| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | New iMac v latest windows desktops-To Mac or not to Mac? Thread poster: Sandra Kirley
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:17
Spanish to English
+ ...
It looks like you are leaning more towards getting a Mac in the end. If you do so, could you please keep us updated on any issues that crop up when you start using it for translations? It might help convince some of the Mac fans that the anti-mac brigade aren't just making these complaints up as they (we) go along.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2008)
Italian to English
neilmac wrote:
It looks like you are leaning more towards getting a Mac in the end. If you do so, could you please keep us updated on any issues that crop up when you start using it for translations? It might help convince some of the Mac fans that the anti-mac brigade aren't just making these complaints up as they (we) go along.
I've been using Macs for translation since 1995 and not only have never had the slightest problem of any kind; I've also never needed to "call the techie guy", never had a virus, and enjoyed the most stable operating system there is.
Perhaps there are problems with CAT tools that were written for Windows by Windows people who don't understand the Mac OS; I wouldn't know - I don't use CAT tools, but certainly the ones I've explored all have a horrible Windows-like interface.
I'm not a "Mac fan". I'm a professional with serious work to do, on which my livelihood depends. That's why I use a Mac.
Anyway - I can see where this discussion is going so I'm bowing out. Anyone who wants any Mac-related advice can email me in private. Sayonara !
[Edited at 2013-11-02 18:07 GMT]
| | | | Michael Beijer 
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
| CafeTran (Java-based Cat tool that runs beautifully on a Mac) | Nov 2, 2013 |
I just thought I should mention that there are a number of CAT tools out there that run natively on a Mac. Well, that’s not entirely true, as most of them are Java programs, but you get the picture. One of these, together with a copy of Office for Mac, and you’re good to go.
I should disclose that I am slightly biased because I am one of the small (read: two) team of volunteers who are currently trying to create a help manual for CafeTran. Good, so now that that’s out o... See more I just thought I should mention that there are a number of CAT tools out there that run natively on a Mac. Well, that’s not entirely true, as most of them are Java programs, but you get the picture. One of these, together with a copy of Office for Mac, and you’re good to go.
I should disclose that I am slightly biased because I am one of the small (read: two) team of volunteers who are currently trying to create a help manual for CafeTran. Good, so now that that’s out of the way, I would like to recommend ... CafeTran, if you're looking for a CAT tool for on your Mac. CafeTran is a Java program and integrates perfectly with the Mac OS.
I myself prefer to run it on Windows, but a few of my colleagues (the infamous Hans 1 + Hans 2) have iMacs and are very happy with their setup.
Although the CafeTran website (http://cafetran.com/ ) and help site (http://cafetran.wikidot.com/ ) are in a very early stage still (please ignore the peculiar English and general lack of structure!), the program itself is excellent. In fact, I actually own a licence for the latest version of memoQ 2013, but do all of my translating in CafeTran these days.
To get an idea of the pace of CafeTran's development, have a look at the 'Pre-release version (fixes & new features)' page: http://cafetran.wikidot.com/pre-release-version
Michael
PS: CafeTran can translate Studio projects, memoQ projects and even Transit projects.
[Edited at 2013-11-02 20:08 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sandra Kirley
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2005)
Danish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Have to work with Trados & Wordfast | Nov 2, 2013 |
Dear all
Thanks for all your comments so far - it's very helpful and it is clear that there are strict Mac and PC camps. If it's any help my 3 absolutely essential criteria are:
1)I have to work with Trados - whether I like it or not, one of my biggest clients only uses Trados and it is a prerequisite for me working with them. So I must be able to work on this - hassle-free!
2) Ditto Wordfast.
3) I need reliability - No Michael I am not a tinkerer - I... See more Dear all
Thanks for all your comments so far - it's very helpful and it is clear that there are strict Mac and PC camps. If it's any help my 3 absolutely essential criteria are:
1)I have to work with Trados - whether I like it or not, one of my biggest clients only uses Trados and it is a prerequisite for me working with them. So I must be able to work on this - hassle-free!
2) Ditto Wordfast.
