How easy is it for a Trados user to start using MemoQ? Thread poster: conejo
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conejo 
United States
Local time: 14:56
Japanese to English
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Hello. I know how to use the normal functions in SDL Trados Studio that are most frequently used and that are required to translate jobs, and use it regularly. As of right now I have no experience with other CAT tools.
After a long negotiation a potential client has suddenly said all their jobs are in MemoQ, which was never mentioned before as being a requirement. They supposedly provide a license without me having to buy it myself.
My question is, how hard is it for so... See more Hello. I know how to use the normal functions in SDL Trados Studio that are most frequently used and that are required to translate jobs, and use it regularly. As of right now I have no experience with other CAT tools.
After a long negotiation a potential client has suddenly said all their jobs are in MemoQ, which was never mentioned before as being a requirement. They supposedly provide a license without me having to buy it myself.
My question is, how hard is it for someone who knows Trados to just start using MemoQ? Is it very similar to Trados? Or is there a big learning curve? How much time should I expect to need to spend trying to learn MemoQ before using it? (Specifically, how long would it take to become able to use the normal functions that you would always need to use to translate a job? Not any fancy or advanced or obscure functions.) Or is it intuitive and not that hard to learn if I know Trados already?
I'm wondering if this is something where I would be able to hit the ground running pretty quickly, or if I should be wary of accepting jobs in this until I've had time to spend a lot of time studying.
[Edited at 2020-03-31 14:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Should be pretty intuitive | Mar 31, 2020 |
After picking up a few essential editor shortcuts, like Ctrl+Enter for "Confirm segment" and Ctrl+K for Concordance lookup, you should be ready to plow through texts with the same speed you're used to in SDL Studio.
The structure of projects, I find, is more intuitive in MemoQ than it is in SDL.
Your "paperwork" overhead with MemoQ will be especially low if your customer arranges everything on their own server. Checking out and delivering projects is a breeze that way. ... See more After picking up a few essential editor shortcuts, like Ctrl+Enter for "Confirm segment" and Ctrl+K for Concordance lookup, you should be ready to plow through texts with the same speed you're used to in SDL Studio.
The structure of projects, I find, is more intuitive in MemoQ than it is in SDL.
Your "paperwork" overhead with MemoQ will be especially low if your customer arranges everything on their own server. Checking out and delivering projects is a breeze that way. However, if you're expected to handle source documents, target documents, TMs and termbases on your own, prepare for a slightly more difficult learning curve. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 21:56
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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conejo wrote:
A potential client said all their jobs are in MemoQ ... They supposedly provide a license without me having to buy it myself.
Yes, although whether you would be able to use that license for other jobs (i.e. from other clients) remains to be seen. I have received from more than one MemoQ touting agency older versions of MemoQ to install and use (typically 2015), with a perpetual license, but I strongly suspect these are pirated and that the "license files" are actually cracks. It is also possible for clients to have a couple of travelling MemoQ licenses that they give to freelancers who need to use MemoQ at that moment, but the license is not permanent and your MemoQ may stop working after a few days following final delivery of the project. Finally there is the option to use MemoQ with specific online projects in such a way that the translator can use MemoQ only for that particular project (MemoQ connects to the client's server but the translation is done in MemoQ offline). The different types of MemoQ are not clearly documented anywhere, so there may even be more variations that I don't know of.
How hard is it for someone who knows Trados to just start using MemoQ? Is it very similar to Trados? Or is there a big learning curve?
Trados is not my main CAT tool, so I'm not intimately familiar with all of its fancy features, but I can tell you that my impression is that MemoQ is very different from Trados, and that it would be best for you to watch a couple of MemoQ introductory videos (there are several on YouTube, e.g. here and here, which is the same presentation twice). The way projects work is different, the way filters are set up is different, the way glossaries and translation memories are connected is different, where files are saved is different... etc. I find working with projects via server synchronization to be particularly confusing in MemoQ (but then: I don't get so many jobs in MemoQ).
| | | | Wout Van den Broeck (X)
Belgium
Local time: 21:56
English to Dutch
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My case is exactly the same as yours: I use Studio as my main CAT tool and memoQ very often for one of my clients. They provide the license as well.
I'm not sure about the project management side, but on the translation side, it is very similar to Trados! Within 30 minutes working with it, you'll be comfortable
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Certainly worth trying | Mar 31, 2020 |
conejo wrote:
My question is, how hard is it for someone who knows Trados to just start using MemoQ? Is it very similar to Trados? Or is there a big learning curve? How much time should I expect to need to spend trying to learn MemoQ before using it?
