Most popular portable electronic dictionaries require users to key in unknown words, character by character, by tapping the tiny keys of the handheld device.
The Quicktionary, however, is an English-to-Chinese electronic dictionary built into a scanner-pen that lets you avoid this time-consuming task. It's a wonderful idea: users hold the stubby pen and run it over a difficult English word to scan it into the pen's memory in the same way one uses highlighter.
After a second or so of processing, the device will show the Chinese meaning on its two-line liquid crystal display. Unlike some electronic dictionaries, the Quicktionary only translates single words rather than complete sentences.
The words on the pen's little screen can be flipped upside down to accommodate left-handed users.
The pen can also scan in words which are split on to two different lines. Users can choose an on-screen manual in Chinese or English.
While this scan input is considered a breakthrough in dictionary pens, the Quicktionary's capabilities are limited.
First, it can only read printed words, including italics and bold fonts, but not handwritten text. Second, the words must be no bigger than about half a centimetre, which makes it difficult to scan newspaper headlines, for example.