Like many other open source software-using translators, I was really excited when Wordfast announced that it was releasing a platform-independent translation environment tool, Wordfast Pro. OmegaT is my tool of choice, but when a client wants Trados-style uncleaned files, I often find it easier to work in Wordfast than to create the uncleaned files from OmegaT’s output. For years, I’ve run the original Wordfast (now called “Wordfast Classic”) on my Linux system by running CrossOver Linux and then Microsoft Office. This solution works, but it’s a little clunky since it takes a lot of memory and since it requires upgrading three pieces of software (and in my case, I never use Microsoft Office unless I’m working in Wordfast since OmegaT supports the OpenDocument format).
Alas, the Linux-specific version of Wordfast Pro has what is in my opinion a serious dependency flaw; it cannot work with Word format files that are created or saved in a program other than MS Word. So if you, like me, use the free and open source office suite OpenOffice.org to create and/or edit files in MS Word format, you’re out of luck with Wordfast Pro, since it will tell you that your Word format documents are “not in a supported format.” Wordfast support confirmed this, when they told me that “…any .doc files not saved with MS Word 98-03 will not open in Wordfast. OpenOffice makes a slight change to the composition of the file and we are working on resolving that.” Unfortunately this makes Wordfast Pro essentially unusable by translators like myself who run OpenOffice exclusively and do not use MS Office.
In the past, the Wordfast team has been very supportive of translators who run their software on Linux, and I do really appreciate that they have released a Linux-specific version of their program (which installs and opens just fine on my Ubuntu system). However, I feel that selling a Linux-specific program that depends on a piece of non-free software (and not publicizing that dependency) is a little misleading; in my case, my reason for purchasing the Wordfast Pro upgrade was so that I would no longer have to run CrossOver Linux and MS Office and could use a version of Wordfast that runs natively on Linux. Hopefully this issue will be resolved in the near future, for now I’m back on OmegaT!
Thanks for the heads up! I’m also in Ubuntu, and use Virtualbox for Windows XP access to MS Office for no reason other than liking the Wordfast interface. I was looking forward to the new edition.
I might even consider opening and closing the document in MS Office just to be able to do 99% of the work in Linux without VB slowing my system down, so I’m still thinking about going to Pro.
Have your clients been content with Wordfast/OmegaT’s cross-platform TMX? Whenever I tried to send that I got complaints that it wasn’t the multi-file pure Trados they wanted, so I recently invested in that horribly over-complex CAT tool and am avoiding translating in it until specifically requested to… a few days after I paid the ridiculous fee, they released the new 2009 edition! Grr…..
If only OmegaT/Wordfast was the standard…
I am not a Linux girl (yet), but thanks for reminding me that I must start playing with OmegaT after using Deja Vu… I am all about open source software!
The problem you mentioned with word-only files in most cases should not be a problem at all. How many of your clients send you .doc files created in software other than Word? You can simply use Wordfast to work directly with files sent you by client and simplify your workflow.
To Benny:
At least the upgrade won’t be expensive. And doing little research would tell you that SDL is prepping a new version soon, so you could have avoided the mistake.
BTW, I’ve started my career with OmetaT, but came to the other side when it became obvious, that to get some serious work I have to use Trados. And I don’t really regret it. It’s just a tool, but a good one, and versatile.
I am running my main laptop with Ubuntu and XP Professional runs on top of Ubuntu in VMWare. I would rather not use XP at all, or any Windows product, but am forced to by clients who want Trados files. Since customer is king, so be it. Considering how much money I have made by learning ins and outs of Trados, I consider that software actually cheap. I will upgrade to 2009 version.
Tapani
Corinne,
[Quote]
“(…) when a client wants Trados-style uncleaned files, I often find it easier to work in Wordfast than to create the uncleaned files from OmegaT’s output (…)”
Does this mean WF Pro CAN produce bilingual Trados-compatible files within Linux?
Some of my colleagues in proz are telling me it can’t …
Thanks in advance, Corinne