3) I need reliability - No Michael I am not a tinkerer - I need my computer system to work, reliably. I always have a back-up laptop as I can't afford not to-but that's from bitter experience of my desktops frequently crashing and needing lengthy repair - I already pay for one of the top aftercare services and they can never guarantee less than 7 days for repairs. I cannot nor do I have time to repair it myself. And when my back-up laptop goes, then I will have to invest in one of those (so the cost is never an argument here really).
So point 3 has made me look towards the world of Apple (that and being bowled away by by iPhone).
But points 1 and 2 are what's stopping me. It would be really helpful to hear from people who work with Trados on a Mac - as that is the essential part for me. If that works, I'm tempted - simply because I've had it with the time and energy wasted on the phone to technicians trying to fix a PC after only 3 years, on average. That and the endless cost of antivirus software and back-up storage etc. etc. Apple just seems to do it differently - but, then again, there is no point if I can't use the two CAT tools that I need for work!
Cheers! ▲ Collapse
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Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
| Running Trados and Wordfast on a Mac... | Nov 2, 2013 |
Hi Sandra,
Sandra Kirley wrote:
1)I have to work with Trados - whether I like it or not, one of my biggest clients only uses Trados and it is a prerequisite for me working with them. So I must be able to work on this - hassle-free!
2) Ditto Wordfast.
Which version of Trados (Workbench, TagEditor, Studio?) and Wordfast (Classic or Pro?) do you need to run?
3) I need reliability - No Michael I am not a tinkerer - I need my computer system to work, reliably.
Hmm. Macs are less prone to fits of random idiocy, but then again, since you said you need to run Trados and Wordfast, you are still going to have to deal with their problems. That is, they will be still be running on Windows, albeit inside a virtual machine, inside OS X. I am not sure what is more reliable: running Trados/Wordfast on a Windows PC, or running it inside a Mac. I know that many people say that running Windows software inside Parallels on a Mac pretty much solves this, because if you have a problem with any of your Windows software you can just go back to a snapshot of your Windows installation inside Parallels. I have no experience with this myself, but I’m sure someone here will, so hopefully someone will tell us a little more about this.
That and the endless cost of antivirus software and back-up storage etc. etc. Apple just seems to do it differently
Is back up free on a Mac? As far as I know all you get is 5GB or so free with iCloud. I think you still need to pay. You should have both a backup (of your entire system) on an external disk in your home, and one (of your work documents) online. I find that Macrium Reflect does great nightly system backups, and I use Google Drive (which is very cheap) for all my important work documents.
Another way to do things would be to use a CAT tool that runs on a Mac and can handle Trados and Wordfast projects/file formats. Until you tell us which versions of these two you need, I won't be able to help much, but I can say this: CafeTran, for example, can work with Studio projects, memoQ projects and all kinds of other file formats, so you might not actually have to have Trados or Wordfast at all. This is how I work. However, this is where the tinkering comes in. To make this work you do kind of need to know your way around these so-called 'round-tripping' workflows. You could also keep Trados and Wordfast on your PC laptop, and do any pre-processing and post-processing there. Hmm, this is starting to sound awfully complicated, which it isn’t really, once you've done it a few times.
Michael
See also:
http://www.proz.com/forum/cafetran_support/232549-just_did_my_first_studio_2011_project_with_cafetran:_no_errors.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFCCqRzT4qM (Translate SDL Studio 2011 packages in CafeTran)
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-sdlxliff-files (Translating SDLPPX Packages)
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-ttx-files
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-wordfast-pro-files
http://www.proz.com/forum/cafetran_support/245087-can_cafetran_process_wordfast_pro_files.html
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-transit-files
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-adobe-indesign-files
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-deja-vu-files
http://cafetran.wikidot.com/translating-memoq-files
etc.
You can also get help with any of this stuff, 24-7, on the CafeTran mailing list: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!forum/cafetranslators
[Edited at 2013-11-02 20:59 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-11-02 21:35 GMT]
| | | | | The infamous one speaks out | Nov 2, 2013 |
Sandra Kirley wrote:
I always have a back-up laptop
Go for a Mac, OS X only, and a CAT that runs under OS X natively. Use your laptop for any compatibility issues. You will rarely encounter them.
