Nurian X40Kris e-dictionary is an OS away from a UMPC

On one hand, we're pretty impressed that someone would actually bother to produce an e-dictionary this fancy. On the other, we're disheartened that those very "someones" didn't just throw a real-deal OS on here and call it a UMPC. Hannuri Biz's newest premium pocket dictionary goes by Nurian X40Kris and features a 4.3-inch LCD, QWERTY keyboard, 4GB of internal storage, 79 different dictionaries (saywha?) and support for XviD, PDF, Flash, JPEG and MP3 files. We're told that it'll be offered up in South Korea for ?379,000 ($253), and we're giving it around a fortnight before someone shoves a TV tuner and their favorite flavor of Linux on here and calls it a day.

[Via PMPToday]

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 12th 2009 11:30PM]

its an e-book reader for $100 less than a kindle

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 12th 2009 11:53PM]

No e-paper display, which is the defining feature of ebook readers. You can not read for too long on LCDs.

[Sirius Posted Mar 12th 2009 11:50PM]

Is that a stylus or a chisel..?

[newreformation Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:30AM]

Hammer is tucked in a slot around back....

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:02AM]

They still make these computer-dictionary things?

Sorry if I sound like iEye, but you're much better off getting an iPod touch and downloading WeDict or some other dictionary app. More bang for the buck.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 26th 2009 8:29PM]

More bang for the buck???

It is always great to hear from someone who has not ever used an electronic dictionary from either Korea or Japan. These electronic dictionaries are portable search engines, which allow the user look up words in all the dictionaries though various methods. This description is an over simplification. Most* models have the ability to search several dictionaries at once. View the content of two dictionaries at the same time. Search for words that are unknown in definition of a word. And even see example usages.

Reading that another someone writing about try to suggest that using HTML would be better, is strange. This is akin to stating that DOS is better than Windows XP or OSX.

* Most is used to define models that are about 5 or less years old within the price range of $200 plus. Models old that 5 years I am unfamiliar with.

[bebop Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:09AM]

I have a full bucket of hate for electronic dictionaries. Closes system, closed apps. They get different databases from different pulishers but there is no crosslinking, no text markup. Prehistoric stuff. If someone could put it on a netbook, make the content updateable via the internet, and make it all HTML or anyways web-browser compatible I think they could make a lot of money.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 6:49AM]

It seems that many customers in Japan, China, and Korea had the same complaints. Unless the they are under $100, it is possible to search do many of the functions that are claimed to be missing.

[Tommo Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:53AM]

These fancy e-dictonaries aren't really useful, they just get nice versions like this because there is such little technology required so you can make them tiny and lookin cool, in reality people who use there frequently manage fine with cheap ones otherwise they just get stolen/broken.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 1:06AM]

Asian love electronic dictionnay.

[smib Posted Mar 13th 2009 8:40AM]

Who doesn't love a good E-Dic?

[bigcow05 Posted Mar 13th 2009 1:18AM]

This would be great for looking up Asian words; I'm assuming that the stylus is used for writing Asian characters.