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Off topic: What 'other' devices do you use for work?
Thread poster: Sery Media (X)
Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Kindle? Feb 16, 2015

17" Asus X-Series laptop, 8GB RAM, i7, I think (faster than I will ever need).

32" TV screen placed at the right distance. I have no need for two screens (can split the screen in two at any given moment, and there will be enough space for other stuff too.

Small black HP lasetjet printer; sits in the corner, bothers nobody.

Two external hard drives (one with independant power supply, another one with just USB); copies made every day, on both of them.
<
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17" Asus X-Series laptop, 8GB RAM, i7, I think (faster than I will ever need).

32" TV screen placed at the right distance. I have no need for two screens (can split the screen in two at any given moment, and there will be enough space for other stuff too.

Small black HP lasetjet printer; sits in the corner, bothers nobody.

Two external hard drives (one with independant power supply, another one with just USB); copies made every day, on both of them.

External Spanish "backlit" keyboard I could not do without. Small and light enough to be carried around, if needed be.

A small cable-based mouse. Small so I can carry it in my bag. cable-based for I hate wireless devices (battery life, constant charging, etc.).

A combination of iPhone + iPad (the former to chack emails, the latter to check files + reply, if proper).

Large glass desk + chair.

Several dicctionaries + textbooks on legal translation English/Russian - Spanish.

I need nothing more.

Ah, Kindle is a joke; it rests somewhere around the house. No way I can find it in less than two hours’ time. I find my tea "kettle" much more efficient device than my "Kindle".


[Edited at 2015-02-16 15:53 GMT]
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Ben Senior
Ben Senior  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:03
German to English
External hard drives Feb 16, 2015

It's interesting to see that external hard drives and multiple backups daily are still around. We both have NAS drives and find them much more suitable for our work.

For those who don't already know a NAS (Network Assisted Storage) is basically an external hard drive, but instead of being attached to a computer it is part of the internal network and can be accessed from any device in that network. It has its own power supply and is available when none of the computers are switched o
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It's interesting to see that external hard drives and multiple backups daily are still around. We both have NAS drives and find them much more suitable for our work.

For those who don't already know a NAS (Network Assisted Storage) is basically an external hard drive, but instead of being attached to a computer it is part of the internal network and can be accessed from any device in that network. It has its own power supply and is available when none of the computers are switched on. We have dual drives in each NAS with RAID 1, that means as soon as anything is saved to the NAS it is saved to one hard disc and automatically and immediately mirrored to the other hard disc. No need to do a backup several times each day, although we still do an automatic physical backup each day to another external hard drive, its difficult to break old habits. Should one of the hard drives fail it is simply replaced and the data on the other hard disc is then automatically mirrored back onto the new one. It is highly unlikely that both hard drives would fail at the same time, so the data is pretty safe. The RAID controller can fail, but the data is still there and not lost. The NAS is also available remotely, so you can access data on the NAS when you are away, it's not possible for any one to get access just the authorised devices. There are small desktop NAS units with a capacity up to more than 64 TB, depending on manufacturer and larger Unit that can have multiple hard drives and an almost unlimited storage capacity. RAID is available from Level 0 to Level 5. We have had them for years and are extremely satisfied with then and can only recommend them, also for freelancers on a limited budget.

No doubt Tom will not be interested in such new fangled stuff. (Just kidding Tom ;-} )
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Sery Media (X)
Sery Media (X)  Identity Verified
South Korea
Local time: 14:03
Korean to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Oh, so many things! Feb 16, 2015

Thanks for all the postings! Although such backlash about my trusty e-reader was not expected when starting this thread, I guess it's fine if I'm fine with it; so to speak.
Maybe the amazon R&D (or management?) department should look at this thread and develop a more sleek device.
I for one would welcome an entirely e-ink-based monitor. As glare-free as computer screens go, even using f.lux, paper or e-ink is infinitely easier on the eyes. Although then the processing speed would be
... See more
Thanks for all the postings! Although such backlash about my trusty e-reader was not expected when starting this thread, I guess it's fine if I'm fine with it; so to speak.
Maybe the amazon R&D (or management?) department should look at this thread and develop a more sleek device.
I for one would welcome an entirely e-ink-based monitor. As glare-free as computer screens go, even using f.lux, paper or e-ink is infinitely easier on the eyes. Although then the processing speed would be the issue. Hmm...

Christine Andersen wrote:

But I frequently use a pencil.
You know, those 20th-century wooden relics with a stick of graphite down the middle, and what our American friends call an eraser on one end. I also have a stock of add-on erasers, as the ones sold with the pencils get worn out fast.


I'm with you on pencils and paper. Although I consider myself tech-friendly, analog really is better sometimes. My usual process includes opening up a file on my laptop or kindle, viewing and making notes on paper as I read.

As for dual monitors, hard disks and dictation (among others) - more to add to my to-do list.
I've used dual monitors in the past but I move around a lot when working – so naturally, laptops have been the only way to go; maybe I should reconsider.

