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akujunkanWas in the old stomping grounds of the Oaks today. Stopped into the favorite electronics store to purchase a new electronic dictionary. $300.
Woe betide me, but it is the Wordtank G55, which has something like eleven dictionaries to the old G50's nine. And alas, unlike the G50, it is not geared to English-as-a-first-language users. The katakana and kanji dictionaries are buried under a submenu with no direct hotkey links. The dictionary default is EJ; one must button through to the JE dictionary. The useful function hotkeys have been replaced with an English usage dictionary, an English context dictionary, and an English phrase dictionary. Alas, for these are useless functions, and I am not sure I'll be allowed to return this dictionary as it has been opened.
I also purchased another 300 gig hard drive so that I could transfer the contents of the original HD onto the new one and then (hopefully) reformat the original. My computer area has come to resemble a substation of NASA Mission Control.
FTR, my files seem to have transferred without incident, but with over 10,000 junk files on the original HD, I have no way of double-checking that everything has in fact made it over. (I do know that the instrumental Rosa Rubicundior, Lilio Candidior from Renji's beat collection didn't survive the switch.) The HD is in FAT32 format, and I can't get my laptop to scan it for errors. I do have the option to 'restore disc to original volume,' but I shrink from pressing the button. So for the time being, I have two of everything on the original HD.
On the way home, I stopped into another (teeny tiny) electronics store to discover that lo, they did have the G50. So I bought it. Last one in stock (it's apparently been discontinued). I also got it for free - it pays to buy one's (second) laptop on a point card. It also came broken out of the box - it's jammed shut and cannot be opened. Thus, I have determined to hire proxies to purchase my electronic goods for me from now on, as nothing short of disaster results when I attempt to do so myself.
Anyway, the question is, do I try to return the G55? It's not as immediately useful to me, but it has a giant emoticon smile for me when I turn it on and a giant emoticon wink for me when I turn it off, and I am a sap when it comes to these things. (Also, it greets you. And says goodbye. 勘弁してくれよ。。。)
Incidentally, I also own two digital cameras, two nabe burners, two microwaves, two DVD burners, two kanji dictionaries, and two mp3 players. I soon hope to own two cars, two keitais, and two of every other electronic/high-priced item in my house, culminating in...::drumroll, please::...
...Two mes. That way, one can go sit at my job while the other goes out and engages in worthwhile activities elsewhere. That way, I can lead two lives.
That will be all.
Woe betide me, but it is the Wordtank G55, which has something like eleven dictionaries to the old G50's nine. And alas, unlike the G50, it is not geared to English-as-a-first-language users. The katakana and kanji dictionaries are buried under a submenu with no direct hotkey links. The dictionary default is EJ; one must button through to the JE dictionary. The useful function hotkeys have been replaced with an English usage dictionary, an English context dictionary, and an English phrase dictionary. Alas, for these are useless functions, and I am not sure I'll be allowed to return this dictionary as it has been opened.
I also purchased another 300 gig hard drive so that I could transfer the contents of the original HD onto the new one and then (hopefully) reformat the original. My computer area has come to resemble a substation of NASA Mission Control.
FTR, my files seem to have transferred without incident, but with over 10,000 junk files on the original HD, I have no way of double-checking that everything has in fact made it over. (I do know that the instrumental Rosa Rubicundior, Lilio Candidior from Renji's beat collection didn't survive the switch.) The HD is in FAT32 format, and I can't get my laptop to scan it for errors. I do have the option to 'restore disc to original volume,' but I shrink from pressing the button. So for the time being, I have two of everything on the original HD.
On the way home, I stopped into another (teeny tiny) electronics store to discover that lo, they did have the G50. So I bought it. Last one in stock (it's apparently been discontinued). I also got it for free - it pays to buy one's (second) laptop on a point card. It also came broken out of the box - it's jammed shut and cannot be opened. Thus, I have determined to hire proxies to purchase my electronic goods for me from now on, as nothing short of disaster results when I attempt to do so myself.
Anyway, the question is, do I try to return the G55? It's not as immediately useful to me, but it has a giant emoticon smile for me when I turn it on and a giant emoticon wink for me when I turn it off, and I am a sap when it comes to these things. (Also, it greets you. And says goodbye. 勘弁してくれよ。。。)
Incidentally, I also own two digital cameras, two nabe burners, two microwaves, two DVD burners, two kanji dictionaries, and two mp3 players. I soon hope to own two cars, two keitais, and two of every other electronic/high-priced item in my house, culminating in...::drumroll, please::...
...Two mes. That way, one can go sit at my job while the other goes out and engages in worthwhile activities elsewhere. That way, I can lead two lives.
That will be all.
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no subject
on 2006-01-15 06:42 pm (UTC)is there a japan version of craigslist? maybe you can sell the extras in case something unfortunate happens again...or just for those rainy days.
no subject
on 2006-01-16 05:06 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-01-16 02:47 am (UTC)On the upside, though, I think the G55 does have some good Japanese references that the G50 doesn't -- have you checked out the Super Daijirin (to see how it compares with the G50's Koujien) and the Ruigo Daijiten?
Good luck figuring out what you want to do. You could even hang onto the G55 and still try to swap the defective G50 for a working one. Everyone needs two of everything. Especially themselves.
(I am so tempted to go shopping for the G70 Wordtank when I'm in Japan, so I can have both the intermediate and the advanced Kenkyuusha dictionaries. I could, um... have a dictionary for every room in the house? Like scissors.)
no subject
on 2006-01-16 07:33 am (UTC)I haven't been able to compare the two yet, because I have yet to get the new G50 open. It's like sitting a starving man in front of food he can't eat.
Thing is, what with the three wordtanks still in my possession, I actually do have a dictionary for every room in my house. Which I secretly love, but it's ridiculous when I've got loan repayments and rent and GMAT registration fees to take care of. But yeah, a wordtank within arms reach no matter where I am...guh.
I haven't seen the G70 anywhere in the country - not even in Akihabara. They do have the G80, with unnecessary Chinese functions, and for $500, which is about what the 70 costs on Amazon Japan. Fingers crossed that it hits the market before you get here!