Chinese version of windows

[Jimmy]

I have had 2 different vendors from Microsoft tell me I did not need to have a Chinese version of windows. It is very expensive here. I was told the language pack is enough for windows, just remember to select Chinese when installing software.
Now the lady her English is very bad she will have a hard time with having to read much English at all.
Any of you guys have experience with this. If I need the Chinese version anyone of the brothers able to pick one up for me. I am sure it would be much cheaper in China, than to order one from an American vendor.

Thanks Guys

[RegnisTheGreat]

No, you do not need the Chinese Version of Windows. All you need is the language pack (you have the original. I can help you with this. Do you have IM? I will be home in about an hour or two. You can reach me as follows:

AIM: superwacky
MSN: singerw@hotmail.com
Yahoo: singer_wang
ICQ: 201253

You know what? When I get home I'm going to do a step by step tutorial on how to get Chinese on Windows XP.

[Vince G]

I had a question about this that I don't recall getting an answer? or I forgot it? :blush:

First let me say I use Mac, but the question was about XP. Could you have one login (on XP) in english (as admin?) and another log in, in chinese? Or would picking the language be for the whole computer regardless of login?

[RegnisTheGreat]

I had a question about this that I don't recall getting an answer? or I forgot it? :blush:

First let me say I use Mac, but the question was about XP. Could you have one login (on XP) in english (as admin?) and another log in, in chinese? Or would picking the language be for the whole computer regardless of login?

Hey Vince G, I'm a Mac user too! But I have a Windows laptop for the few apps I have that don't work on Mac. Let me finish dinner and I'll do a writeup.

[mustfocus]

I had a question about this that I don't recall getting an answer? or I forgot it? :blush:

First let me say I use Mac, but the question was about XP. Could you have one login (on XP) in english (as admin?) and another log in, in chinese? Or would picking the language be for the whole computer regardless of login?

As I understand it (never tried it), it's one language for the whole computer, but if you virtualize the thing, I don't see why you can't use both.  One of these days I'll have to try it...

[RegnisTheGreat]

Here's what i got from our company's MS licensing guy.

First let me clarify, there is two different components: IME and MUI. IME is the Input Method Editor which allows you to input Chinese character (or any other language). MUI is multi-lingual user interface which provides a localized (in our case Chinese) user interface which includes the start menu, menu bars, dialogue boxes. If you use the English version of Windows and just want to type Chinese then all you need is the IME. If you want the whole Windows to be in Chinese, then you need the IME (for input) and the MUI.

The IME is available for any version of Windows XP, Vista, and 7 and can be easily installed.  However the MUI is another story, and here is the MUI situation for each operating system:

Windows XP: MUI is available for Windows XP Professional only. It cannot be purchased retail but available only by Volume License. This of course doesn't mean its not available *cough* but you still need Windows XP Professional.

Windows Vista: MUI is available for download but only works for Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate Editions. There are "hacks' that allow you to install MUI on the other editions, but YMMV.

Windows 7: same as Vista pretty much

[Scottish_Rob]

In the hotel when I was there mate, it was window xp that was on their computer, I logged in in English...

[brett]

I am a geek by trade. From what I know if you just want to read and type Chinese you can use the English version of Windows. Don't use the Windows IME for typing Chinese, it's rubbish. My lady installed a 3rd party thing, but I'm not sure what it is. She is geeky enough to use something much faster than pinyin for inputting characters. I may be wrong, but I don't think you can assume that a Chinese person will know pinyin.

Google also an IME apparently, but I've not tried it.

If you're building a PC for your lady to use exclusively then you probably need the Chinese version of Windows (so all the application menus are in Chinese). I guess it's easy to source this in China or one of their auction sites.

Virtualisation is also a neat solution if you could find Chinese Windows.

[Vince G]

My version of it came about with the idea of bringing a laptop with me to China and leaving it for her to use for us to communicate with when I leave. As I would use this same laptop when I make trips there. That was the reason for the english / chinese logins. If she wanted to improve her english she could login in that instead?

