However, I have not tried that model. You should probably try both in the store and see which one you like better. I would be careful to note what kind of dictionaries are loaded to make sure they are comprehensive enough.

Personally, I like something that I don’t have to worry about recharging (2 AAA’s are good for years before I have to replace them) and I need it to be responsive and easy to use for the sole purpose of learning new words.

So what does the Casio model have over the Sharp? I would guess that it has better search features, better dictionaries(?). But really I don’t know, and for $400, I would want something pretty high quality (heck, an iPod Touch is about that much).

So what’s the advantage? I would really like to know.

I find that the real value of a learner’s dictionary is not using it as a reference work

（ﾟ_ﾟ）I think that would surprise and annoy a lot of people who buy it exactly for that purpose.

- Kef

As for hand-holding with the kana, that is a major annoyance and one reason it is hard to find appropriate beginner texts. Learning the kana is *super-easy* and you do not need a workbook for it — all you need is a chart, some rules on pronunciation, and a sheet of paper. You can learn them quickly all on your own.

One thing about the Random House dictionary, though, is it has very good examples.

Online dictionaries are wonderful, if not perfect. I like Denshi Jisho ( http://www.jisho.org ) because its search functions are great and a kanji entry is enlarged merely by hovering over it with your mouse. However, it often returns a lot of unmatching examples, and the “show all” link doesn’t work — you have to navigate each page of results manually.

My favorite kanji and word lookup mehtod is “Moji” (Firefox extension, because you can just highlight a word and hit “Alt+K” or “Alt+W”.

I considered getting an electronic dictionary (and I partly still wish I did), but I decided on an iPod in the end for the ability to listen to audio lessons.

I also found a kanji dictionary for iPod, called “Kotoba”, on iTunes for free. Though one gripe is figuring out how to use the limited screen keys to tyep *any* hiragana is confusing, and it’s actually missing き! The only way around this is to enter your word without the き (for example, if it’s an i-adjective, use another form), then follow with another word that will auto-complete including き, then backspace over everything in between. Well, that’s what you get for free, sometimes.

Anyone have a better suggestion for an iPod dictionary?

I did spend a large chunk of time in the iStore, but that stuff is bottomless! If I could search directly for a particular app, that would be great!

*Note: I do not have wi-fi or iPhone* — this has to be a stand-alone app that does not have to connect to the Internet. My iPod is only connected when docked on my computer, and if that’s the case, I’m using the computer for something else.

The main problem is that being writen for Japanese people, electronic dictionaries will focus on explaining you the difference between english words, but when one english word can be translated in to several Japanese ones, they are not always that fantastic at telling you the difference.

But I think I have solved this issue. I am probably going to get myself one of the newer Casio electronic dictionaries, because they seem good, AND they have the Kodansha’s Kanji dictionary as an add-on.

On the topic of French dictionaries, most electronic dictionaries include the exact same one as most people would be getting in paper version (petit royal), and they are not really great.