From: fugitt@tempus.Corp.Sun.COM (Lem Fugitt - Nihon Sun US Office)
Newsgroups: sci.lang.japan
Subject: Re: Japanese Script Module for Mac 7.1
Date: 22 Dec 1992 19:51:55 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: fugitt@tempus.Corp.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: tempus.corp.sun.com

I forwarded the referenced posting to one of my friends in Tokyo that
develops software for the Mac and recieved the attached response.
Milo doesn't have direct access to this newsgroup, so please direct
any responses to him at   milo@twics.co.jp.

Thanks,

Lem


From milo@twics.co.jp  Tue Dec 22 11:12:23 1992
To: Lem.Fugitt@Corp
Subject: RE: Japanese Script Module for Mac 7.1
X-Vms-Mail-To: UUCP%"Lem.Fugitt@Corp.Sun.COM"
Content-Length: 4476

Welllll..... Since you asked for feedback!

I am a "small potatoes" computer consultant that specializes in Mac-based
networks and network services (like QuickMail and networked databases) for
small and medium sized companies here in Tokyo, the vast majority of which are
either multinational corporations, their subsidiaries, or foreign-owned
companies.

There are now roughly 700 to 1200 (I don't think that anyone here, not even the
Japanese tax athorities, know for sure how many there really are!) such
companies in Tokyo alone, and they range from "One-Man Bands" all the way up to
banks and securities companies that employ literally hundreds of people.  ALL
of these companies, almost without exception, are forced by circumstances to be
bi- (and in many cases, even tri- ) lingual in their communications and their
information handling.  Japanese is NOT the primary language of operation, but
it is used in equal standing and priority as either English, French, German or
whatever is being used to communicate with the home office, or the rest of the
outside world.

Until recently the Mac was the only true multilingual computer, but untill
worldScript came along there was a price to pay.  Two or more system folders
(with duplicates of all the resources we need or love the most in each of
them), two or more dupicates of the applications of choice (because we couldn't
effectively use Japanese in the non-KanjiTalk compatible applications), much
bigger than would otherwise be required harddisks, more RAM, and constant
problems with interupted network services and damaged harddisks (due to
constantly switching back and forth between systems) and damage to important
documents (because of mistakenly starting up Excel 2.2-J instead of Excel
4.0-E, for example, which alters the file structure in such a manner as to
preclude being able to open that file with the English application without
crashing the system)...... so, yes, we could support our users with
"bi-linguality".....but <<sigh>>......

Apple (in the U.S.) and Apple Japan have shown about as much sensitivity or
concern for these users needs as the proverbial stone, followed very closely by
the software developers who specialize in accounting software (who can't seem
to understand the potential market for their products if they would only allow
user customization of the currency sign, turning on and off the post-decimal
mark digits, and the font and font size for printed reports!).

Millions of dollars are spent each year, un-necessarily, in "rolling their own"
software applications (or having some outsider do it for them for money they
could have spent more wisely and more effectively for something else!), instead
of being able to use one of the very good "off-the-shelf" packages that would
have, otherwise, suited their needs quite nicely, thank you very much, for a
hell of a lot less money, and time, and hassel to the user!

Tokyo is NOT the only place where this is the case, to be sure.  Kobe, Osaka,
Nagasaki.....not to mention cities outside of Japan that have significant
levels of multi-lingual commerce.  Can any one explain to me why it is that
nobody in a possition to do something constructive about these situations is
(take your choice) aware that there is a need that could be (prfitably!)
addressed here, nor particularly concerned or motivated enough to do anything
about it?

Now that some of us have had a chance to get our hands on System 7.1 with
WorldScript II (for the Japanese capability), even if it is only as a trial
run, do you think for a minute that we are going to sit back and let Apple and
the third party application software developers get lazy?!?!  <<sly smile>>
Hey, Scully!  Are you listening?  If you aren't, the DOS-V aligators are going
to make sitting down a bit tough for you REAL soon now!  <<shudder>>

BTW/FYI:  After independent user testing at 4 different sites:
Japanese users who have to use both English and Japanese on a daily basis tend
to prefer the English System 7.1 with WorldScript II to KanjiTalk 7 package,
the later being not yet quite "clean".  They have also indicated that they MUCH
prefer the new WorldScript "HENKAN" (kanji editor)  to the old System 6.0.7-J
and EG-Bridge or VGE front end processors.  Easier to use and fewer system
related dificulties.

Too bad that nobody at Apple seems to care, neeeeee.... <<sigh>>

Milo Parsons
MDM, Inc.
Tokyo, Japan
milo@twics.co.jp
Tel: 81-3-5685-4680
Fax: 81-3-5685-4681

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Newsgroups: sci.lang.japan