I was once involved in a large project that used MemoQ. I spent an hour or two looking over the interface and - in particular - customising the keyboard shortcuts to resemble those of Trados. I remember it being straightforward and intuitive to work with.
Another client required the use of a certain other, not very impressive CAT tool. I played along, and made many, many thousands of euro from that relationship before they were acquired by a larger firm and the work dried up.
If this looks like a decent client, and you're not already busy, I would certainly give MemoQ a go. No kicks, no goals.
Dan
| | | | RobinB
United States
Local time: 14:56
German to English
I'm a long-term Studio user but have had to translate a few projects in memoQ (client licences in each case). Many of the keyboard shortcuts are different, but overall it wasn't too much of a challenge. I still prefer Studio, though!
| | | | | Personal taste | Mar 31, 2020 |
You really need to try it to decide whether you like it.
I find MemoQ fairly intuitive while I can't say the same about Studio, but if you're used to Studio, it may take a couple of hours (or more) before you feel at ease in MemoQ, as many things are organised differently.
I've had a MemoQ licence with support and upgrade subscription since 2015 and have no intention of changing that. In nearly all cases, it has been possible to make MemoQ do what I needed, but as with ... See more You really need to try it to decide whether you like it.
I find MemoQ fairly intuitive while I can't say the same about Studio, but if you're used to Studio, it may take a couple of hours (or more) before you feel at ease in MemoQ, as many things are organised differently.
I've had a MemoQ licence with support and upgrade subscription since 2015 and have no intention of changing that. In nearly all cases, it has been possible to make MemoQ do what I needed, but as with all software, it does have its quirks.
MemoQ support are fairly responsive. Even if you don't have a licence or subscription, you can still report bugs to them.
Working with server projects is a smooth process. You check out the project, complete the translation and deliver it. I always set synchronisation to manual, though, as the automatic mode often results in longer response times. You can still add your own resources such as translation memories and term bases when you work with server projects, although I don't know if this works when you're using a client licence. ▲ Collapse
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Laura Kingdon
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:56
Member (2015)
French to English
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I don't find it too difficult to work in MemoQ compared to Studio, partly because all my clients who insist on MemoQ also want the project delivered right in MemoQ, so once you've learned how to synchronize and deliver, that part of the process is a breeze. MemoQ does have a few quirks that are different from Studio's quirks, but they are mostly not too bad to deal with.
Like others, I find the MemoQ interface more intuitive than that of Studio. I think it does a better job of maxi... See more I don't find it too difficult to work in MemoQ compared to Studio, partly because all my clients who insist on MemoQ also want the project delivered right in MemoQ, so once you've learned how to synchronize and deliver, that part of the process is a breeze. MemoQ does have a few quirks that are different from Studio's quirks, but they are mostly not too bad to deal with.
Like others, I find the MemoQ interface more intuitive than that of Studio. I think it does a better job of maximizing the space on my screen. I still prefer Studio overall, but find MemoQ a more pleasant experience for the eyes.
You may find it helpful to customize your most frequently used keyboard shortcuts to those you're familiar with in Studio. That was by far the worst part for me when I started working in MemoQ. ▲ Collapse
| | | | MollyRose
United States
Local time: 14:56
English to Spanish
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It took me a long time to figure out how to work with Trados. I didn´t have any manuals or training, but I finally got right and enjoyed using it! After several years, we switched to MemoQ because of the cost. Having already a good understanding of Trados helped me to quickly learn MemoQ, especially since Kilgray has free tutorials online that you can watch--and they really teach you how to use it, too! They aren´t just "tutorials" that show you that certain things can be done in order to ... See more It took me a long time to figure out how to work with Trados. I didn´t have any manuals or training, but I finally got right and enjoyed using it! After several years, we switched to MemoQ because of the cost. Having already a good understanding of Trados helped me to quickly learn MemoQ, especially since Kilgray has free tutorials online that you can watch--and they really teach you how to use it, too! They aren´t just "tutorials" that show you that certain things can be done in order to try to sell the product.
I was able to start translating right away, once I exported my Trados TMs and TB into the MemoQ format. I didn´t have to set up a template like you do in Trados. It was easy. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 22:56
English to Russian
| Easy but dangerous | Apr 1, 2020 |
You are at risk of never going back to Trados again.
| | | | conejo
United States
Local time: 14:56
Japanese to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Thanks everybody for your comments. I will try your suggestions for the tutorials and videos and trial versions.
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