Best CAT tool for Mac users?
Thread poster: Richard Serban
Richard Serban
Richard Serban  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 09:13
English to Hungarian
Mar 27, 2019

Dear colleagues,

I know this question has been asked before, but so far I couldn't find a suitable answer for my case.

I have been a Trados user on Windows machines for years. Recently I bought a MacBook Pro and so far I couldn't find any CAT tools that would suit me.

Here's what I've tried so far:

At first, I installed Trados using Parallels, but the experience wasn't satisfying. I've always found Trados to be unnecessarily complicated and lit
... See more
Dear colleagues,

I know this question has been asked before, but so far I couldn't find a suitable answer for my case.

I have been a Trados user on Windows machines for years. Recently I bought a MacBook Pro and so far I couldn't find any CAT tools that would suit me.

Here's what I've tried so far:

At first, I installed Trados using Parallels, but the experience wasn't satisfying. I've always found Trados to be unnecessarily complicated and littered with features I hardly used if ever, so I was ready to experiment with some different software anyway. But the fact that the Mac's keyboard layout and shortcuts are awkward at best to use in a Windows environment, the graphics of Trados appeared to be very weird (those who tried using Trados through Parallels on a Mac would surely know what I'm talking about).

I tinkered a bit with WordFast Pro too, but it didn't really like that one either - for instance, most of my clients and agencies send out the projects with TMs in an sdltm file format which WordFast can't handle and converting them to a tmx file on a Mac is quite a hassle.

A few weeks ago I finally purchased CafeTran and was extremely happy with it at first - it seemed that I'd found just what I'd been looking for.

However, using it turned out to be a nightmare. Long story short, I'm right now in the middle of negotiating with Igor, the developer/vendor of CafeTran about a refund because despite all of Igor's kind instructions and help, it kept crashing on me, resulting in the loss of projects, clients and income on more than one occasion.

I know that a lot of Mac-using Proz members are delighted with CafeTran, so I'm not here to bash that product or Igor who has really been trying to help me to solve the issues (but sadly in vain). For reasons unknown, CafeTran caused me problems regularly despite:
- being installed on a brand new laptop
- being allocated 8 GB of RAM (out of 16)
- not being tinkered with updates, setting changes etc.
- being used with a legally obtained full licence

On many occasions, CafeTran crashed on me while trying to create an sdlrpx return package after finishing a translation. It became irresponsive, created a return package over 13 GB in size (which couldn't be opened anyway) etc. And after each crash, I couldn't even quit or reopen CafeTran; sometimes it even forced me to restart the laptop.

So I'd be really helpful for any input on which tool would be the best and most reliable CafeTran/Trados alternative to use on a Mac.

Thank you all in advance.
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Tereza Rae
 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:13
Member (2016)
English to German
... Mar 27, 2019

I am using iMac > Parallels > memoQ and have no complaints.

(FYI, for keyboard layout / shortcut heaven when using a Mac, I recommend ControllerMate: https://www.orderedbytes.com/)

[Edited at 2019-03-27 15:45 GMT]


Norskpro
Nelly Keavney
 
Jean Dimitriadis
Jean Dimitriadis  Identity Verified
English to French
+ ...
Others Mar 27, 2019

I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with CafeTran Espresso.

I guess you have already covered this with Igor, but in the odd case you haven't, may I suggest you check the max Java memory size in the Help About menu? There was a recent discussion about allocated memory not sticking across CafeTran sessions, which could explain the symptoms you describe. Is there a discrepency between the max number in Help > About and the one defined in Edit > Preferences > Memory > Java mem
... See more
I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with CafeTran Espresso.

I guess you have already covered this with Igor, but in the odd case you haven't, may I suggest you check the max Java memory size in the Help About menu? There was a recent discussion about allocated memory not sticking across CafeTran sessions, which could explain the symptoms you describe. Is there a discrepency between the max number in Help > About and the one defined in Edit > Preferences > Memory > Java memory size (MB)?

---

Since you've already tried Wordfast Pro, here are two other tools you might want to check out:

- Memsource. Online/Offline. Although primarily online based, it also offers a desktop application (works on OS X), Memsource Editor.

- MateCat. Online, free*.

These two CAT tools handle SDLXLIFFs but can't directly import SDLTMs, you'll need to convert them to TMX.