And dictation! I've just started using the MS speech recognition software. There are two problems with this.
One is that I only have the laptop's internal mic to use and it's getting uncomfortable leaning down to one side of my laptop every time I dictate. This can be solved easily.
The second problem is more of an obstacle - it doesn't support Korean, and neither does Dragon – so typing Hangul with my trusty wireless keyboard is the way to go. Other than these tiny roadblocks, it works better than I expected. I think I'll be able to more than double my output after some training.
In the meanwhile, any suggestions on headset microphones?

[Edited at 2015-02-16 16:04 GMT]
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S E (X)
S E (X)
Italy
Local time: 14:03
Italian to English
Kindle + iPad mini + Windows Phone Feb 16, 2015

I frequently translate books and scholarly essays, which I like to read away from the computer prior to translating. For this, I love my Kindle, to which I send pdfs and Word docs.

I don't technically use my iPad for work, but I do use it for reading periodicals like the Economist and the Times Literary Supplement, which are indirectly work related.

Although I prefer reading printed materials, for environmental reasons I try to avoid printing out source text files. But
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I frequently translate books and scholarly essays, which I like to read away from the computer prior to translating. For this, I love my Kindle, to which I send pdfs and Word docs.

I don't technically use my iPad for work, but I do use it for reading periodicals like the Economist and the Times Literary Supplement, which are indirectly work related.

Although I prefer reading printed materials, for environmental reasons I try to avoid printing out source text files. But I also do actually like both the Kindle and the iPad and I have found that digital books and periodicals have some terrific features that paper versions don't (like the high resolution images that periodicals make available for the iPad versions).

And I also like the intimate dimensions of the Kindle and the iPad mini -- they are sized like books of hours, which were also produced on a small scale because meant to be held comfortably in the hand and viewed from closer up than a book resting on a table or a desk.

As for the Windows Phone, I use it when away from my office to communicate with clients and check Word docs and pdfs before accepting smaller jobs (when away from my desk).

Sarah
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Triston Goodwin
Triston Goodwin  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:03
Spanish to English
+ ...
Stylus tablet Feb 16, 2015

I use two 24" monitors for work, gaming, and YouTubing. I like it and find it comfortable, though I do need to upgrade my GPU as one of my monitors is flickering a lot.

I have translated simple documents on my ipad and android tablets. They can also be used as a third monitor should you need to do a lot of research and want to keep your resources open. I have even dictated entire translations to my cellphone and then texted the final translation to the client.

The only
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I use two 24" monitors for work, gaming, and YouTubing. I like it and find it comfortable, though I do need to upgrade my GPU as one of my monitors is flickering a lot.

I have translated simple documents on my ipad and android tablets. They can also be used as a third monitor should you need to do a lot of research and want to keep your resources open. I have even dictated entire translations to my cellphone and then texted the final translation to the client.

The only thing that I would add that hasn't been mentioned yet is my Wacom drawing tablet. It uses a stylus pen as its interface, so I can write out a translation without using my keyboard. It's slow, but it can be a huge relief when my hands start to cramp after hours of endless typing. I actually wrote this using the tablet. It makes image editing really easy, too.
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Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:03
Member (2016)
English to German
It's all about ergonomics (a.k.a. gear porn) Feb 16, 2015

I used to have wrist problems (from typing and mouse use) and back problems (from sitting too long).
Since I have this setup, work is a breeze:


-- Super ergonomic keyboard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRmAT-1sPA

-- plus (for the left hand) a gami
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I used to have wrist problems (from typing and mouse use) and back problems (from sitting too long).
Since I have this setup, work is a breeze:


-- Super ergonomic keyboard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRmAT-1sPA

-- plus (for the left hand) a gaming keypad with tons of buttons:
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-nostromo

-- plus (for the right hand) a gaming mouse with even more buttons (especially the thumb buttons are brilliant):
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/peripherals/2010/09/20/logitech-g700-review/1

-- I program all buttons on all devices exactly to my liking with this ingenious software:
http://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/
(I highly recommend this for any translator who has a Mac. Once you have the hang of it, it has countless possibilities to make the workflow easier.)

-- In front of my face, at about chin height, I have a decent microphone for use with dictation software.

-- And last, but not least, I have a motorized desk ("Galant" from Ikea), which enables me to switch from a sitting to a standing position in about 5 secs.







[Edited at 2015-02-16 19:37 GMT]
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Duygu Mengioğlu
Duygu Mengioğlu
Türkiye
Local time: 16:03
Turkish to English
+ ...
İpad Feb 16, 2015

When i have to, i connect my computer with teamviewer from my tablet. That's the way i can use sdl trados on my ipad)

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
BAckward Feb 17, 2015

Merab Dekano wrote:
I find my tea "kettle" much more efficient device than my "Kindle".


