Re: [tlug] Re: Why Vista Sucks

[Charles Muller <cmuller-lst@example.com>]

Gernot Hassenpflug wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 3:14 PM, Charles Muller
> >  Actually there is an interesting case in Korea, /../
> > where the majority of Koreans use the homegrown word processor HWP (Hangul
> > Word Processor--running on Windows, of course). /../
>
> Korean professors tell me the reason for this (and also the reason why
> LaTeX still has some problems in typesetting all Korean documents) is
> that Word still cannot handle all combinations of Hangul letters,
> especially the classical ones. HWP is the only word processor of
> correctly typesetting any and all Hangul at the moment.

I have not experienced any such problem, and have never heard this 
complaint, so I am surprised to hear this reason being given. Since my 
Korean colleagues have a tendency to make claims for Korean "uniqueness" 
in just about every aspect of culture, I would tend to have my doubts 
that Microsoft didn't succeed in fully localizing Word for Korean.

Even if it is so, I doubt that the inability to handle a few odd 
classical Hangul combinations would be the primary reason for Word not 
achieving its usual near-total dominance of the word-processing market. 
I am still convinced that the primary factor was the well-publicized and 
well-organized broad movement to protect HWP, which turned out to be 
unusually successful.

Chuck

-------------------

A. Charles Muller

Toyo Gakuen University
Faculty of Humanities
1-26-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo 113-0033 JAPAN
Mobile Phone: 090-9310-1787

Web Site: Resources for East Asian Language and Thought
http://www.acmuller.net

<acmuller[at]jj.em-net.ne.jp>