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Own a Mac? Use a Mac-compatible CAT tool!
Thread poster: CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 10:55
Jan 27, 2017

Over and over again, Mac users ask how to run a specific Windows CAT tool (Studio, memoQ, Transit etc.) on their Mac.

Why would you want to do this when you have chosen for the hardware of a Mac (5K display etc.) and the quality of macOS?*)

There is a number of Mac-compatible quality CAT tools that can run on Mac. They also allow working on Studio and memoQ projects:

  • Wordfast Pro: relatively new, many important features haven't been implemented yet... See more
Over and over again, Mac users ask how to run a specific Windows CAT tool (Studio, memoQ, Transit etc.) on their Mac.

Why would you want to do this when you have chosen for the hardware of a Mac (5K display etc.) and the quality of macOS?*)

There is a number of Mac-compatible quality CAT tools that can run on Mac. They also allow working on Studio and memoQ projects:

  • Wordfast Pro: relatively new, many important features haven't been implemented yet, supposed to have good support for dictation, relatively slow
  • omegaT: free, fast, spartan user interface, big user group, responsive development
  • Swordfish: support for DITA, remote TM server
  • CafeTran: included in Proz Plus package, optimised for smart editing, fragments, subsegments, 4 different MT engines (including Yandex), Total Recall database technology (store all your translations in one place), totally integrated web searches, doesn't force you to use a specific workflow (glossaries and TMs are both supported to a high degree), smart features everywhere, support for Transit, very responsive development, 5939 downloads since 22 April 2015 (for the Mac version only)

Have a Mac? Pick the best suited CAT tool for it!

*) The only valid exception that I can think of, are server-based translation projects, like in memoQ, when you are not allowed to download them locally and handle them as XLIFF. But who wants to work online, anyway?

[Edited at 2017-01-27 07:25 GMT]
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esperantisto
esperantisto  Identity Verified
Local time: 12:55
Member (2006)
English to Russian
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SITE LOCALIZER
Linux Jan 27, 2017

Since modern MacOS is sort of a close relative to Linux, Mac users, perhaps, can find some useful info at Marc Prior’s site.

 
Mirko Mainardi
Mirko Mainardi  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 10:55
Member
English to Italian
"Want to" vs. "Need to" Jan 27, 2017

CafeTran Training wrote:

Why would you want to do this when you have chosen for the hardware of a Mac (5K display etc.) and the quality of macOS?*)

...

*) The only valid exception that I can think of, are server-based translation projects, like in memoQ, when you are not allowed to download them locally and handle them as XLIFF.


That's quite a big exception right there... I would also add the case where clients (esp. agencies) specifically ask you to use a particular tool (possibly sending you packages and/or other resources for that tool), so you have to do that to comply with their request (and/or avoid possible compatibility issues you might encounter by using other tools).



But who wants to work online, anyway?


Not a matter of "wanting to", IMO... but if you have clients who use server based resources (or if the project requires multiple translators to work simultaneously), you don't have much choice (short of refusing to work with such clients altogether), so it's not exactly a matter of personal preference, which in turn perhaps explains why all (or at least some) of those "Mac users ask how to run a specific Windows CAT tool (Studio, memoQ, Transit etc.) on their Mac"...

That scenario is not so uncommon, in my experience, but I guess that varies greatly from translator to translator.


Helena Klementova
 
CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 10:55
TOPIC STARTER
You are right! Jan 27, 2017

You are right, Mirko.

In those cases where the client demands specific Windows software and a freelance translator cannot afford to miss the revenues coming from these projects, he'll have to accommodate to the client's requirements.


 
Howard Camm
Howard Camm  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 10:55
Italian to English
+ ...
You need to ask the right question! Jan 27, 2017

