SlatteryPod

I finally bought an old tablet PC from eBay, a Fujitsu Stylistic LT C-500, for $116. After a week of playing with it, I highly recommend this form factor for learning to read a foreign language.

I’ve often wanted to spend more time reading Chinese books, but couldn’t bear to read anything on paper, because there were just too many words that I didn’t know. And with Chinese characters, looking up unknown words can be particularly painful.

I tried reading books on the computer, with instant access to pop-up dictionaries, but I would often get overwhelmed by the sheer length of the text.

But with this little tablet PC running Windows 2000, I think I’ve found the solution. After rotating the display, I am able to read text on a screen that is roughly the same size and shape as a paperback novel. It feels just like reading a book, but with the magic of instant dictionary access to explain unfamiliar words and phrases. What other e-book reading device can let you install and enjoy your favorite dictionary software?

There’s a lot of potential here. I think this is a better option for portable reading than something like Pleco. One thing I haven’t tried yet is installing Transcriber and playing a synchronized audio book. I’d like to see a Kindle do that!