Canon Wordtank G50
The Canon Wordtank G50 electronic dictionary is one of the newer Wordtank models. Apparently it’s very popular. For me, the best new features are the improved dictionaries and the animated kanji stroke order.
Pocket PC as Japanese dictionary
I have heard that a Japanese Pocket PC model is the best thing to use as an electronic Japanese dictionary. Many companies make Pocket PCs. They come with the Microsoft Windows CE operating system — the Japanese version of this apparently has built-in Japanese handwriting recognition.
Casio EX-word XD-470
I played with a Casio EX-word XD-470 for a little while in a shop. I was very tempted to buy it. The big selling point was handwriting recognition. You can handwrite kanji and kana on the screen using a stylus, and look up words that way. This is definitely better than trying to figure out the radical on some unusual kanji.
Canon Wordtank IDF-3000
The Canon Wordtank IDF-3000 seems to be the updated version of the IDX-9700. It looks much better, with a bigger, clearer screen and much faster lookup. However, the functions don’t seem to work quite as well as the older models.
Canon Wordtank IDX-9700
The Canon Wordtank IDX-9700 electronic dictionary does everything the smaller IDC-310 does, and more. Of course, you can translate English to Japanese and vice versa. You can also look up kanji based on reading, radical or stroke count, and look up words based on any component kanji.
Canon Wordtank IDC-310
The Canon Wordtank IDC-310 is a brilliant little electronic dictionary. The main function is to translate English to Japanese and vice versa. You can also look up kanji based on reading, radical or stroke count, and look up words based on any component kanji.
Electronic Japanese dictionaries
Most Japanese electronic dictionaries are generally available only in Japan. There are some companies that sell them overseas. If you are learning Japanese, especially if you live in Japan, I highly recommend carrying one with you all the time. They range from simple word-lookup dictionaries to full language translation units with kanji lookup and handwriting recognition. They are all more or less useful, but make sure you get one that’s right for your level.