Magic Translator 8.31

Overview

Magic Translator is a desktop application that combines benefits of online translation servers and convenience of Windows word processor. It translates to and from 53 languages. It works with documents and web pages. Overall, this is a handy translator that may have been the choice number one if it were not for the price.

Installation

Installation of Magic Translator is clean and transparent - no bundled software, no unwanted toolbars affecting your browsers. There appears a small nag screen every time you launch the trial application.

Interface

The user interface is quite simple to grasp. All you need to do is select the input and output languages, add a document to translate, or url, and hit the translate button.

The advantage of this program, if compared to other desktop translators, is that it uses online resources to translate, instead of loading your PC with bulky translation algorithms. Thus, a user has to be connected to the Internet to be able to use this program. There are three translation servers - Systran, Yahoo Babel Fish and Dictionary.com. The word processor feature is very convenient for immediate text editing. Swapping languages is done with the specific button. The interface language can be switched between English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Spanish.

The free fully functional evaluation pack is valid during 15 days. Requirements: Internet connection, CPU 1.0 GHZ or above, Memory 256MB or more.

Pros

• Convenient word processor with formatting options.
• Swap language button.
• Saves documents in TXT and RTF formats.
• Option to switch to a different server.
• The possibility to enable the drag-and-drop feature between input and output windows.
• Uses low to moderate amount of CPU and system resources.
• Has good response time.
• Multilingual intuitive GUI suits all audiences.
• There is a build-in web browser you can use with simultaneous translation.
• Can be integrated into IE and monitor websites you are browsing, translating them upon your request.

Cons

• The output text is nothing like human quality translation.
• Unicode Viewer does not always work properly.
• Web translator is not always fast.

Alternatives

Google Translator's Toolkit beats the competition by hundred points, and it is free of charge. It offers convenient translation editing view when the pending sentence is highlighted in both input and output windows. It also translates web pages and wiki articles. It has several professional translation options integrated, such as ‘genggo’ and Translated, that come at a price. Babylon may be a viable option for the daring folks because it installs a bunch of toolbars and adware with it.

Conclusion

Magic Translator is undoubtedly a capable online translator with a word processor integration. It takes advantage of the several free public domain resources for translating documents and web pages. It offers 53 languages support; it is easy-to-use and intuitive. Users without linguistic and technical background will find it user-friendly. Is it the best option for you, especially considering that it is not a free solution? This is the question each user has to answer for himself. The trial version will help evaluate the app.