To meet the criteria you mentioned:
1. Check your Mac processed Trados files on your laptop. For the time being.
2. There's a Wordfast version for the Mac, or see 1.
3. Both the Mac hardware and the OS are way more reliable than Windows and Windows machines.
Costs aren't important for you, but the approach mentioned above is cheaper. And: Less hassle, no confusion, more reliable. And the cherry on top: It looks good, so you'll enjoy working more which will produce even better results.
Standard translation set-up on Mac 27". Full size.
Cheers,
Hans 1 (a Mac since 1987)
[Edited at 2013-11-03 03:16 GMT]
| | | | Neil Coffey
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
French to English
+ ...
Tom in London wrote:
I can assure you that as it currently stands I would *not* adopt Mavericks for any serious purpose. Version 0.1 of Mavericks is still very buggy and many problems, - some of them very serious, such as with the Mail application, memory leaks, battery drainage, unexpected wiping of external drives etc. - are being reported on a daily basis.
Fair enough -- I must admit if there are really a lot of serious problems being reported by a significant number of people, then you could give it a few weeks to be on the safe side. I had a look at the forums and didn't see any major sign of panic -- I wonder what chance there is that an average user is going to have problems on a brand new machine.
I haven't really been using Mac OS long enough to compare with previous OS releases but
what's maybe different about this release is that Apple are obviously keen to unify things and get everybody they can on to the latest OS (they've obviously figured it's more beneficial for them to just give the update away for free than have to go on supporting multiple versions). So if there are major showstoppers preventing people from doing so, they'll be keen to get them ironed out ASAP I imagine so that they can get everybody moved across and minimise their support burden with other versions.
Hopefully...
| | | | | Working with Trados & Wordfast files on MAC, but Windows is still needed | Nov 4, 2013 |
Sandra
Translating Trados and Wordfast files in some MAC-based CAT now is possible, you may also see this post http://www.proz.com/forum/heartsome_support/240323-exported_other_cat_file_format_from_heartsome_can_be_recognized_by_its_native_cat_tool.html
But, you may have to prepare and check files with Trados or Wordfast file before or after translation in Mac-based CAT.
For example, You may have to presegment the TTX files before import them to MAC-based CAT; or when you export the TXML file from the CAT, you may have to check them or change their status.
In addition, most of translation tools are windows-based, such as Xbench, TransTools, or even your dictionaries. So you may have to turn to the Windows from time to time.
Using MAC as your main OS and Windows on VM will be OK.
When you switch to MAC, you may be not very familiar with MAC from the very beginning. This of course may slow your speed. When you need, you may switch to Windows in any situation, such as keeping a tight deadline. ▲ Collapse
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| Not really... | Nov 4, 2013 |
Heartsome Support wrote:
Working with Trados & Wordfast files on MAC, but Windows is still needed
That's why I suggested:
Use your laptop for any compatibility issues. You will rarely encounter them.
My clients know of course I don't use Windows and associated software, so in the case of TTX files, I ask them to pre-segment them. I haven't seen TTX files in ages, and SDLXLIFF files don't present problems at all. In case I'm in doubt, I tell the client, or ask a colleague to check the files. Sandra can prepare/pre-segment and check the files herself, on her laptop.
Cheers,
Hans
[Edited at 2013-11-04 07:41 GMT]
| | | | Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
| CafeTran allows you to create your own custom window layout | Nov 4, 2013 |
PS: since CafeTran is a Java program, it will basically look the same on Windows, Mac and Linux. One of the cool things about CafeTran is that you can create your own window layout. The screenshot provided by Hans is the default layout CafeTran installs with. However, pretty much any window can be 'docked' to any other window, so you can also easily transform CafeTran into this:
.jpg "CafeTran with alternative window layout")
You can have a look at a number of different window configurations on cafetranhelp.com, here: http://cafetran.wikidot.com/the-screen-elements
Michael
[Edited at 2013-11-04 13:34 GMT]
| | | | | Wordfast & Mac | Nov 4, 2013 |
Michael Beijer wrote:
... since you said you need to run Trados and Wordfast, you are still going to have to deal with their problems. That is, they will be still be running on Windows, albeit inside a virtual machine, inside OS X. I am not sure what is more reliable: running Trados/Wordfast on a Windows PC, or running it inside a Mac.