For SDLTM and SDLTB conversions, your can use the free Java utility : Trados Studio Resource Converter: http://www.vannellen.com/fortranslators.php

*Warning: By default, MateCat stores your translated segments in the public MyMemory TM. To make sure this does not happen unwillingly, create a private TM resource: In the Project creation page, click on Settings (Alternatively, in the TM and glossary field, expand the drop-down menu and select Create resource). Click on + New resource button in the opened dialog. Give the TM an optional name. Hit Confirm. You will see that “MyMemory: Collaborative translation memory” resource is Enabled for Lookup, but not set to be Updated anymore. That way, translated segments will only be stored in your private resources.


[Edited at 2019-03-27 16:47 GMT]
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Igor Kmitowski
Igor Kmitowski  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 09:13
Member (2016)
English to Polish
+ ...
Wrong export folder Mar 27, 2019

Hello Richard,

When you create a return package in CafeTran, please do not change the export folder during the export of the files created in other CAT tools. If you point to/choose another folder (e.g holding other possibly large files), the program will obviously create the wrong package. And it may become unresponsive if that other folder holds files not meant for the export.


 
Norskpro
Norskpro
Norway
Local time: 09:13
Member
English to Norwegian
+ ...
MemoQ Mar 27, 2019

I use iMac > Parallels > memoQ,
and I find it simple to use.
MemoQ can also import Trados packages.


 
Richard Serban
Richard Serban  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 09:13
English to Hungarian
TOPIC STARTER
Mea culpa Mar 27, 2019

Dear colleagues,

Thank you ever so much for all your kind advice and helpful suggestions.

I have to apologise to all of you, but especially to Igor.

During the last occurrence of the problems with CafeTran I experienced, I made a screen recording and sent it to Igor asking for a refund. However, Igor duly pointed out that I was making the mistake of saving the return packages (sdlrpx) to different folders than from where the original project packages (sdl
... See more
Dear colleagues,

Thank you ever so much for all your kind advice and helpful suggestions.

I have to apologise to all of you, but especially to Igor.

During the last occurrence of the problems with CafeTran I experienced, I made a screen recording and sent it to Igor asking for a refund. However, Igor duly pointed out that I was making the mistake of saving the return packages (sdlrpx) to different folders than from where the original project packages (sdlppx) were opened.

Apparently, you shouldn't do that as this could cause all kinds of issues - as it did with me. So it seems that all my troubles were self-inflicted all along - unwittingly though but purely self-inflicted all the same.

I'm sorry for wasting your time and my deepest apologies to Igor. I'm truly sorry for complaining about his product which is now, following his instructions regarding the correct way of saving the return package to the original folder, working flawlessly.

Once again, mea culpa - and thank you Igor for your seemingly endless patience and kind helpfulness you showed all through our correspondence, I am humbled and very grateful!
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Igor Kmitowski
Igor Kmitowski  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 09:13
Member (2016)
English to Polish
+ ...
No time wasted Mar 27, 2019

By starting this thread, you helped to detect the source of possible issues with the export - changing the export folder. The software will be updated soon to prevent such mistakes.

Thank you!
Igor


 
Susan Welsh
Susan Welsh  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:13
Russian to English
+ ...
OmegaT Mar 28, 2019

OmegaT is a multi-platform CAT tool, free and open source. Plenty of Mac users. OmegaT.org

Infinitive
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 09:13
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
About OmegaT Mar 28, 2019

Susan Welsh wrote:
OmegaT is a multi-platform CAT tool, free and open source. Plenty of Mac users.


While that is true, OmegaT can't open SDLPPX files natively (you have to unzip manually) and it can't create SDLRPX files. To translate SDLXLIFF files, you have to install the Okapi plugin and deselect OmegaT's built-in XLIFF filter to ensure that OmegaT uses Okapi's XLIFF filter. Some people have reported success in translating SDLXLIFF files with OmegaT.

OmegaT uses TMX, and can't import or export SDLTM (but Jean posted about Vannellen's tool).


 
Fiach Reid
Fiach Reid
Ireland
Trados on MAC May 17, 2019

Hi,

Trados needs to be installed on a mac with a Virtual machine, but save your money with Parallels, you can very easily install a VM with Virtualbox for free. - I did it in 10 minutes last night.

Honestly, it's £69.99 for nothing, don't waste your money.

Fiach

*Also: Trados won't install with WINE on a mac, I've tried this approach also.


Alexandra Leroux
 


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