| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: How long did it take you to learn to use CAT tools? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Mary Worby 
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:53
German to English
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| Less than a week and more than three months | Jan 29, 2011 |
I wouldn't say using CAT tools is something you can learn within a finite period of time. It takes just minutes to work out how to use the basics, but years to really get the hang of it and get the best use out of all of the features.
At least that is my experience working with Trados without any kind of formal instruction.
| | | | Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:53
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
I translated my first text with Trados as soon as I started using it, just with a few basic instructions from a helpful client. However there are still loads of features I don't use and don't understand/can't be bothered to learn. Although very useful, on the whole I would say it's pretty user-unfriendly. Whether this is because of the nature of the programme or a ploy to sell training, I know not.
| | | | | Still learning | Jan 29, 2011 |
I picked up the basic functions of Trados in a couple of days.
That was enough for the jobs I was doing at that time.
I gradually learned more about it.
Now with the advent of the Studio version I'm learning new functions all the time.
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| 30 minutes and a couple of years | Jan 29, 2011 |
It takes 30 minutes to start using a CAT tool but it takes years of practice to learn to use it proficiently
[Edited at 2011-01-29 11:22 GMT]
| | | | jacana54 (X)
Uruguay
English to Spanish
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| Quoting Mary: "Less than a week and more than three months"!! | Jan 29, 2011 |
That heading says it all.
I started to use MetaTexis as soon as I installed it and then (with Hermann's patient help) continued to learn more and more while I used it. I still think it's the best CAT tool for working with Word and absolutely perfect for those of us who are new to these tools or don't usually work with complex formats.
Trados is a different story: I started to use 2007 after a couple of lessons from a good friend (the founding member of our team) who sti... See more That heading says it all.
I started to use MetaTexis as soon as I installed it and then (with Hermann's patient help) continued to learn more and more while I used it. I still think it's the best CAT tool for working with Word and absolutely perfect for those of us who are new to these tools or don't usually work with complex formats.
Trados is a different story: I started to use 2007 after a couple of lessons from a good friend (the founding member of our team) who still provides support and tips. Now I've spent the best part of another week trying to make friends with Studio 2009... in this case another colleague is preparing a wonderful set of instructions and explanations in Spanish.
As Simon has said so clearly, I simply can't understand why one tool is so intuitive and user-friendly and the other is not. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:53
French to English
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Like Mary I was up-and-running with Wordfast Classic pretty quickly and got to grips with the basics in a few days, before I went on an ITI taster course looking at Wordfast, Trados and Déja Vu. After the course, I decided that Wordfast was definitely the most intuitive, the best value for money and the one for me, so I paid for the full licence and I've been using it ever since. I have learnt more as I've gone along, helped by an excellent course with John de Rico in Nice, but that's just fine... See more Like Mary I was up-and-running with Wordfast Classic pretty quickly and got to grips with the basics in a few days, before I went on an ITI taster course looking at Wordfast, Trados and Déja Vu. After the course, I decided that Wordfast was definitely the most intuitive, the best value for money and the one for me, so I paid for the full licence and I've been using it ever since. I have learnt more as I've gone along, helped by an excellent course with John de Rico in Nice, but that's just fine tuning really. I'm sure there's lots I still don't know - but it does what I want it to. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | "A minute to learn ... | Jan 29, 2011 |
... a life-time to master ..."
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:53
Spanish to English
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It depends on how you define "use". I'm afraid I'm the kind of person the "... for Dummies" series of simplified instruction manuals is aimed at. When I started with WordFast a few years ago, I found I could handle the basic function almost immediately, but, like other colleagues, " there are still loads of features I don't use and don't understand/can't be bothered to learn", such as the glossary function and merging files etc.... which I will probably get round to some day. So I suppose I sor... See more It depends on how you define "use". I'm afraid I'm the kind of person the "... for Dummies" series of simplified instruction manuals is aimed at. When I started with WordFast a few years ago, I found I could handle the basic function almost immediately, but, like other colleagues, " there are still loads of features I don't use and don't understand/can't be bothered to learn", such as the glossary function and merging files etc.... which I will probably get round to some day. So I suppose I sort of half learned how to use it.
The main reason I never took up Trados, apart from the price, was the learning curve/time involved and the daunting plethora of exotic-sounding technical functions.... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Adnan Özdemir
Türkiye
Local time: 00:53
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
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| Short, Simple, Sharp | Jan 29, 2011 |
Short, simple, sharp. I need 6-7 days
Saludos desde Anatolia
Anadolu'dan selamlar
| | | | | Have a cat tool still not used | Jan 29, 2011 |
I am having a cat tool but still not used it once. I am having it since 4 months.
| | | | David Wright
Austria
Local time: 23:53
German to English
+ ...
| Depends on which one | Jan 29, 2011 |
Trados 2007 was pretty much intuitive, Trados 2009 looks like a dogs dinner that I don't particularly want to be bothered with (btw, what is it supposed to do that 2007 doesn't do?)
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| Depends entirely how much you want to know about them | Jan 29, 2011 |
You can get started with Wordfast in a few minutes, but if you want to learn and master all the advanced features then probably quite a while. I have a suspicion that people who take the latter route do so primarily because they just like gadgets and tools, not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, although if (?) there is anyone out there who has made an effort to get the maximum from their CAT tool without really enjoying it then I stand to be corrected...
| | | | Rebecca Garber
Local time: 17:53
Member (2005)
German to English
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| 1 intuitive program, the other is ... less so | Jan 30, 2011 |
Wordfast took very little time to master. Yes, there are aspects that I don't use, but what I do use was easily learned.
Across, otoh, is a different kettle of fish.
Still haven't found a way to access even all of the basic functions.
Made worse because, as a Mac user, I don't even think about some of the keys the way a PC user would.
| | | | C. Mouton
France
Local time: 23:53
Member (2007)
English to French
| fully agree with all of you | Jan 30, 2011 |
I use about 10 different CAT tools from various editors.
As most of you said, it takes less than a hour to know the basics, but several months or even years to really fully master the tool.
Speaking more specifically of Trados, I've been using Studio for over a year now... and you can get tips from me if you need them!!!
But I am still discovering new options !
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