Windows and Macs

KarenMontaldi

Hello everyone!

So for a long time now I've refused to get a Windows computer because I've used my Mac for years and love it very much. However, as you all know, there is a seriously limited amount of CATs that run on Macs. I currently use CafeTran, but I'm not sure that's cutting anymore.

Do you think that it's worth to invest on a new system or should I just partition my hard drive to have both? Has anyone done that before?

alyonaxl8

KarenMontaldi Hello Karen ?
Maybe you'd consider other options? I work on Mac and don't see the point of using Trados/another desktop tool when there are plenty of cloud-based CATs that work with any OS without you having to pay a penny.
So no, I don't think it's worth it to invest in Windows and Trados when you have the Mac, which I think is much better than stupid Windows anyway xDD

Dmitry

KarenMontaldi Do you think that it's worth to invest on a new system or should I just partition my hard drive to have both?

The geeky side of me suggests you'd partition your hard drive and have both system. That way you'll have the best of both worlds ?

I was lucky enough, not to fall into Apple's marketing trap, hence I never owned a Mac. I'm tempted, though, cause I'm only human! ?

Have you looked in the sky at all the clouds we have now? ? It seems like the CAT-tool market is definitely moving toward the cloud and we'll have even more development in that sphere.

To me it makes perfect sense to use a cloud CAT simply because you wouldn't have to worry about your Mac or Windows or Linux or whatever else you might use as your OS.

KarenMontaldi

Also, does anyone have experience with WordFast? How much better MemoQ or SDL Trados really is compared to WordFast (to justify the price difference)?

KarenMontaldi

alyonaxl8 Maybe you'd consider other options? I work on Mac and don't see the point of using Trados/another desktop tool when there are plenty of cloud-based CATs that work with any OS without you having to pay a penny.

Hmm... No, I had not thought of cloud-based CATs until recently. Which one would you recommend?

alyonaxl8 @Dmitry It's not a marketing trap)) You'd know that if you had an Apple product xD

And I do have to agree that it is not a marketing trap! haha I used to be a big "Apple hater", until I went to college and was forced to get a Mac because audio softwares like ProTools work a lot better on the Mac system. Aaaand I never went back. Honestly the fact that it is basically impossible for Macs to get viruses, - as opposed to Windows that gets a different virus every time you download a picture - was already enough for me to never want to go back.

jbeagley In any case, I currently use VMware Fusion on my 2011 Mac Mini and 2010 Macbook so I can run all my Windows software (at the moment, mostly Trados Studio 2017) in a Windows 10 virtual machine, similar to alyonaxl8.

I am, however, VERY tempted to partition my computer because there are also other softwares that work better with Windows. But the virus thing is an issue for me. jbeagley do you know if I would make my Mac vulnerable to viruses if I installed Windows?

alyonaxl8

@Dmitry It's not a marketing trap)) You'd know that if you had an Apple product xD

eleonorang

Interesting topic, @KarenMontaldi !

alyonaxl8 If you think about it, it is a trap: once you try Apple you never go... backle? You get the idea. ? I speak as an iPhone owner anyway, I've always been a Windows user and only got a glimpse of the Mac universe at my former workplace where I used a Mac for DTP. It was very nice and shiny but I haven't got a clue about functionality.

Anyway, I'm interested in this partition thing too! Can you do that? Install Windows on a Mac?
I've heard that Mac machines have lower performances compared to Windows computers, is that even true?

Dmitry

alyonaxl8 It's not a marketing trap)) You'd know that if you had an Apple product xD

I know! I'm a proud owner of iPhone 6s ?

alyonaxl8 That's true! Or, at least, you wouldn't want to go back ?

Well in my case my previous phone was a cheap Huawei which I bought for like 20 bucks or something. So, yeah, for me it was like coming out of a cave and being launched into space ?

alyonaxl8

eleonorang If you think about it, it is a trap: once you try Apple you never go... backle?

That's true! Or, at least, you wouldn't want to go back ?

eleonorang Can you do that? Install Windows on a Mac?

