20/08/2002 Interview with Iliya Tyurin- Product Manager for absoluteword.com
When was Absoluteworld formed and how many people are involved in the company?
AbsoluteWord was formed in 2001, currently there are 5 people working in the company excluding dictionary contributors and regional partners.
Why make a dictionary program when there are others already about for the Palm OS?
The first thing about other dictionary programs is the small dictionary database. Basically, for each dictionary its own viewer is required. We put our best to build the biggest dictionary library around.
What makes RoadLingua special? (It's the best I have used so far)
There are more than 250 dictionaries available for RoadLingua, including multilingual and specialty dictionaries. And we developed the RoadLingua shell to have all of the features a good dictionary program must have. Fast word browsing, expansion card support, ability to create custom dictionaries are just highlights.
What PDA do you personally use and why?
Personally I use a HandEra 330, it's 240x320 screen is perfect for book reading.
What's the best book you have ever read and why?
"The Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne. It is a book about the power of knowledge, I read it when I was 12 years old and then re-read about 5-6 times.
Has RoadLingua been as successful as you expected?
Yes, but we are working to make it even more successful.
3 reasons everyone should own a PDA?
First I'd like to change word "own" to the word "use". I know people who just own their PDAs and don't know how many helpful uses they have. 1. Many people lose a lot of time waiting for something or somebody, this could be 5 minutes or hours. The PDA is a great time saver. You can read books, play games, write emails, and so on. 2. A PDA is a good information source. In addition to the convenient addressbook you can use PDA for more databases, there are lots of reference books available. 3. Idea keeper. I learnt graffiti to write down my ideas as quick as possible.
What's the best feedback you have received so far for your products?
The best feedback is no feedback. But of course there are eccentric cases, one of them when a family bought four copies of English-Spanish dictionary because they wanted to learn Spanish, and prefer to speak Spanish while they are together, and it is very inconvenient to use paper dictionaries.
Can anyone make dictionaries for RoadLingua?
Yes. There is a freeware utility for Windows. Those who create their own dictionaries are welcome to participate in the AbsoluteWord partner program.
Where do you see the PDA market going in the next year?
I see a tendency towards PDA and cell phone integration as both devices become 'must have' in a pocket.
Thanks to Iliya- much appreciated! If you want to find out more about the RoadLingua dictionaries and reference works here is Absoluteword's site.