Udea Expert 300W electronic dictionary boasts FM radio... and more!

While we're quite certain you can still buy an "electronic dictionary" that is actually only a dictionary (or, maybe, a thesaurus), that seems to be the exception to the rule in Korea, where devices like the Udea Expert 300W are the norm. Apparently, this is the first such dictionary to boast built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, T-DMB mobile TV and a built-in FM radio, which is more than you can say for most netbooks. Apart from that, you can expect a 4.3-inch WQVGA touchscreen, Windows CE 5.0 for an OS, 2GB of memory, an SD card slot for expansion, TV out, a pair of built-in speakers and, of course, an amply supply of dictionaries to help you out. Look for this one to set you back 418,000 KRW, or about $385.

[stardash @ Aug 26th 2008 11:27AM]

Why don't they call it a TV/Radio with a dictionary?

[computer.dude.28 @ Aug 26th 2008 1:00PM]

exactly! It's like selling a car as a portable radio that comes with an engine and tires.

[kryptocaine @ Aug 26th 2008 1:37PM]

They call them dictionaries so they can have them at school, other electronics are supposed to be confiscated. (at least that's what my friends told me whe i was living in Korea last year)

[V Langs @ Aug 26th 2008 11:32AM]

this is clearly not like an iPhone.

it's actually a pretty smart idea, if the price was lower i could see it getting some traction.

people love their smartphones, if you could maybe drop the radio and increase the flash memory, and have this able to sync with any windows mobile (or even blackberry) device i could definitely see this being popular.

sure netbooks are all the rage, personally i have yet to see one around and i live in a big city...

i know my idea sounds a lot like the palm folio, but at 7inches the palm was too big. especially using the now outdated palm os

[Jared @ Aug 26th 2008 11:35AM]

I didn't realize how beneficial a dictionary with wifi and TV could be until now...

[Christian @ Aug 26th 2008 12:58PM]

haha yes, that's why I'm very jealous and started seeing the options they have in Korea... so jealous and would want one of these than netbooks... touch screen dictionaries... with TV, subtitles you can cut and copy to use for dictionary for learning... and many other functions that are so neat.

Why can't they make them here or have an option to change it to english version OS...

[BigMac @ Aug 26th 2008 11:38AM]

This company's marketing department should be fired...

[avester @ Aug 26th 2008 11:46AM]

Yeah, Entertainment device sounds a lot better than a Dictionary at the ears of the school budget makers.

[sean @ Aug 26th 2008 1:03PM]

You obviously have no idea what life in Korea is like.

[jhracer3 @ Aug 26th 2008 4:40PM]

Why are they selling these as dictionaries? I'd have to say that having Windows normally makes it a computer, whatever form factor you want to call it.

[baconskoda @ Aug 27th 2008 3:27AM]

it's the same reason we have PDA phones? why not call them phones with PIM?
because it all started with PDAs first!!!
In Korean and some Asian countries these electronic dictionaries were what people bought years before there was wifi or SD cards or digital cameras.
It's the defacto gadget. people that want to learn English because of their job or about to immigrate to the USA buy one of these and translate everything they see into their native language. Most of these have extensive programs to train you.
you can look up and translate words forwards and backwards, flash card games, hand writing, voice, etc, etc, etc. think brain age x 100.
it also has to be portable. In HK, it's called a Golden Dictionary.
They just kept building more and more features so now it has everything including the kitchen sink. you can't put a laptop in your pocket.

[Pumping_Iron @ Aug 26th 2008 12:05PM]

yeah...taking one of this to school.....i'd never use it as a dictionay....c'mon the wifi is soooo tempting......Must....Surf....The....Web !
:)

[Pumping_Iron @ Aug 26th 2008 12:07PM]

online porn on the go FTW !

[JAY JAY @ Aug 26th 2008 12:20PM]

Another way to get through class in one piece. :)

[phanbouy @ Aug 26th 2008 12:26PM]

they spelled "Idea" wrong

[bstear @ Aug 26th 2008 12:33PM]

300 Watts? How long could the battery last?

[avester @ Aug 26th 2008 1:05PM]

That was not funny.

[nick @ Aug 26th 2008 12:56PM]

i hate you people that get onto every post and type iPhoney or some other iPhanboy remark.
next we'll be seeing a post for the newest hydrogen car with someone jumping in a typing "iPhoney."

[ipub's bastard child @ Aug 26th 2008 1:49PM]

http://www.coolsmartphone.com/images/stories/xda-exec/images/open-nice-o2.jpg

of if you want to not spend all cash that and watch and listen to wifi streamed TV and radio get that..
adding to that.. there are countless dictionaries online...

[Matt @ Aug 26th 2008 3:10PM]

The real question is:

How can Engadget call this device "the norm" when it's "the first such dictionary to boast built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, T-DMB mobile TV and a built-in FM radio"?

[alex @ Aug 26th 2008 10:04PM]

its the first dictionary to have wifi not all those other stuff.

[LuvMuffin @ Aug 26th 2008 3:26PM]

where and when can i buy one

[tehrealwilliz @ Aug 26th 2008 3:33PM]

Yeah I want one too D:

[kyle.dille @ Aug 26th 2008 3:57PM]

I'm sure that life in our world is much different than that in South Korea where everything you do is more strictly monitored and censored. In America, we feel that freedom means we can do anything we want and therefore having a laptop in school is perfectly ok so this device seems a little unnecessary whereas in Korea, its kinda like how in America, we can sell water pipes for smoking tobacco but we all really know what they are for... Good old American freedom, where slight of hand wins and the truth can be obscured in anything we determine as legally plausible.

[Kevlar @ Aug 26th 2008 4:48PM]

Why not just get an iPod touch with a dictionary program? It would cost less, be smaller, and do a lot more than this thing.

http://www.learnucd.com/kevlar/iphone-a-better-book-reader-than-kindle

[KWillets @ Aug 26th 2008 7:27PM]

These are mainly targeted at people learning English, with a "more is better" approach to features. They have things like listening practice with video and audio, pronunciation help, etc. They have a whole suite of dictionaries for English, Japanese, and Chinese.

The one we bought even has handwriting recognition, although it's never worked very well.

Strangely enough I think the differentiating feature is the keyboard -- it's easy to type in words in Hangul, and there's no fumbling to get to the dictionary app. I use one because I'm always offline when I want to look something up.

The weakness I've found is poor Korean support -- they assume the user will not need much help with stemming, base forms, etc., since most of their users are Koreans.

[linuxamp @ Aug 27th 2008 12:07AM]

In Japan many electronic dictionaries (電子辞書 ) include oneseg digital terrestrial TV tuners but the best English Japanese dictionaries (wordtank G70, EX-word XD-GW960) have few bells and whistles.