Sorry windows guys there are reasons I'm on a Mac. Every time I use windows, I want to throw it out the window. Like my last encounter with windows (hard drive had died since). It asked if I wanted to do something? I clicked NO, but it started it anyway? I'm sitting there yelling at the computer "I said NO you &*#)#)$&?"

[RegnisTheGreat]

Actually Brett, I hate to say it but you're wrong. There are two major methods of typing Chinese PingYin and Wubi. There are a few others but those two are the most popular. Pingyin is more common and easier to use but slower. Wubi is fast but harder to use but really fast. I've seen someone in Shanghai do over 140 characters a minute with Wubi.

Pingyin is based on the phonetic pronunciation of the word. In Chinese all characters (pictograms) have communication in roman letters with accent characters. My Chinese last name is Wang in English. In Pinyin, if you type in wang3 (each character can have up to 1 accent character and in Pingyin its represented by a number) it will show you a list of characters with that pronunciation and you chose the one you want. . Wubi is based on the strokes of the character itself, so you can write it even if you don't know how its pronounced. However the system requires a fair bit of memorization as it divides the keyboard into zones and you have to use the zones properly. Also if you don't know how the character is written (the specific stroke order), then its useless. This is a hard one as some people can write a character but not with the proper stroke order.


The Microsoft IME defaults to Pingyin which is easier (I guess it thinks of Lao Wai's eh?) but it also supports Wubi.

Vince G. you can try Vista and the 'hack' to install the MUI..

[mustfocus]

My version of it came about with the idea of bringing a laptop with me to China and leaving it for her to use for us to communicate with when I leave. As I would use this same laptop when I make trips there. That was the reason for the english / chinese logins. If she wanted to improve her english she could login in that instead?

Sorry windows guys there are reasons I'm on a Mac. Every time I use windows, I want to throw it out the window. Like my last encounter with windows (hard drive had died since). It asked if I wanted to do something? I clicked NO, but it started it anyway? I'm sitting there yelling at the computer "I said NO you &*#)#)$&?"

Having worked on both sides, I must say that I prefer windows... that said, a quick way to annoy me is to give me a vista box...

But in your case, I'd use virtualization like realpc or virtualpc.  Then you can have both languages on there.

[Vince G]

Mmmm just gave me an idea? I wonder if a second (or external) hard drive with virtualpc and windows on it would be able to use something like skype on it? It doesn't work on a Mac. And if a webcam would work out better too?

[mustfocus]

I find the problem is usually the usb translation.  Even though all these companies have been at it for a long time, I haven't found one that has gotten usb devices (or other external devices) to work properly with a virtualized environment.

Although tonight I was at a Citrix presentation and some of their stuff looked like it would work...will have to test it though.  But for general use, I think a virtualized box might work better.  Or possibly just buy a cheap machine in China...

[RegnisTheGreat]

I find the problem is usually the usb translation.  Even though all these companies have been at it for a long time, I haven't found one that has gotten usb devices (or other external devices) to work properly with a virtualized environment.

Although tonight I was at a Citrix presentation and some of their stuff looked like it would work...will have to test it though.  But for general use, I think a virtualized box might work better.  Or possibly just buy a cheap machine in China...

Try VirtualBox..

And another thing, I just adked a good source of mine about Chinese Windows and purchasing.

In China, unless you get a brand name system (eg. Lenovo or Dell or HP) it will come with a pirated copy of Windows. Most local computer stores will install the pirated copy as its cheaper.

One thing though is that you can easily buy pirated local Windows (Chinese) at stores, but beware of virus and spyware built in.

If you are using Vista, I'd try the MUI hack.

[maxx]

Guys I think your talking over my head.So if this is not what your talking about just ignore it.My computor runs Vista.I can change the laungage to Chinese.It will write in pinyon or Chinese charactors.I didn't buy this program it came with the computer.This computor will display web pages in Chinese.If my wife has ben playing with the computor settings and has changed the home page to a Chinese site.It does block things like you tube.