Some time ago I switched from a BlackBerry and PC to a Mac based system - I now use an iPad, iPhone and MacBook Air and the difference is amazing. All the devices sync, the quality of the products is superb and my productivity as a translator and interpreter has increased exponentially. This is because all the devices simply work. My colleagues all use Mac based systems for precisely the same reason. Why, then, does TRADOS not produce a Mac version? I (eventually) got a reply from TRADOS when I ... See more
Some time ago I switched from a BlackBerry and PC to a Mac based system - I now use an iPad, iPhone and MacBook Air and the difference is amazing. All the devices sync, the quality of the products is superb and my productivity as a translator and interpreter has increased exponentially. This is because all the devices simply work. My colleagues all use Mac based systems for precisely the same reason. Why, then, does TRADOS not produce a Mac version? I (eventually) got a reply from TRADOS when I asked this and received the inevitable email stating that 'we have no plans to introduce a Mac version'. The staggering irony was that the email from them was corrupted with a virus(!). I did receive some replies in a forum from PC users who told me that I could always try an 'emulator', presumably so I could be just like every PC user - no, thank you. My system is more secure, quicker, more efficient and (speaking as a Apple fan) way more elegant. The software which came with my MacBook Air enables me to create and edit files in many formats, including MS WORD and I have never had to decline a project because of compatibility issues. If I need another App, I can simply download it from the App Store, frequently free, always excellent value. For the record, I use FLUENCY NOW for Mac, which is simply superb. I translate and interpret for an international organisation and all of its systems are Mac based, for reasons of efficiency and security. The question you should ask is 'Can I afford to NOT use a Mac?'.

[Bijgewerkt op 2017-01-27 16:32 GMT]

[Bijgewerkt op 2017-01-27 16:36 GMT]
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CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 10:55
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Jan 28, 2017

Hi Howard,

Thank you for mentioning Fluency Now, which brings the number of supported CAT tools running on Mac to 4.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Time Jan 28, 2017

As an experienced translator I find it's very fast to dictate or type the basic translation without using a CAT tool.

That's only Step 1.

I then spend much more time polishing and improving the whole document to make it flow and give it a consistent style.

This usually involves many rewrites and towards the end, one or more hard print-outs and read-throughs with further final changes.

For me, the key thing when translating is that I don't wor
... See more
As an experienced translator I find it's very fast to dictate or type the basic translation without using a CAT tool.

That's only Step 1.

I then spend much more time polishing and improving the whole document to make it flow and give it a consistent style.

This usually involves many rewrites and towards the end, one or more hard print-outs and read-throughs with further final changes.

For me, the key thing when translating is that I don't work from beginning to end, segment after segment. I hop to and fro, all over the place, throughout the whole document, to get a gist of what it's about and to find any problematic recurring terms that need to be researched.

I always need to be able to access any part of the whole document (or a group of documents) at any time.

So far I haven't found a CAT tool that will work with *me*, my way; all of them expect *me* to work *their way*, and I refuse to do that !

[Edited at 2017-01-28 09:29 GMT]
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CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 10:55
TOPIC STARTER
It is possible Jan 28, 2017

Tom in London wrote:

For me, the key thing when translating is that I don't work from beginning to end, segment after segment. I hop to and fro, all over the place, throughout the whole document, to get a gist of what it's about and to find any problematic recurring terms that need to be researched.


Perhaps you want to have a look at Fluency:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLYFmH8ubs&feature=youtu.be

If I understand it correctly, you can jump back and forth as you like.

Regarding the identification of new terms (here defined as 'terms not present in any active glossary'), most of the CAT tools mentioned here, can help you to identify them and quickly filter on them to see them in context.

Then you can search them in multiple online databases.

If you want to search them in any paper dictionary, you could have these scanned in London (there's a very good company offering this service) and query the resulting PDF via the CAT tool. This will also allow you to find terms inside lemmas for other terms.

How do you currently guarantee terminological consistency?


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:55
Member (2008)
Italian to English
This is how Jan 28, 2017

CafeTran Training wrote:

How do you currently guarantee terminological consistency?


(a) by remembering the term I used before. I have a fantastic piece of software called "my memory" and it's inside my head.
(b) by referring to earlier translations where I used the same term. Using Spotlight I can instantaneously find any word in any document anywhere on my system.
(c) by using find/replace in Word to change all occurrences of a particular term.

It isn't rocket science!

As for your suggestion that I get an entire paper dictionary scanned - please tell me that was a joke.

As for Fluency, it isn't all that different from other CAT tools, in that it assumes you're going to start at the top of page 1 and work through the document one segment after another. That isn't how I work. To attempt to make Fluency work in some other way would be to go off-piste, trying to make the software behave in ways in which it wasn't designed to behave.