Just for the record, Trados (all versions, pre- and post-SDL) is Windows-only, while Wordfast (all three versions of it) is Windows and Mac.
The three versions of the Wordfast client are: 1) Classic (works as MS-Word add-in), 2) Pro (standalone Java-based application) and 3) Anywhere (browser-based). On a Mac, you can run them inside a Windows virtual machine if you want, but you don't have to.
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Sandra Kirley wrote:
As in what would be the added benefits from having a MAC that I would enjoy outside Windows?
Hi Sandra!
I've been thinking about switching myself. What I find important about Macs, is the App Store. If you need something you can easily find it there. I have a PC with large beautiful monitor, but still I edit my home videos on my iPad mini - simply because it's easy to find an app for iPad, it's all there in the App Store. As for Windows, when I need something, I am always at a bit of a loss - where should I look for software? That's why I use Windows for work exclusively (like you, I work with Trados), for everything else - my iPad.
[Edited at 2013-11-04 21:38 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-11-04 21:39 GMT]
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Neil Coffey
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
French to English
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| TRADOS on Mac | Nov 5, 2013 |
Dominique Pivard wrote:
Just for the record, Trados (all versions, pre- and post-SDL) is Windows-only
Hi Dominique -- Just out of interest, I assume what you're saying is that Trados is *written* for Windows only.
On a Mac, Trados *should* in principle (like Windows programs in general) run under Parallels or VMWare. I assume you're not saying it actually doesn't?
| | | | | VirtualBox and BootCamp | Nov 5, 2013 |
Neil Coffey wrote:
On a Mac, Trados *should* in principle (like Windows programs in general) run under Parallels or VMWare. I assume you're not saying it actually doesn't?
It does, but it'll still run under Windows. In other words, to be able to use Trados (and other Windows apps) you'll have to instal a virtual machine like Parallels, VMWare or VirtualBox (free and open), then you need to install Windows, and only then you can run Trados etc. Flawlessly under Parallels, I never tried VMWare, and with a bit more effort under VirtualBox.
The other option is to run Windows using BootCamp. That way, you run Windows natively on a Mac. It also means that you'll have to restart every time you want to switch between OS X and Windows. The good news is that you'll have all your hardware resources (especially RAM) available for each OS.
Cheers,
Hans
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Neil Coffey wrote:
I assume what you're saying is that Trados is *written* for Windows only.
Yes, that's what I mean: there's no separate Mac version, so the only possibility to use it on a Mac is to run it inside a Windows virtual machine (or to install Windows on your Mac, as with Bootcamp). In the case of Wordfast Pro, there are separate Mac and Windows versions (there's also a Linux version). In the case of Wordfast Classic, the same application (written in VBA) runs under both Word for Windows and Word for Mac. It won't run in Word 2008, however, because Microsoft omitted VBA from Office 2008 (VBA was reinstated in Office 2011). Wordfast Anywhere is a browser-based application, so all it needs is a connection to the Internet (it will even run on iOS, Android etc. tablets).
Neil Coffey wrote:
On a Mac, Trados *should* in principle (like Windows programs in general) run under Parallels or VMWare. I assume you're not saying it actually doesn't?
No, it works fine inside a Windows virtual machine (whether with Parallels, VMWare or VirtualBox) and doing so is even officially endorsed by SDL. In the case of (SDL Trados) Studio, it's not obvious, because Studio uses a nasty, low-level copy-protection scheme called Napeiron, but even on a Mac (when installed in a virtual machine), it manages to do its stuff, ie. leave a trace of itself on the Mac side of your hard drive.
To the most fanatic Mac users, having Windows on their Mac - even constrained to a virtual machine – is anathema.
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » New iMac v latest windows desktops-To Mac or not to Mac? | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
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