Ectaco Multilanguage Partner EE586HT

Quick Take: Ectaco is well known for its electronic translation devices, which are available in a variety of linguistic combinations. The $350 Multilanguage Partner is perhaps the most versatile of the bunch, translating between English and French, German, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish. Unlike many of Ectaco's other products, the Multilanguage Partner isn't a true talking dictionary, though it has audio in English. But it boasts a wealth of other features, including an internal spell-checking system, an electronic grammar book, and PDA capabilities. The highlight of these extras, however, is the onboard alarm clock, which will come in handy during sojourns in ill-equipped hotels. If you're traveling extensively in Western Europe, we recommend taking along this partner in crime.