The best way to remember terminology is to start recording a macro in Word and then work through a document find/replacing all the terms. Save the macro and run it on all future documents. You can create whole groups of macros for different types of documents.

[Edited at 2017-01-28 16:10 GMT]


 
Erik Freitag
Erik Freitag  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 10:55
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Why do you think that? Jan 28, 2017

Tom in London wrote:

As for Fluency, it isn't all that different from other CAT tools, in that it assumes you're going to start at the top of page 1 and work through the document one segment after another.


I'd like to know how you come to this kind of conclusions. I only know a limited number of CAT tools, but none of them does what you describe any more than a written text forces you to read it from the beginning to the end, without jumping around. And, what's more, all of them can do what you describe a lot better and with more ease than Spotlight or Word macros.

I know your mind is firmly set against using CAT tools, and that's fine, of course, but - again - I can't help but think that your stance regarding CAT tools is mainly a product of false assumptions inferred from lack of information and experience.

No offence meant. I remember a friend constantly praising and recommending a particular musical group. I always ignored this, if only because of his never-abating nudging. After years, I gave in, bought a CD, listened, and from then on regretted my stubbornness.



[Edited at 2017-01-28 17:41 GMT]


 
CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 10:55
TOPIC STARTER
Different approach Jan 28, 2017

Tom in London wrote:

(a) by remembering the term I used before. I have a fantastic piece of software called "my memory" and it's inside my head.


I have one too. I use it for style, grammar and meaning, not to focus on terminological consistency. I use a glossary for that.


(b) by referring to earlier translations where I used the same term. Using Spotlight I can instantaneously find any word in any document anywhere on my system.


You can search for source terms or for target terms. Not for both at the same time. Unless you create a glossary.


(c) by using find/replace in Word to change all occurrences of a particular term.


It allows simple replacements: replace all A with B. It doesn't allow more complicated replacements, like: replace all A with B when A matches C in the source document.


As for your suggestion that I get an entire paper dictionary scanned - please tell me that was a joke.


Nope. I have my most important dictionaries scanned and OCR'd. So that I can use my mind for more important things (again: style, grammar, meaning, etc.) than looking up lemmas in a dictionary.

And then there's the aspect of productivity.

[Edited at 2017-01-29 08:34 GMT]


 
Meta Arkadia
Meta Arkadia
Local time: 16:55
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Spotlight is excellent... Jan 29, 2017

Tom in London wrote:
Using Spotlight I can instantaneously find any word in any document anywhere on my system.


... but it doesn't quite do what you claim it does. It doesn't find "any word in any document", it only finds the documents in which the searched for word occurs.



In other words, you'll still have to open the document in Word, and search for the word again.

A (free) app like DocFetcher is a better idea. It finds all documents, and highlights the search term for you:



Cheers,

Hans


 
CafeTran Training (X)
CafeTran Training (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 10:55
TOPIC STARTER
Glossaries Jan 29, 2017

Meta Arkadia wrote:

A (free) app like DocFetcher is a better idea. It finds all documents, and highlights the search term for you:





Of course it's better. Nearly as good as an integrated solution. But Tom doesn't work with glossaries, he uses his internal memory.


 
Erik Freitag
Erik Freitag  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 10:55
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Rare use case Jan 29, 2017

Tom in London wrote:
Using Spotlight I can instantaneously find any word in any document anywhere on my system.


That's a rare (if not non-existent) use case in my line of work. What I usually want to know is how I have translated a given source term in a given context. If I wanted to do this with Spotlight, I'd have to identify the source texts in which the source term in question appears, then identify which file represents the translation of that source file, and then - more or less manually - search the target text for the term I used to translate the source term. For the last step, Spotlight isn't going to be any help, unless I already know the answer, in which case I don't need to search in the first place.


 
Meta Arkadia
Meta Arkadia
Local time: 16:55
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Glossaries Jan 30, 2017

Since I only imported glossaries in DocFetcher, I couldn't use it as an example for documents. However, for documents, DF will behave the very same way: It will display all documents in which the search term occurs, and it will go to the location of that search term in the document, and highlight it. Something Spotlight can't do.

Erik: For the last step, Spotlight isn't going to be any help, unless I already know the answer, in which case I don't need to search in the first place.


Exactly.


Hans


 
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