Apple asks developers to localize apps, opens Chinese Support forum in international push

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  • Reply 21 of 39
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post

    i wouldn't define that as racist.


     


    Exactly!





    Originally Posted by stelligent View Post

    Or, in this case, it's just inaccurate.


     


    He doesn't find it so.

  • Reply 22 of 39
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by markofjohnson View Post



    We just translated our game Hit Tennis 3 to 14 languages, and got great results. Case study here: http://www.markj.net/translate-hit-tennis-3-iphone-game/


     


    Interesting stuff. Thank you for sharing this with us.

  • Reply 23 of 39
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    We just translated our game Hit Tennis 3 to 14 languages, and got great results. Case study here: http://www.markj.net/translate-hit-tennis-3-iphone-game/

    Blimey! That's an addictive game. And one that I'm actually good at. I beat Jesse. Thanks!
  • Reply 24 of 39
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


     



    Originally Posted by stelligent View Post

    Or, in this case, it's just inaccurate.


     


    Exactly!


     


    He doesn't find it so.



    That doesn't make it not so. 

  • Reply 25 of 39
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    stelligent wrote: »
    That doesn't make it not so.

    So he does do¿
  • Reply 26 of 39
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post

    So he does do¿


  • Reply 27 of 39
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    This is nothing new. I first received recommendation from Apple on how to localize apps in May of 2011 (there might even have been earlier messages). There is nothing in this latest email (which I didn't receive - what's up with that!) that "requires" localization.

    Maybe because they've been following you on AI? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
  • Reply 28 of 39
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post





    So he does do¿


    I do find it that it does not have to be so just because he does do find it so.

  • Reply 29 of 39
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post





    Maybe because they've been following you on AI? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)




    Wow. Argumentum ad hominem?


     


    It's this sort of attack which I find particularly distasteful around here. Please stop.

  • Reply 30 of 39
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post






    Was Yogi his manager at the time?

  • Reply 31 of 39

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


     


    After doing it at the company I work for, I can attest Google Translate is wrong about 70% of the time with Simple Chinese. I don't know any translators outside of work that I could use in my app.


     


    When I received this email yesterday, I was scratching my head. I'm supposed to use one of these vendors that Apple lists: https://developer.apple.com/internationalization/#vendors


     


    I'm an independent developer on my own apps, not sure I have the resources to pay these guys. Then again, maybe I do. Anyone know the average pricing for this?



     


    Hello everyone,


     


    We at LocalVersion are specialists in iOS and Mac OS localization.


     


    Translating 400 words would typically cost around EUR 50-70 (USD 65-90), depending on the language, the complexity of the text, and the quality of the translation. There are cheaper services, but they often use junior translators, even non-native people or machine translation.


    Obviously the results then are very poor, sometimes even dangerous or offensive. It is safe to invest a little bit more so that your sales and brand image are not compromised by bad translations.


     


    http://www.localversion.com/en/faq.html


     


    Your German, French or Chinese users would certainly be delighted to have your apps in their own language. Most people there know little English and they will tend to ignore products that are not in their language or that are poorly translated. Global markets are huge and growing fast. Users are much more likely to find about your products and buy them if they are in their language.


     


    Eduard Simón



     

  • Reply 32 of 39
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member

    Wow. Argumentum ad hominem?

    It's this sort of attack which I find particularly distasteful around here. Please stop.

    Just reminding you that you were one of those few who would rush to blame a manager in Cupertino for iMac screen-lamination issues in Taiwan/China/Japan/Korea or wherever, without knowing anything about those issues, or the universe of difficulties involved.

    Just kidding in your case of course, but maybe they do notice these mutterings in Cupertino. Steve certainly did, with the iPad. They try hard to do something exceptional, and when the rabble don't appreciate it ("it's just a big iPod touch;" "we didn't ask for a thinner iMac") or the inevitable delays happen, the unknowing turn on them. Maybe they don't take it personally. I would, but that's just me—and Steve.
  • Reply 33 of 39
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member

    Wow. Argumentum ad hominem?

