden... See more All the CAT tools cut texts into choppy 'segments', rendering the translation rather unnatural, because of different tempo, various length, alternative words order, collocations, readability and so on. While it might be ok for manuals and techy stuff, unless it's about 'paragraph' segments, such inter-lingual semi-finished products require much extra work, alas.
I mostly work with MS documents, so (providing you don't mess with hidden tags) WordFast Classic is pretty natural for the native Word environment. Of course, it's not always the best solution for other formats/workflow styles, but is fine with me. Sometimes I use MemoQ, DejaVu, or free Wordfast Anywhere (freetm.com) for non-NDA docs. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
Italian to English
+ ...
INICIO DE TEMA
Thank you all very much. Making use of the trial periods offered seems like good sense, so I'll give them all a go and see where I end up 
[Edited at 2018-10-05 17:09 GMT]
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Everyone forgot about the most user-friendly one - Memsource. It is really easy to understand and best of all, you can use it for free and in your browser!
The free versions allows to have only 2 active translations at one given moment but that can easily be bypassed if you know how to zip your files together.
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
German to English
+ ...
| How the CAT tool does the text segmentation | Oct 5, 2018 |
The following link is to a discussion of a few years ago and it is probably just as relevant today. It's about how the text to be translated is split into segments (sentences) and, in particular, whether the CAT tool insists on doing it all automatically (using end-of-segment rules that you can define) or mostly automatically but allowing you to define manually what is the next segment to be translated. It is because OmegaT uses fixed segmentation rules that I do not use it (you can define the r... See more The following link is to a discussion of a few years ago and it is probably just as relevant today. It's about how the text to be translated is split into segments (sentences) and, in particular, whether the CAT tool insists on doing it all automatically (using end-of-segment rules that you can define) or mostly automatically but allowing you to define manually what is the next segment to be translated. It is because OmegaT uses fixed segmentation rules that I do not use it (you can define the rules but they are fixed for the translation of the whole of one document). I use mainly Wordfast (the "classic" version, which is a big macro for Microsoft Word).
https://www.proz.com/forum/cat_tools_technical_help/204631-segmentation_rules_are_not_intelligent_manual_adjustment_is_vital.html
I hope this is useful to somebody! ▲ Collapse
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| Why would you want to use a CAT tool? | Oct 6, 2018 |
Charlotte Fleming wrote:
What (preferably low-priced) CAT software do more experienced members recommend?
What do you expect from a CAT tool? How have you been translating until now?
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
German to English
+ ...
| Depends on the type of translation | Oct 6, 2018 |
Hans Lenting wrote:
(Why would you want to use a CAT tool?)
Charlotte Fleming wrote:
What (preferably low-priced) CAT software do more experienced members recommend?
What do you expect from a CAT tool? How have you been translating until now?
Whether it is beneficial to use a CAT tool depends on the type of translation you do. "CAT tool" usually (perhaps always) means a TM (Translation Memory) tool. I use it because it can show me how I have translated similar sentences. My translation work is usually technical, not literary, so it also makes sense for me to search for individual words in the TM. When my usual translation agency sends me a translation job, a TM of previous work for the same client or on the same subject is often sent with the text to be translated, so I can see how similar or related sentences and terminology have been translated. The TM tool can also easily search the other TMs that I have accumulated during my translation work.
[Edited at 2018-10-06 18:54 GMT]
[Edited at 2018-10-06 18:55 GMT]
| | | | | Déjà Vu: Quite happy, too, and ... | Oct 7, 2018 |
Merab Dekano wrote:
Just a happy user.
... still after years. Especially, when it comes to term and TM managing.
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