Being a history graduate (go on, make your nerd jokes now), I pride myself as being the Queen of Trivial Knowledge – but even I need a refresher now and again. If I’m lucky enough to be sitting by a computer (which I’ll admit is quite often) the internet has almost every answer I could possibly need in seconds thanks to Wikipedia. But what if I’m not in front of my computer?
Here’s the perfect solution: Wikipedia… on your Windows Mobile phone! I know what you’re thinking. Data. Data is expensive! And Wikipedia is full of images and links and then you have to worry about having the right browser to view it in properly… grah! So here it is…
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There are several ways to do this, of course. I’ll outline two in this how-to guide.
The Easy Way
MDict + Wikipedia data library
Step 1: Head to Octopus Studio and download MDict. This app is a multi-language dictionary for Windows Mobile that isn’t actually a dictionary in itself, but is instead an ‘empty’ dictionary program that you can fill with libraries built by users like yourself. (ie. importing Wikipedia data files!)
It supports multiple libraries at once, supports multiple languages, has online word pickup functions, and best of all – is totally and absolutely free for personal use.
Step 2: Grab the latest Wikipedia data library from some kind of torrent, let’s say. Oh, I dunno, let’s say this one from September 2008, for example. (Psst – you didn’t hear it from me.)
Step 3: Read MDict’s manual.txt file to learn how to import your Wikipedia library into the app (very, very simple).
Step 4: It’s great to learn!
The Even Easier Way
Pocket Wikipedia
Step 1: Download Pocket Wikipedia.
Step 2: Drink some tea and read about the Eastern Imperial Eagle!
Is Pocket Wikipedia better than MDict? It’s a tough call, really. Like MDict, Pocket Wikipedia is absolutely free for personal use. MDict allows you to add new libraries at any time and its user interface is much more user friendly. I use MDict because it’s up to date as of September 2008. But you may prefer Pocket Wikipedia. Check them both out and decide for yourself which one earns the permanent spot on your mobile device!
With the only real option for internet use on an AT&T smartphone being unlimited, data is no object, for me at least.
The typical scenario is that my wife and I are in the car, she sees something on the side of the road and asks me about it. I then say, “why don’t you wikipedia XXXXX?” If her iPhone (boo, hiss) batery life isn’t too drained, she looks it up and we have a fun conversation while we get to where we’re going.
Alternately, we’re at a restaurant, and some question comes up. I’ll type in the search string in the SkyFire box on my Today screen and presto, before she’s corrected her iPhone typos, I’m already at the right website to find the answer. Oh, and if that page has flash, I get to laugh at Apple’s incompatibility.
In short, I am such a Wiki nerd that I sometimes spend hours just clicking one link to the next, reading as I sit at my desk and and watch Twitter go by.
Hey Ray!
I, too, am a big ol’ Wiki nerd (also, since we’re talking addiction, I’ve read and own every single copy of Scientific American from January 1994 to present, heh.) And yeah, with an unlimited data plan, I’m constantly wiki-ing stuff on the go. I have to make sure I’m right, afterall :P
But you know, MDict is really great — I actually use it instead of searching online for wiki stuff. I like the format of it a lot. Make it really readable.
I hear ya on the Twitter bit, how much time do I spend watching Twitkit update? Heh.