Clearly, you're living in the past and have failed to keep up with the "technology" (i.e. consumer gadgets) that shallow people think is taking the world to Shangri-La. I won'tsay you're a Luddite because the Luddites were engaged in an honourable struggle to save their jobs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite


 
Giles Watson
Giles Watson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:03
Italian to English
In memoriam
Keep taking the tablets Feb 17, 2015

Tom in London wrote:

Merab Dekano wrote:
I find my tea "kettle" much more efficient device than my "Kindle".


Clearly, you're living in the past and have failed to keep up with the "technology" (i.e. consumer gadgets) that shallow people think is taking the world to Shangri-La. I won'tsay you're a Luddite because the Luddites were engaged in an honourable struggle to save their jobs.



Like Tom, I used to think that I could get by without a tablet and of course I could. Recently, though, I picked up a 10-inch Android device, mainly to read the e-versions of periodicals I subscribe to. Then I discovered...

... video services like Skype and YouTube were suddenly usable on the hoof, or at least away from my desk.

... I could put my clumsy kindle back in the drawer and access my account through the Amazon app. Since I keep a lot of work-related reference PDFs, as well as recreational reading, in the Amazon cloud, this was a big plus.

... it's much easier to keep tabs on email correspondence - particularly Gmail accounts - when I'm not in front of my work computer. An Android smartphone can do the job but the older I get, the more I appreciate a decent-sized screen. And toggling through keyboard layouts is even easier in Android that it is in Windows. @Balasubramaniam L.: Android 4.4 seems to support devanagari!

I'm sure I'll find more uses for the tablet. It may not exactly be a move to Shangri La but it is a definite step up the intellectual property ladder


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
There is no escape. Feb 17, 2015

Giles Watson wrote:

... it's much easier to keep tabs on email correspondence - particularly Gmail accounts - when I'm not in front of my work computer.


That's exactly what I don't want to do. Be careful or you'll end up checking your emails even when you're in bed.



[Edited at 2015-02-17 15:10 GMT]


 
Anna Sarah Krämer
Anna Sarah Krämer
Germany
Local time: 14:03
Member (2011)
English to German
+ ...
Anyone using a treadmill desk? Feb 17, 2015

I have been contemplating the idea of building my own treadmill desk for a while now - I think I first read about it here in the forum. I have solved other ergonomics problems I had by developing my very own low budget setup - a laptop computer (I could optimize this with a second screen), specialized gaming glasses for my poor eyes, a low office chair (originally from a supermarket checkout) to make up for the low position of the laptop screen and an extra keyboard settling on my knees. And I d... See more
I have been contemplating the idea of building my own treadmill desk for a while now - I think I first read about it here in the forum. I have solved other ergonomics problems I had by developing my very own low budget setup - a laptop computer (I could optimize this with a second screen), specialized gaming glasses for my poor eyes, a low office chair (originally from a supermarket checkout) to make up for the low position of the laptop screen and an extra keyboard settling on my knees. And I dictate most of my translation with DNS and can do that while stretching in my chair.

Many, many years ago I was extremely anti-progressive - to the point of building my own furniture and being almost paranoid about anything with buttons on it (there were no touchscreens then). Nowadays I embrace and am totally fascinated by new technologies - but I haven't lost the furniture building skills. So I would be interested in buying a cheap treadmill and constructing a desk on it.

Is there anyone out there using such a device? It was quite the rage for a while, but I haven't heard about it ever since.

And no, I won't take any tablet(s). It was hard enough getting used to carry a cellphone around - my handbag is too small for another gadget.
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Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Treadmill Feb 17, 2015

Sometimes just doing translating feels like a treadmill

Sorry if you are reading this on a mobile phone and paying extra for receiving smilies



[Edited at 2015-02-17 15:27 GMT]


 
Giles Watson
Giles Watson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:03
Italian to English
In memoriam
Got it! Feb 17, 2015

Tom in London wrote:

Giles Watson wrote:

... it's much easier to keep tabs on email correspondence - particularly Gmail accounts - when I'm not in front of my work computer.


That's exactly what I don't want to do. Be careful or you'll end up checking your emails even when you're in bed.



Oh, if I were that way inclined, the smartphone would have done for me ages ago. Luckily, all these devices come fully equipped with off switches. Actually, I sleep better now that my wife can read the Corriere della Sera on the tablet instead of rustling the pages of the paper-based edition


 
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Deleted
Anna Sarah Krämer
Anna Sarah Krämer
Germany
Local time: 14:03
Member (2011)
English to German
+ ...
Smiling is healthy Feb 17, 2015

Tom in London wrote:

Sometimes just doing translating feels like a treadmill

Sorry if you are reading this on a mobile phone and paying extra for receiving smilies



[Edited at 2015-02-17 15:27 GMT]


Nah, if I had left my office for today I would now be in "mobile phone ignore mode". I remember how as a fresh translator I would check my emails in the middle of the night, but those days are fortunately over.


 
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What 'other' devices do you use for work?






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