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Japanese Windows XP

atkjhi

後輩
22 Aug 2004
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Anyone ever loaded Japanese Windows on U.S. computer hardware? I'm wondering is I can just buy a copy of Japanese Windows and load it on my desktop as a dual boot, or does computer hardware used in Japan have some quirks that would make Japanese Windows only operable on certain hardware configs?

When my fiance moves to the U.S. I want to make sure that she can still email her friends in Japan that cannot read English.
 
You don't need to have Japanese Windows to be able to send emails in Japanese. Windows (US, too) have this thing called Input Method Editor (IME) that you can install to be able to type Japanese. This has been touched many times on this forum, so do a search if you want to know more about it. If you could provide us with more information such as how emails are being sent or read (Outlook/Express, webmail like yahoo, hotmail, etc.) and such, we can help you out. All are doable on US Windows.

Keiichi

😊
 
TYVM, I have Outlook Express, or we can use Hotmail, Yahoo, whatever is most convenient.

I figured it out.

ありがとう。
 
Make sure you set Japanese as the "Default Language for Non-Unicode Programs" in the control panel if your fiance is bringing native-Japanse applications (IE -- menus and whatnot are in Japanese).
 
I found it a little difficult to send her an email in Japanese and I was just wondering if true Japanese Windows is easier to type in Japanese? My fiance actually reads and writes English very well but she has a lot of friends that don't so it is primarily so that she can remain in touch with her friends in Japan.
 
I think Japanese Windows is only a bit easier to type only to the extent that it probably has Japanese input by default (not having used it before, I don't really know), but with the right settings on a US Windows, it's just the same. You pretty much type the same way, as if you were typing romaji. What kind of difficulties are you having? Perhaps what you're currently doing maybe the simplist, or one of, way there is. :)

For me, one of the most common way for me to send an email to a Japanese computer is using the program JWPce (free download: http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~grosenth/jwpce.html) to type my text and then copy and paste it into the textbox where I'm sending the email (for me, this is Outlook Express and Yahoo [US]). The program also provides options when copy/pasting and what format you want it to import and export as (eg. UTF-8, EUC, JIS, etc.), so if it doesn't seem to work, the most likely problem is that you're not typing it in the correct format.
If you do download it, my current option setting for Exporting is UTF-8 (copying as UTF-8 format), which pastes into OE and Yahoo mail quite well and my recipients are able to read them.

Keiichi

😊
 
No -- ditch those goofy programs. They often format in their own way, making it difficult for other people to read them. [EDIT: Although it doesn't seem so from Keiichi's post, but I still recommend against them.] The only difference between Japanese and English windows is the language the menus and buttons are in. Typing in Japanese on English Windows with the Japanese IME is the EXACT same as typing on a Japanese Windows machine. The IME breaks just as easy on both of them, and you can set your default to whichever language you want.

The only problem you might run into is you mail client. I've not used the Outlooks in so long (they're garbage), but setting the encoding can be tricky. Download Thunderbird from Mozilla. It's free, and much better than Outlook, and you can change the text encoding of each message you send out.
 
most of the major webmailers do it also? from what i have seen
"or does computer hardware used in Japan have some quirks that would make Japanese Windows only operable on certain hardware configs?"
it's going to ask for drivers, etc with japanese dialog boxes
last year, i brought a laptop back to this girl from her sister (i wanted to buy an xbox for myself :().
only had to install the updates for xp, but windows update checks browser -- if browser is japanese...
 
Good point, budd. Okay, I should've mentioned this.

Laptops are in general a bit of a disaster to swap langauges with. Is it impossible? No. Is it worth doing? Hmm... depends on how tech-savvy you are and how bad you need it. Some are easier to do than others obviously, but the trick is, you have to go to the page of the manufacturer, find out who makes each part, and in some cases download the driver from the original manufacturer and install it. Many laptops have drivers that are released with the standard Windows release of that langauge, but not another, and can be the cause of massive hair loss.

As for hardware - no problem. Hardware from any country will work on a PC from any country. For 7 years I had a mish-mash of parts distributed in the states and Japan. Every now and again you'll get something like a printer that comes with it's own "applet" (printer settings, etc) which will be in Japanese only.

The only region-lock stump you'll find are some games, which check only the default langauge. Change it in the control panel and viola!
 
ehe, my suggestion, get a apple (mac). International language support is already in the operating system, and is quite easy to type, so you can forget about plugins and trying to download this-and-that and praying it works.

If you're stuck with windows though, definitely use the IME input method offered by microsoft. It's not the greatest tool in the world, you can't reverse-lookup words or anything, but it works for most things. Though, you'll find that if you're using clients like AIM or some email clients (some are picky, others aren't) the text you type will show up as blocks or question marks. Also on installing, make sure to follow the directions on what to install in what order. I think you install the fonts FIRST, which makes it much easier to apply fonts you download later, if you decide to play around.
 
ehe, my suggestion, get a apple (mac). International language support is already in the operating system, and is quite easy to type, so you can forget about plugins and trying to download this-and-that and praying it works.

It's available in XP out of the box as well -- as stated above. Just not installed by default. No downloading required.

Again -- set your DEFAULT non-Unicode langauge as Japanese to avoid moji-bake, boxes, and whatnot.

I hate Windows as well, but Mac is by no means any better. I'm a Linux guy due to work, but there's one thing that Microsoft has REALLY excelled at, and it's that damn IME. It might be their only good application. :)
 
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