Essential Free Software

Professional translation software runs to hundreds of pounds, but there are less effective versions available for free online, the most popular of which is Google Translate.

Systran 6 uses the same translation engine as that but offers far more flexibility. The home version integrates nicely into Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer and Firefox to put instant text translation close to hand. You'll find support for a dozen languages here, including major European tongues along with Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The software is controlled with the Systran Toolbar, which is integrated into each supported application. This gives the choice of translating an entire page by choosing a source and target language, selecting a specific paragraph of text and using the right-click menu to get an instant translation, or looking up specific words or phrases you can enter yourself.

Systran also include a dictionary manager that can be used to customise the meanings of specific words. You'll also find it can search for alternative meanings and will warn if any words aren't found, which can improve the accuracy of the translated text.

The software was extremely easy to use, both online and with text-based documents, but since most of the translations are quite literal, don't expect to be left with a perfect conversion. It's still accurate enough the majority of the time to be interpreted correctly, which we're assuming is the level of accuracy most users will want.

There are some small issues with translating web pages (embedded objects, including Java and Flash, aren't translated). This isn't really serious enough to undermine the software too much, considering its flexibility, but some users might consider whether it's worth the asking price in the light of free alternatives such as Google Translate. However, if the application integration and an added degree of control is something you're looking for in language translation, Systran6 certainly succeeds.

Vista compatible: Yes