A Spanish English dictionary
for Palm and other handhelds

Type "Spanish English dictionary for Palm" into a search engine and you'll get a ton of results back, not only for what you typed, but also for language software for tons of other platforms, such as Pocket PCs, smartphones, and other mobile devices.

There are lots of companies out there that have put together dictionaries that are compatible with your handheld and mobile device. Most of these dictionaries are often fairly similar in the features they offer and the price often hovers around the same range as well.

How then do you decide what the best option for you is? Well, there are a couple of questions you can ask to make sure you're getting the product you want, and not paying for something that isn't going to be useful to you.

1. Which platform will I use the dictionary on? - If you just need a Spanish English dictionary for Palm, then make sure you aren't looking at ones that only run on Pocket PC, or vice versa. Also, there is some software that you can use both on your Palm and on your home PC. If you want to be able to use the software in both places, make sure you look at software that can do that.

2. What features do I need the Spanish English dictionary for Palm to have? - With technology becoming better and better, electronic dictionaries are able to do more than just show you a translation of a word. Many dictionary software bundles come with pronunciation capability, for example. You find the word and then your Palm (or Pocket PC or phone) will say the word or phrase for you if you want it to. Let's just say that they didn't have that feature when I was taking 1st year Spanish.

3. Where (and for what) am I going to be using the dictionary? - Electronic dictionary software for your Palm can be as general or as specialized as you want it to be. Are you only interested in Spanish spoken in Spain or would you rather have access to a more generalized Spanish? Are you a medical professional only interested in being able to speak to your patients during their visits or are you a 3rd-year Spanish student getting ready for a study abroad trip to Mexico? Knowing what you'll be using your Spanish English dictionary for and where you'll be using it will help you a great deal in deciding what kind of software to buy.

4. What's my price range? - This is probably the most important question when it comes to choosing a Spanish English dictionary for Palm or some other mobile device. As with anything, prices can range from cheap to manageable to pretty steep. You're probably asking, "Yeah, but what about free dictionary software?" Well, there is actually some out there. Do I recommend it? No. The reason is that most of the words are really, really common and won't help you out all (and some of the translations are often incorrect or obscure). Also, the interfaces for the free versions are usually pretty poor and there are no added features to help you in your language learning or communication.

That being said, there is inexpensive Spanish English dictionary for Palm software that does come with very good features and easy-to-use interfaces. The trick is knowing where to find it.

The best place I've found to buy a Spanish English dictionary for Palm or other mobile devices is a company by the name of Ectaco. They are a company based in the U.S. with offices all around the globe. They only deal with language tools, so they know their stuff. What's nice about buying Palm or Pocket PC software from them is that you can download trial versions for free before you even buy, so you know exactly what you're getting. Prices are very reasonable as well. They have software available for Palm OS, Pocket PC, and smartphones, so you're sure to find what you're looking for.