I have been meaning to do a post on the PlecoDict software for over two years, which is how long I've been using it.  I've held off until the good folks at Pleco were able to complete version 2.0, which finally happened today.

Pleco is Chinese learning software that can be installed on Palm OS or Windows Mobile smartphones.  The software comes with a number of dictionaries (depending on the package you purchase) from regular dictionaries to specialized volumes for medical and business terms.  You can look up words in English, pinyin, characters, or by radical, which is incredibly convenient.  The software recognizes stroke order, meaning if you see a character you don't know somewhere you can write it out on the screen and get a definition.

The software also comes with flashcards, which is probably the function I use the most.  You can test yourself on characters, words, and more by personalizing flash cards or downloading them from the website.  Some include HSK specific tests, and more.  For beginners, the 2.0 version of Pleco will also offer stroke order help and audio pronunciations of words.

I know this sounds like an advertisement, but anybody who has visited Pleco's forums will know that those that use the software are die-hards.  I first learned of it from a Mexican classmate at Tsinghua University, and quickly purchased it for my own use.  However, apparently Pleco remains not entirely well known, which is a shame.  It's excellent software for almost any level of Chinese learning.

Mike Love, the brains behind the software, says a version for the iPhone and iPod Touch could be next up, along with a desktop version which would like compete with the increasingly outdated Wenlin software.

Cam MacMurchy - Zhongnanhai blog 中南海

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