Accio Dictionaries for iPod

reviewed by Chris Marshall

What they say: The Accio iPod dictionary includes up to 8,000 indexed translations with the vocabulary you need for everyday usage and traveling. In addition to the database of common translations, Accio dictionaries for the iPod also include verb conjugation tables for the most commonly used verbs.

What I say: As an English speaking person living in Spain and trying to learn the language I was very keen to review this product. I am used to carrying a pocket dictionary with me wherever I go so I had two key areas that I was keen to review:

-       how useful was the content, and

-       how practical was it to use.

The content was acceptable. For someone with no knowledge of the language it would be more useful, but as soon as you have grasped the basic phrases the content becomes limited. In my experience the basic phrases are easily absorbed, so the content soon became a little ÒthinÓ with respect to the expressions and the verbs. The dictionary though was good, and in reality this is probably going to be your most frequently used section.

I was really impressed with how easy it was to use, and how often I used it. An obvious benefit of a paper dictionary is the ability to flick quickly between pages, but the structure of the application coupled with the Apple Click Wheel duplicated this ease of use very well. I would like to have had the individual words pronounced to me as the expressions are, but that isnÕt a major criticism.

By way of a ÒtipÓ, when I installed the application, I opted to manually drag the playlist onto my iPod, as that is how I have my iTunes set up. Somewhat naturally, I then went to the playlist in Music folder on the iPod and played the expressions. This isnÕt a good thing to do, as you get a pretty quick run through of the expressions with no interaction. To access the application properly go to Extras > Notes and you will find the Accio folder.

In summary: I like this product a lot and have used it more than I thought I would. Ultralingua makes good use of the limitations of the iPod, and they play to its strengths really well. As the notes capacity increases on the iPod, this product will get stronger and stronger, and if in due course, you can adapt it to your own preferences for examples and more expressions in preferred topics, then it will be really useful. Basically, I want it to be able to use it throughout my learning experience, not just at the onset of the journey.