Electronic dictionaries have always been essential software for mobile phones. For a BlackBerry enthusiast like me, I believe I’ve tried quite a few electronic dictionaries.
When it comes to electronic dictionaries on BlackBerry, the first recommendation is “Beibei Dictionary”. Beibei Dictionary is a shareware specifically developed by BlackBerry enthusiasts for BlackBerry devices. Its strength primarily lies in its operating speed—not only is it fast in querying words (almost no delay), but the software also opens faster than the system’s SMS interface. Though small, it is fully functional. Thanks to the efforts of BlackBerry enthusiasts, it not only supports reverse queries but also provides solutions for example sentences, synonyms, and near-synonyms. This is a very lightweight software; excluding the loaded dictionaries, the software itself is only about 20KB. Unfortunately, a major drawback is that dictionaries can only be imported into the device’s internal storage, which forces users to carefully plan before importing dictionaries. In summary, Beibei is an essential tool for work and study on BlackBerry, as well as a common tool for showing off.
Kingsoft PowerWord is a software I used frequently in the past, mainly installed for its synonym and antonym query features. Since it comes with a built-in dictionary, additional dictionaries cannot be added, which aligns with Kingsoft’s consistent approach (the primary reason I chose Collins on my computer is the ability to add external dictionaries). Additionally, its query speed and support for BlackBerry input have certain limitations. The latest online version of Kingsoft PowerWord is also disappointing—the first installation didn’t support full screen, the second couldn’t input, and the third had painfully slow query speeds.
Youdao Dictionary has recently gained popularity. I saw an advertisement claiming over 20 million users and touting it as the best electronic dictionary. After using it, I found it to be just average—more hype than substance. In the mobile domain, Youdao developed a local + online combined version, with a built-in 1MB dictionary containing about 10,000 words. It supports online word queries and translations, but due to the lack of native support for BlackBerry, input is quite inconvenient, and online query speeds are relatively slow.
There are many online translation dictionaries, and many BlackBerry sites have developed their own small software for online word queries. However, I am not optimistic about this because network connectivity is always a major obstacle. In this regard, my favorite is BBtran, which essentially provides a Google online translation API on the BlackBerry, allowing not only word queries but also translations. As for the effectiveness, it’s as expected—machine translation is just about being understandable.
I also used Teedict for a while, but found it quite cumbersome. In practical use, it didn’t perform much better than Beibei Dictionary and was even quite difficult to get started with. Incorrect settings could make it extremely hard to operate. Of course, its advantage over Beibei Dictionary lies in its dictionary library. Since Beibei Dictionary’s libraries need to be imported into internal storage, the number and size of dictionaries are limited. However, Teedict allows dictionaries to be imported into the memory card, enabling extensive expansion of the dictionary library without worrying about insufficient device memory.
Finally, I must mention “Memory Treasure”. This software truly brought back the feeling of using “Good Memory Star” in middle school, with features like dictionary import, pronunciation, example sentences, Ebbinghaus memory method, and course learning. It seems to have all the functions a dictionary could offer. However, I noticed that the vocabulary for postgraduate entrance exams in it is very similar to the CET-4 words I memorized before—almost the first 200 words are identical. Could it be that my vocabulary has suddenly expanded dramatically..?!
Memory Treasure is not free software, but fortunately, it’s not expensive—just a few fewer text messages per month will cover the cost.
Of course, there are cracked versions available online, but if you can afford it, it’s better not to use them. It’s mentally taxing. Moreover, cracked versions make it difficult to access course learning features, such as New Concept English and English 900 Sentences, which require a paid subscription to download.