Hi everyone, I'm preparing to purchase a Tabl

[pppan]

Hi everyone,

I'm preparing to purchase a Tablet PC and I have a few questions about Chinese language input that I have had trouble finding answers to. I hope someone here can help me!

1. If I purchase a Tablet PC in the U.S., I assume I will be able to input Chinese using the multi-language pack. But will I also be able to use Chinese speech recognition? If not, is there a way to install that function short of purchasing the Chinese edition of Windows Tablet PC and reinstalling the operating system?

2. On my current laptop, I input Chinese using Microsoft's pinyin Input Method Editor. Basically, it allows me to write Chinese characters by typing how they sound and then picking among several options that show up on a bar. This is great and it actually allows me to input Chinese much faster than if I had to draw the characters myself. Basically, it's faster than trying to remember all the intricate strokes in some of the characters. In fact, I understand that many Chinese who spend most of their time typing Chinese this way are forgetting how to draw the characters themselves!

I have two questions.
First, can I still use this IME on a Tablet PC when working with a keyboard?
Second, can I use this IME when using the pen? I know the pen allows me to draw the Chinese characters directly, but I would actually prefer to continue writing phonetically and letting the computer show me the characters!

Thanks in advance for any help!
Phil

[fswitz]

ppan,

If you download the Tablet Recognizer Pack (TRP), you can switch between English and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

Your IME operations should act the same as they do on your current laptop.

Entering Pinyin in ink the TIP or other inkable areas will be recognized as Pinyin and I don'think converted to pictographs or ideographs. I'll have to explore the Pinyin IME to know for sure.

Interesting question though.[?]

[pppan]

I did a little more research and have found the answer to my first question. Apparently, the Tablet Recognizer Pack includes the speech recognition for Chinese in addition to the ink recognizer.

Fritz, look forward to hearing your results. My guess is that the Pinyin IME should work in the keyboard mode, since so many people prefer to use the keyboard to input Chinese as opposed to writing the characters.

But I'm also guessing that you're right, and it is probably disabled in the TIP, which is too bad for people like me who can't remember exactly how to draw each pictograph. I'm betting the TIP will have trouble recognizing many of my characters since they'll be missing strokes or in the wrong order. If I could enter pinyin instead - or if the TIP showed pinyin under the possible characters - that would help a great deal. Is there a way to ask Microsoft to include that function? It doesn't seem like it would be hard to do.

[fswitz]

pppan,

I think this is the correct e-mail mswish@microsoft.com

You're welcome to try our Pinyin dictionary for free when you get your tablet Just send me an email and I'll forward access instructions.

Chinese (both simplified and traditional) and Korean recognition results are very impressive on Tablets. Give them a try, maybe you can convert.

Best wishes,

[pppan]

Well, I took the plunge and have been using an HP TC1100 for the past few months now, inputting in both English and Chinese.

It turns out that the Chinese pinyin IME works both with the real keyboard and the virtual keyboard that comes up with the TIP. So there's a workaround for people who want to use the tablet as a slate and have trouble remembering how to write characters.

I still think it would be useful to able to input pinyin as handwriting and have it converted it to characters. Tapping on the virtual keyboard is a pain. But I suppose this gives us an incentive to learn our characters!

[fswitz]

ppp,

Yes, I agree. I have been unable to put together a comprehensive Pinyin Dictionary. I may give it another try. I'll keep you posted.

However, one of the hidden treasures with recognition is the East Asian recognizers. For students, or anyone wanting to learn the languages, they seem to be great tools. I have both the Simplified Chinese and Korean installed with the latest Reco Pack and easily switch between them and English.

Congrats on your Tablet purchase, the TC1100 is a fine machine.

[shalexim]

Hey fswitz, I would also be interested in the pinyin dictionary as well if you could send it.

quote:Originally posted by fswitz

ppp,

Yes, I agree. I have been unable to put together a comprehensive Pinyin Dictionary. I may give it another try. I'll keep you posted.

However, one of the hidden treasures with recognition is the East Asian recognizers. For students, or anyone wanting to learn the languages, they seem to be great tools. I have both the Simplified Chinese and Korean installed with the latest Reco Pack and easily switch between them and English.

Congrats on your Tablet purchase, the TC1100 is a fine machine.

[webplanet]

Hi - I am seeking somebody who speaks Chinese, owns a TabletPC and is willing to translate some text for us to Chinese. I would like to see our product CONCEPT X7 in a Chinese version out there. Editing can be done with a standard editor. If you are interesed or you can recommend somebody please contact me

dieter.hesse@webplanet.com