Ordering Information

How to Order

Here's a quick summary of everything you need to do to get started with Pleco.

1. Purchase Hardware. If you don't already have a handheld or smartphone that meets Pleco's system requirements, you'll need to purchase one. See this page for some suggestions about which type / model of handheld to buy.
2. Install Demo Version. Once you have a device to run Pleco on, the next step is to install the demo version of Pleco on it. You can download the demo version from here - see the instruction manual (Windows Mobile here, Palm OS here) for details on how to install it.
3. Get System ID. Before you can order Pleco, you need to find your handheld's "System ID" to enter on the order form. This is a special code which we use to generate a unique "keyfile" for your handheld; you use that keyfile to convert the demo-version software into the paid version. The demo version of Pleco shows you your System ID every time you start it up; for help finding that ID, see this page.
4. Place Order. Once you've got your System ID, go to our online store to order the software. We accept credit cards and PayPal, and also offer gift certificates if you'd like to give a copy of Pleco to someone else.
5. Install Keyfile. As soon as your order is processed, we'll send you your keyfile; there should also be a link to download it on the order confirmation page. Install that keyfile to your handheld (for help on that, see this page for Windows Mobile or this page for Palm OS) to unlock the full, paid-version software.
6. Start Using Pleco! See the tutorial if you need help finding your way around.

Demo Version

The demo version of Pleco 2.0 lets you try out most of its features, including the flashcard system and the handwriting recognizer, but differs from the paid version in the following ways:

• Dictionaries: In the ABC and ACE dictionaries, the headword and Pinyin for every entry is visible, but definitions are only available in entries with Pinyin transliterations beginning in 'a', 'b', or 'c'. In other dictionaries, only the first few entries (generally just 'a' and 'b') are accessible at all.
• Add-ons: Free and user-created dictionaries are not accessible at all in the demo version, and flashcard import/export is also disabled.
• Handwriting Recognizer: The handwriting recognizer cannot be used in searches; you can write in a character and see what matches it comes up with (to confirm that the recognizer works with your handwriting), but you can't then perform a search for that character.
• Audio: Audio pronunciations are only available for single-syllable words.
• Stroke Order: Stroke order diagrams are not available at all, due to licensing restrictions.

So basically, you can use the demo version to make sure Pleco runs correctly on your handheld, try out the user interface, and get a sense of how most of its features work, but can't actually do anything productive with it.

The demo and paid versions of Pleco use the exact same application and data files; to convert the demo to the paid version you just install a small "keyfile" which you receive after placing your order.

To download the demo version of Pleco for Windows Mobile, visit this page. For Palm OS, visit this page.

Lost Software / New Handheld

If you ever lose your software due to a hard drive crash or other mishap, you can re-download the software installer from our downloads page, and can re-download your keyfile by logging on to My Orders.

If you replace your handheld / smartphone with a new (Pleco-compatible) one running Windows Mobile or Palm OS, in nearly all cases you can move your software over to that new handheld free of charge; simply install the software on your new handheld, log on to the My Orders page and enter your new handheld's System ID in the form on that page to receive a new keyfile for it.

The only exception to this policy is if the new model is incompatible with the version of Pleco that you've purchased; when that happens, whenever possible we'll release a free update to correct the problem, but if that's not possible (due to extra royalties or license fees we have to pay) we'll make an upgrade available as cheaply as we can afford to.

You can be confident that any product you buy from us will be supported for years to come; we've been in business since 2000 and our sales have grown every year since then, so we won't be going away anytime soon.

Upgrades

Our official upgrade policy is that all software updates within the current major version (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc) are offered free of charge, and that major version upgrades (3.0, 4.0, 5.0) may or may not be free.

To date, we've never charged a fee for a version upgrade; we have customers who bought our software back in 2001 and are still using the latest version in 2009 without ever having had to pay an upgrade fee. What we prefer to do instead is to release the basic software upgrade for free but charge extra for some new features (particularly those that require us to pay royalties or license fees).

For example, with Pleco 2.0, most customers who own a previous version of Pleco are able to upgrade for free, but have to pay extra for the new stroke order diagram and audio pronunciation features or to add on the new dictionaries. (if you're a previous-version customer, see the upgrade guide for details on how to upgrade)

Tech Support

We offer lifetime free e-mail technical support with all purchases; just contact us and we'll be delighted to help you.

We do not currently offer telephone support; we're not big enough to have a dedicated 24-hour line, and if we offered telephone support during business hours it wouldn't do much good for the plurality of our customers who live outside the US, so we've decided it's best to forego telephone support altogether for now at least. We're very quick to answer emails, though; most messages are responded to within half a day, many within a few hours, and we don't stop answering email on weekends.

Switching Between Palm OS and Windows Mobile

Switches between Palm OS and Windows Mobile are now treated like any other hardware upgrade; you simply log on to My Orders and enter your new handheld's System ID in the appropriate space to instantly receive a new keyfile for your new handheld/platform.

Educational Discounts

We do not provide educational discounts directly to individual students / teachers; the vast majority of Pleco customers are students of some kind or another, so if we offered individual student discounts we'd have to increase prices so much that it would pretty much cancel them out.

We do, however, provide group discounts to schools that are interested in encouraging Pleco use among their students; contact us for information on that.

US Government Purchasers

Our products are offered to the US government (institutional purchases only) under GSA contract number GS-35F-0215T; contact us at sales@pleco.com if you'd like to discuss placing an order with us.