Sharp intros dual-screen Papyrus electronic dictionaries

Sharp's so-called "electronic dictionaries" have never exactly just been dictionaries, bolstering the usual array of definitions and language translations with everything from e-books to mobile TV to MP3s. Which all makes the company's latest bit of dictionary innovation slightly less surprising but no less notable. Taking a cue from the DS, the company's new Papyrus PW-GT550 device packs a second LCD touchscreen below the keypad designed to let you write a Chinese character you're unfamiliar with and get an instant translation, with the unit's text-to-speech feature also telling you how to pronounce it. As with some of Sharp's other units, you'll also be able to load up the dictionary with MP3s, though you'll need to supply your own SD card for storage. Look for this one to be available in Japan later this month in both pink and white versions for 56,700 Yen ($467), with a touchscreen-less version also available for 44,100 Yen ($364).

[Via I4U News]

[Chris Covert @ Jan 19th 2007 3:05AM]

The DS already has software that does the handwriting recognition. The dictionary itself isn't quite as robust as the Sharp options, but I use it to read newspapers and books here, and it's certainly much cheaper than Sharp's option. (Though considerably harder to find...)

Here's one example:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/adjj/