Sharp's Brain PW-AC10 e-dictionary attempts to fool you with its phoney looks

We've seen Sharp e-dictionaries aplenty here, but with the exception of a couple of models, that same ol' clamshell form factor's bound to send you to snoozefest sooner or later. To keep the Japanese bookworms interested, Sharp's latest offering -- dubbed the Brain PW-AC10 -- has packaged itself in a BlackBerry-esque candybar, which it claims makes it the industry's lightest e-dictionary while carrying two AAA batteries that keep it going for 110 hours. You'll obviously have to make do with a shrunken color LCD (2.4-inch QVGA) and keyboard, but the device still packs the usual English-Japanese translator, flashcard feature, and a seven-language traveling phrase book (with color images). ¥13,000 ($149) and it's yours early next month.

[smarmy Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:37AM]

Why not just make a Blackberry app and call it good?

[deliteguy Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:39AM]

@smarmy
I don't think blackberry would change their design as much as these guys

[TheRealCJ Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:43AM]

Simply put, these are much more robust feature-wise than an app could be. What with dedicated function buttons and all.

[smarmy Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:48AM]

@TheRealCJ I do hate to disagree with myself, but you're probably right. If this was something you needed to rely on for a trip or what not then I'd want the dedicated functions and battery life. Of course it is getting harder and harder to justify carrying around single use devices...

[johnvillar Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:59AM]

@smarmy Exactly... first word that came to my head when reading the post was "why?"

[isights Posted Jul 27th 2010 2:10PM]

@TheRealCJ : Yeah, like an iPhone or Android touch-screen has no space at all for dedicated user-interface elements. Not to mention gestures.

Not to mention that with a smartphone app you usually get continual software upgrades, plus the ability to switch to another app with even more features for $0.99.

The vast majority of screen-based dedicated devices is going bye-bye.

[TheRealCJ Posted Jul 27th 2010 7:20PM]

@isights

Yeah, except unless you have a physical keyboard (presuming you have an iPhone, you won't) half the screen will be taken up by the unmodifiable stock keyboard, which means you have to keep switching between screen, shortcut buttons, and QWERTY. Which kind of defeats the purpose of SHORTCUT BUTTONS.

[Juggernaut408 Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:47AM]

M-U-G-L-Y !

[dingus Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:00PM]

It's trying to stab me in the eye through my monitor.

[dingus Posted Jul 27th 2010 1:06PM]

@dingus Also, the button on the mid-far left looks like it starts a resonance cascade.

[Hazdaz Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:24PM]

The designs look very functional, but still... this reminds me of some updated, "modern" typewriter in an age of laptops and the internet... what's the point?

Dictionary.com FTW

[wisausnk Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:31PM]

I think for today's time the Design is very bad. For me a nogo.

[bleep Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:46PM]

Does anyone know of a real kick arse dictionary app for android? something that will give me:

pronunciation key(with examples)
voice recognition
robot voice :-)
fast(ie dictionary on device)

I know if I switch over to kindle I can get probably the same effect but I don't want to...

[Psyclotr0n Posted Jul 27th 2010 4:25PM]

KIRF?

[HighestRanked1 Posted Jul 27th 2010 4:49PM]

I'd like one!

[Aklex7 Posted Jul 27th 2010 9:23PM]

At first glance i thought it was a PALM KIRF :p