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[Rakuten]

I'm looking for suggestions for a decent Denshi Jisho (Electronic Dictionary). Nothing too fancy, but nothing way low-budget either.

I mainly struggle with Kanji recognition, so one with a Kanji writing tablet/lookup would be preferable. Any suggestions for good brands/models?

I've also heard there is a Nintendo DS application which functions as a somewhat decent Denshi Jisho, the gimmick being that with the stylus/touch pad- ability to write out/lookup kanji by stroke- similar to the IME-pad lookup used on the language bar on a computer.

Anyone used this, is it comparable to a decent electronic dictionary?

I was thinking about buying one on my study abroad- but couldn't justify the cost for such a short amount of time. Now that I am moving back for work- I know it's worth the investment. Any suggestions?

[Calico]

I have the DS one you mentioned. It's a "game" that works as a dictionary, both kanji and word. I've used it both for Japaneses classes and for everyday living in Japan. The only downside I have with it is that when you "draw" kanji you have to do it in practically the exact stroke order which can be a pain in the ass for complicated kanji.

It's called "Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten".

http://www.amazon.com/Kanji-Dictionary-Sonomama-Rakubiki-Nintendo-DS/dp/B000O2S9VQ

[rxk22]

[Rakuten]

In all fairness, with most denshi jisho that have kanji recognition- if you do the stroke order incorrectly, then it can't really lookup the kanji. At least, all the ones I have come across- maybe a really high-end model let's you just draw something that looks similar, but it seems unlikely, as that is the standard norm for looking up kanji- by stroke order. To my knowledge, it hasn't really changed since the days you had to lookup kanji in an actual paper dictionary. It seems even though you can "draw" them out now to search for them, you still can't just draw something that looks similar and expect it to find something that way, have to conform to writing it by stroke order usually.

The same goes for the MS IME-pad- write the stroke order incorrectly and it has trouble looking it up. Just have to remember the general stroke order/trial and error I guess. I hate it too, but unfortunately that's just how it is.

The DS seems like the most convenient/cheaper option, but is it comparable to an actual Electronic Dictionary of around the same price or maybe a little bit more?

I'm also looking for something that has the option to lookup kanji by radicals. Can you do this as well with the DS Denshi Jisho application? Does anyone know a brand/model that can do this offhand by any chance?

[Calico]

I've never even found a standalone one - in America, anyway, once I got back to Japan I already had the DS one so I didn't bother - so I can't help much there. If you already had a DS I'd suggest just getting that one, but if you don't and you wouldn't have much interest in it otherwise, it is kind of an investment. (Although the newest ones also have wifi, a camera, etc.) But after glancing through prices online of other jishos, it would still probably be much cheaper by even a hundred dollars or so.

As for the radical bit, I just went through mine and don't see an option for it, and I don't see it in any online reviews. The only one that I've seen so far that has that ability is some older Canon Wordtank models, and they used to be fairly inexpensive (compared to others) but I don't know about the newer versions.

[Bread]

I have a Casio EX-Word XD-A9800 and it's fantastic. It has the 新和英大辞典 which is used by professional Japanese-English translators and it's incredibly thorough. You can write kanji in a totally random order (I've experimented, writing lots of different kanji by skipping all over the place) and it will still recognize them. It also has native pronunciation recordings for a ton of words (like the word stresses, kuDAmono). It's like 3万円 but I feel like I've really gotten my money's worth out of it. That DS one is an okay stopgap until you get a real dictionary, but it has like 2-word definitions with a single example sentence.

Also, you can try out all the different models of EX-Word at Yodobashi Camera.

[steki47]

Looks nice! Pricey, though. Around Y38,000.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/XD-A9800-%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E3%83%BB%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E7%94%9F%E3%83%A2%E3%83%87%E3%83%AB-%E3%83%84%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%83%E3%83%81%E3%83%91%E3%83%8D%E3%83%AB-%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%96%87%E5%AD%A6300%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81-%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E6%96%87%E5%AD%A6100%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81%E5%8F%8E%E9%8C%B2/dp/B003114OPW

[Bread]

Oh, I bought it from Amazon but it was 34,483. I guess it was on sale. Also I think I was remembering the "before tax" price from the receipt. I would still be satisfied with it for 4万, although I would be even more worried about losing/breaking it.

[Rakuten]

Thanks for the tip Bread! Yeah, this type of model is pretty much exactly what I am looking for, I figured an average price would be $100 on the low end and $300 for the higher-end/better ones.

Do you know if that particular model can do kanji radical lookup as well?

What I may do is buy myself the DS denshi jisho from rakuten or amazon, while I'm still here in the states. (as an early X-mas gift to myself- or ask my family haha) Then after a few months and a few full paychecks in Japan, go buy a serious denshi jisho similar to the one you suggested.

Any other suggestions for models or makers? I ask because I can look at rakuten or any other wholesale website in Japan, but I can only go by pictures/what they say- so it's harder to assess which ones are truly ｢一番！」 「安い！」 「廉価！」　

[Bread]

[Diceman]

Yeah, I fully recommend the EX-WORD series by Casio. You can get them for really cheap if you don't mind buying an older model as well, just as long as you know what features you want.

I briefly tried the DS software and found it nearly useless for any serious studying. Too inefficient and inconveinent. Also, I don't think Amazon ships game software overseas.

I know you're not in Japan, but there's a wholeseller in Akihabara which sells Casio dictionaries for very reasonable prices. Otherwise though, Amazon is probably the best bet.