From: jamiller@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: sci.lang.japan
Subject: Re: Amiga software wanted ANS & XED!
Date: 4 Nov 92 22:42:30 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <1992Oct18.162509.1@camins.camosun.bc.ca>, alumni106@camins.camosun.bc.ca (Max Sterling) writes:
> Hello. I'm looking for some software to help me learn Japanese. I'd like 
> something to help me learn the basics of the language (and I mean VERY 
> basic), as well as something to help with learning the basic kanas as 
> well as kanji. Also, programs such as the ones made by EJ Bilingual Inc. 
> would be nice, too. :-) Please note that I need the software to be 
> runnable on the AMIGA, NOT IBM, NOT Mac, NOT X-Windows, etc. Are there 
> any sites out there whee such software exists for the Amiga? Thanx in 
> advance. Mata ne.

There are two Commercial programs that may interest you.  XED is a
text editor which reads and writes Shift-Jis Japanese.  It has an
excellent Arexx (Amiga implementation of the REXX programming
language.  It's like Awk...)  but has really inadequate printing.

Amiga Nihon System (ANS) is a written by the same programmer as XED.
ANS maps the Amiga os to intercept EUC Jis encoded text and display it
as Japanese using some resource font files.  The newest version 1.2 is
much more robust that the other versions and has many improvements
over earlier versions.  The included XEDmini text editor with the ANS
package is more or less the XED with better printer, font, and text
recognizing capability.  Jinput is the included FEP (front end
processor) and I have to say is adequate but if you're used to using
EGbridge or something like that you'll be disappointed.

XED and ANS are only available in Japan and are not sold outside of
Japan.  XED was discontinued when the programmer released ANS.  ANS
can be purchased for Y25,000 or about $200.  If you know someone in
Japan or can convince them to do a mail order for you MIQ is the
distributor in Tokyo.

There is a kana practice utility that I saw a while ago.  I don't
remember the title but I remember seeing it on ab20.  It is probably
on physik ( amiga.physik.unizh.ch ) though.  If you look for something
like kana.lha or something you'll probably find it.  I looked at it
and it seemed well done.  Whoever had done it had taken iff brushes of
all the hira&katakana and worked them into a practice reader.  I
didn't have an interest in it so I'm afraid it went the delete of the
hard drive way out of my memory.

The Japanese compatable version of TeX JTeX works fine on Amiga and is
easily compilled with SAS/Lattice compillers.  Other than that there
are no PD or Shareware editors available.  I've been working on a JIS
compatable Console for a while but have never really had time to
finish it.  If you or anyone else in interested in the programming
side I suggest (highly suggest) reading Ken Lunde's Japan.inf
available via anonymous ftp at a number of places.  I'll list a few
below.  At least JteX would give you good printing.  Ya, real helpful
right...-);  

 monu6.cc.monash.edu.au
 ftp.uwtc.washington.edu

Hope that helps a little.  

>                                                        -=]> Max <[=-
--
jamiller@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
James Miller

_chicchai .sig no ho ga ichiban iin janai ka..._
             Enlightenment Happens?