Yes you can. I have installed VMware Fusion, it allows to run Windows simultaneously with OS X, like just another window.

jbeagley

I'm a Mac user, myself, primarily because I love how well built and supported the hardware is -- or was. Mac hardware is increasingly locked down. My next computer will probably run some form of Linux. I don't trust Windows. ?

In any case, I currently use VMware Fusion on my 2011 Mac Mini and 2010 Macbook so I can run all my Windows software (at the moment, mostly Trados Studio 2017) in a Windows 10 virtual machine, similar to alyonaxl8. My Mac Mini may be ancient in computer terms (6 years!), but it still runs very smoothly after a few upgrades (I added an SSD and maxed out the RAM; the kind of thing you can't do with newer models ?).

That new Microsoft hardware is so beautiful, though. I wonder how it runs Linux... ?

alyonaxl8

KarenMontaldi No, I had not thought of cloud-based CATs until recently. Which one would you recommend?

I like SmartCAT best. It's simple, has all the features I need and nothing more ? But I suggest you try other CAT tools to see which one suits you better.

KarenMontaldi haha I used to be a big "Apple hater"

Same here, Karen!)))

eleonorang

Dmitry I know! I'm a proud owner of iPhone 6s ?

OMG! Is the Maya Apocalypse finally here? ?

ClaudiaBefu

Dmitry Same here, after my Sony phone broke down, I decided that it's time to switch to an iPhone. I love it! The only draw back is that I'm much more on my phone since... But who cares? I love every minute of it ?

But Mac's still aren't the best for translation tools. ?

Dmitry

eleonorang OMG! Is the Maya Apocalypse finally here? ?

The end is neigh. ?

end is near gif

NicholasBaker2017

Hi,

It's a good question: I have just started up in translation and naturally looked around for software support as I noticed so many people use it.

I would guess that the Windows vs Mac dichotomy is being/has been overtaken by the extension of cloud software-as-a-service. Although even there, quality will vary. Just a matter of trial and error to start with - and easy to do if free.

My question is, however, to what extent are CATs needed, and for which markets? What do they add?

Nick

Dmitry

NicholasBaker2017

NicholasBaker2017 My question is, however, to what extent are CATs needed, and for which markets? What do they add?

Hey @NicholasBaker2017! Welcome to our forum, I think this might be a very good idea for a separate discussion. ? Feel free to open a new forum discussion from forum's home page

eleonorang

Dmitry Hey @NicholasBaker2017! Welcome to our forum, I think this might be a very good idea for a separate discussion. ? Feel free to open a new forum discussion from forum's home page

Yeah, @NicholasBaker2017, tell us more about you!

NicholasBaker2017 My question is, however, to what extent are CATs needed, and for which markets? What do they add?

This is actually very relevant. For a translator who only deals with transcreation or with texts that require extensive editing in the target language, a CAT tool possibly turns out to be a limitation ?

For technical, but also not so technical, translations, however, CAT tools can be a blessing. I'm not necessarily talking about operating manuals or technical sheets.

Take for example a translation I'm currently working on: it's very basic descriptions for the clothing industry, often similar between one another, and there are so many identical sentences. If I only dared to think of the time it would take me to complete the same translation without my CAT tool... I would need to lie down ?
Without auto-propagation I'd have to copy and paste the exact same sentences each and every time, by scrolling up and down the document, risking to leave out any. Or: I'd have to rewrite over and over again similar sentences with the exact same terms in them, without the automatic term recognition, that instead only requires me to spell the first few letters and then get a suggestion... The time you save is huge!
This is just to say that the benefits do not always vary by market ?

ClaudiaBefu

eleonorang The time you save is huge!

This is a reality even for marketing texts. Unless you get only the marketing part to translate out of a CRM newsletter or mailer, you will also have a lot of repetitive parts: footer, buttons, legal notes, some standard parts that are always the same in every text...

Nobody should ever have to do copy-pasting!

eleonorang

ClaudiaBefu Is this turning into an iPhone appreciation thread? ?

ClaudiaBefu

eleonorang And this is how Apple continues to get spread amongst disbelievers... ?

But talking abut phones and CAT tools - a nice thing with memoQ, is that you can get notifications in your inbox when you have a new text to translate... Isn't this nice?