Google Translate Desktop

Translating text regularly can be a difficult process, for users who repeatedly use Google Translate, having to constantly open a browser can be a tedious process. Google Translate Desktop is an application that places a version of Google Translate on the desktop that is readily available and easy to use.

For the most part, the application operates much like its browser version, but with a few extra options and a different display that is more suited to a desktop. The application allows users to automatically paste text and translate with a single button to minimize any awkward key combinations, as well as a button to paste without translating.

The main features from the original version, such as auto detecting the language, swapping the translation order between the languages, are all still available. The most useful added feature though is a button to automatically copy to the clipboard the translated results, a feature that drastically improves over the previous one, especially with large amounts of text.

Google Translate Desktop contains a few useful options that help make it more viable than the browser version. An "Always on top" feature can be enabled that makes it very useful to use with documents, switching between programs or web pages is no longer necessary. For those who have to translate often, the extra feature will save time.

Additional features like the ability to automatically use the last language used or a set language in the "Translate To", or the "Translate from" windows, can also make the program more efficient for a frequent user. Unfortunately, the standard feature for the program is to have it locked to the system tray at a fixed size, which is a bit awkward at first. Users can disable this though and position the application where they want.

The application is just an improved version of Google Translate, any issues users might have with the browser version are likely to exist in this one. However, the application does have a helpful range of additional options and tools to make it more suited to the desktop and a bit more convenient to use. For frequent translators, Google Translate Desktop is a very useful application.