    It's this sort of attack which I find particularly distasteful around here. Please stop.

    In what way did he attacks your motives or character? He make a jokey comment.
  • Reply 34 of 39
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post





    Just reminding you that you were one of those few who would rush to blame a manager in Cupertino for iMac screen-lamination issues in Taiwan/China/Japan/Korea or wherever, without knowing anything about those issues, or the universe of difficulties involved.



    Just kidding in your case of course, but maybe they do notice these mutterings in Cupertino. Steve certainly did, with the iPad. They try hard to do something exceptional, and when the rabble don't appreciate it ("it's just a big iPod touch;" "we didn't ask for a thinner iMac") or the inevitable delays happen, the unknowing turn on them. Maybe they don't take it personally. I would, but that's just me—and Steve.




    First, I was joking (here).


     


    Second, Apple absolutely has to take responsibility when their products are late. Do you knock on Samsung's door if the A5 chip in your iPad stops working?


     


    That's just the way the world is. You'll understand when you graduate, or stop working for the government.

  • Reply 35 of 39
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    In what way did he attacks your motives or character? He make a jokey comment.




    Me jokey back. Clearly he didn't attack me and so (I thought) the hyperbole was pretty obvious.


     


    Sign .... Didn't someone say Seinfeld wasn't an overnight success? Oh yeah, that was me.

  • Reply 36 of 39
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member

    First, I was joking (here).

    Second, Apple absolutely has to take responsibility when their products are late. Do you knock on Samsung's door if the A5 chip in your iPad stops working?

    That's just the way the world is. You'll understand when you graduate, or stop working for the government.

    First, "(which I didn't receive, what's up with that!)" —it's that petulant little exclamation mark: Apple is at it again, being inscrutable or incompetant, or both, toward developers. ("Where's mine? Me me me . . .")

    So you get a joke. Maybe they singled you out for blaming them when the supply of indium gets delayed because of a typhoon and the iMacs are late. Did heads roll at Toyota when there was a post-tsunami Prius shortage?

    You don't know why things don't go your way, you blame them, so you get a joke.
  • Reply 37 of 39


    I localize software for a living and I think that most developers know whether it's the right thing for them to do. You can check iTunes Connect and see if you're getting any downloads in other countries. If you are, then first localizing your app description is a great way to gauge interest in how many people will actually PAY for your software. Most app descriptions are just 200-300 words and cost very little to translate, perhaps $50 on average. That should be a fraction of your advertising budget, and if you're making money in English you can make it in other languages. Only then should you worry about localizing your app, which does take a bit of preparation.


     


    Of course if your app is to look up zipcodes in Maine, probably there is no reason to localize, but for most developers who are making at least hundreds of dollars of month in English, localizing into 2-10 languages is a smart idea. The Apple email just goes a little too far. Start slow and simple. Try just the app description in one language for a country where you are already seeing some downloads. Experience tells me that you're likely to see a favorable jump in downloads that will convince you to try more!

  • Reply 38 of 39
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member


    If you do decide to localize, be sure to find a good translator, especially if the terms are technical.


     


    I remember many years ago our group decided to try to sell our handheld software to the Saudi government.  It included lots of buttons and labels with very technical terms.   So we had someone non-technical in our division who knew Arabic translate them directly over.


     


    Well, as is not uncommon in technical fields, terms do not always translate directly over.  Instead, they often translate into some type of slang term.


     


    Anyway, our poor managers flew over to Saudi Arabia to make a big presentation, and the officials kept snickering the whole time.   Finally, they pointed out that some of the translations just didn't make sense.


     


    Lessons learned...

  • Reply 39 of 39
    do xado xa Posts: 1member
    Hi!
    If you%u2019re interested in a tool to collaboratively localize iOS apps for iPad or iPhone, I suggest you give https://poeditor.com/ a shot. It%u2019s a very user-friendly online translation platform that handles .strings files too, along with other popular language file formats. You%u2019ll see that it has a sum of very useful features to aid your localization workflow, like set reference language and translation memory. Cheers and good luck with your projects!
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