From: miles@gnu.org   
      
   bb  writes:   
   > Which dictionary do you use? I was planning to get:   
   > Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary   
      
   I'd say if you're at all serious about studying Japanese, think about   
   getting an electronic dictionary.  They're a lot more expensive, but   
   looking up stuff is a zillion times faster and more convenient than with a   
   paper dictionary.  Also, they are much smaller and lighter than a paper   
   dictionary, and typically far more comprehensive (to an almost bizarre   
   degree sometimes).   
      
   Competition is fierce so there are many good models available   
   (don't confuse these with the lame electronic english dictionaries or   
   translation aids you sometimes see in travel stores and the like; Japanese   
   models are almost always vastly superior in just about every way).   
      
   [It's been a while since I shopped but I recall prices being around   
   $2-300 for a top-end model, down to around $100 for something with a   
   less comprehensive (but usually still good for a beginner) dictionary.]   
      
   One caveat is that they are usually designed for use by Japanese who have   
   English as a second language, so may be a bit weird if you're in the   
   reverse situation; I think there are some companies that specifically   
   target people learning Japanese (and so have models with e.g. english   
   labels on the keys etc).   
      
   -Miles   
   --   
   The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.   
     --Albert Einstein   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)