Re: tlug: US student moving to Tokyo

[Jonathan Byrne <jq@example.com>]

On Mon, 21 Sep 1998, Andrew S. Howell wrote:

> Just to keep opinions balanced :), I have to put in a vote against
> Japanese keyboards. In fact, many of the Japanese in my office use
> English keyboards. I just don't like the placement of several keys;
> underbar '_', tilde '~', and the small space bar come to mind.

> If I've been missing out on the benefits of Japanese keyboards,
> please, someone enlighten me.

OK, consider yourself englightened :-)  I find that Japanese keyboards are
not only superior for Japanese input, I just plain prefer them, even for
English input.  If a person is used to a regular QWERTY keyboard, it may
take some time to learn to type on a Japanese keyboard, but now I hate it
when I have to use a computer that has  a U.S. keyboard [1].  I've
been typing on Japanese keyboards for nearly three years and using a U.S.
keyboard nearly reduces me to hunt and peck typing.  It's even worse when
I run across a computer that has a Japanese keyboard but not a Japanese
keymap.

As you note, a person who does little or no Japanese input and does not
plan to do so in the future may not miss out on much from not having a
Japanese keyboard.  If you do a lot of it, a Japanese keyboard is
recommended.  And you might, as I have, come to like it so much that you
will never want to use any other keyboard again :-)

Cheers,

Jonathan

[1]  I use the term "U.S. keyboard" here, but are the keyboards sold with
computers in Europe the same, or do different European countries all have
keyboards reflecting their national alphabet?

---------------------------------------------------------------
Next Meeting: 10 October, 12:30 Tokyo Station Yaesu central gate
Next Nomikai: 20 November, 19:30  Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
---------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor: PHT, makers of TurboLinux http://www.pht.co.jp