Why is N900 without the Chinese language?

[kyoleon]

Why is N900 without the Chinese language?

[racky]

How do you know?

[Peet]

Short answer: No worries.


Long answer: the Maemo (Linux) platform has cutting-edge support for internationalization (aka handling all possible languages/scripts).

1. Viewing any script only requires a font (usually Unicode) supporting that character set.

2. Translating menus, guides help files only takes a few proverbial minutes. (although building new "native language" support infrastructures will require further effort)

3. More effort must go to ensuring that the User Interface will handle the various scripts, like the romanized English or Spanish, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Korean, the Sanskrit-based Hindi and Tibetan, or the ideogram-based Chinese, ancient Egyptian or the sometimes mixed Japanese etc. etc. correctly.

All the supported languages and scripts must flow and fit in the UI as a glove.

4. Input methods: There are often multiple different methods for inputting text via keyboard or handwriting-recognition. Here Nokia/Maemo must pick the best suited method(s) for default installation and optimize the UI and the algorithms to the hilt.

Maemo will naturally also allow the installation of any commercial or open-source third party solutions, like SCIM or Maemo CJK (http://maemocjk.garage.maemo.org/) for example. Got a better input method? Grab the Maemo 5 developer kit and port it over!

5. The Maemo app store will provide easy one-click installation of applications and updates via 3G or WIFI.

Considering that the Maemo platform is fast heading towards the mainstream markets, with Maemo 5 soon getting shipped by the world's largest mobile handset manufacturer, I'd be surprised if 3rd party developers weren't already looking into porting their apps (input methods, dictionaries, text-to-speech, voice recognition etc.) to the platform.

So really no worries. ;)

[ch88xy]

I tried Chinese and Japanese support on my N810 but decided to uninstall both. If you install only one of the two, it would be OK. Installing both, then it leaves not much memory for anything else. Currently I am using online input for both languages.

[thisandthathereandthere]

at least writing and reading in japanses would be an advantage...at least for me

[qgil]

Hi, this thread belongs to the Maemo 5 forum since it's not hardware related. Can an admin move it please?

Chinese and Japanese fonts are displayed out of the box in Maemo 5. The official support is not there because of lack of input methods and dictionaries. The N900 is not targetting the Chinese and Japanese markets, so it makes sense.

Hopefully the basic display plus the community enhancements are enough for you! For what is worth the Maemo team has a good representation of Chinese members, and also Japanese. Actually the CJK project is pushed by one of them.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3899670438_9c6b18675a_o.png

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3899669094_670ce2ed2f_o.png

[heavenly_wild]

Cool, the question is, does it read e-mails and text messages in Chinese OK too?

[dvergin]

I tried Chinese and Japanese support... Currently I am using online input for both languages.

Slightly off topic, but would you share the url's for the Chinese and Japanese online input tools you are using. TIA

[jakiman]

I know that the browser can display Korean websites.
But can it display Korean fonts for music / video files?
Does it just require a font to be placed in the phone?

[ossipena]

Why is N900 without the Chinese language?

because there is a lot work to be done elsewhere and as said chinese markets aren't targeted?

[jakiman]

You may find that quite a large percentage of US and UK market reads/write/speak asian languages. (Especially Chinese wouldn't you agree?) I really don't think adding some extra asian language support (just for reading/writing) isn't that hard. It's not like they've never done it before. If they do it, they'll sell even more. Why block out certain potential customer base due to not investing an extra few days? (maybe it takes less than a day? never know) Doesn't make sense.

Well, I hope it's as easy as just copying another font on to it.
But I would love CJK IME support for sms,email,browsing etc.

[heavenly_wild]

Yes, I would love to know if Chinese / Asian fonts can be displayed in music files and texts. Could an owner advise? Much appreciated.

[ossipena]

You may find that quite a large percentage of US and UK market reads/write/speak asian languages. (Especially Chinese wouldn't you agree?) I really don't think adding some extra asian language support (just for reading/writing) isn't that hard. It's not like they've never done it before. If they do it, they'll sell even more. Why block out certain potential customer base due to not investing an extra few days? (maybe it takes less than a day? never know) Doesn't make sense.

Well, I hope it's as easy as just copying another font on to it.
But I would love CJK IME support for sms,email,browsing etc.

the point of n900 is not to sell the most. the point is to further develop OS and get user feedback & software to the platform.

step 4/5 as said many times before.

[aironeous]

Please fully support Korean, Chinese and Japanese. I am learning these 3 languages and I want the people that speak them to be able to enjoy this wonderful device that is total open source. It will only make our N900's better because we all know it is the best thing out there right now and if we can jump the gun and get into "hand in hand" collaboration with the power of the various asian countries in improving the apps on this we will all benefit.

[jakiman]

Yeah. I do know that part. But I'm sure some guy will get a big bonus cheque if it sells well also. =P

[ossipena]

Yeah. I do know that part. But I'm sure some guy will get a big bonus cheque if it sells well also. =P

well, the point is that resources are limited and it is total no can do as for now. you just cant bend the rules of physics etc just to get bonus cheque....

[heavenly_wild]

Man, if there was Asian language support for song titles etc, I would definitely not hesitate to buy it.

[deapblue]

Hello eveyone, I am a N900 owner in Taiwan.

So far, you are able to read Chinese characters on N900.
including contacts, e-mail, IM and SMS and of course, web page.

the music or movie title are ok, too.

[heavenly_wild]

Hello eveyone, I am a N900 owner in Taiwan.

So far, you are able to read Chinese characters on N900.
including contacts, e-mail, IM and SMS and of course, web page.

the music or movie title are ok, too.

Hey mate, I am an overseas Taiwanese:)

Where did your handset come from? It is great it can read Chinese!!!! Did you have to install any language packs?

[coolmanex]

I have the US version and it can display any Asian languages, now if only i can input in Chinese, that would be perfect!

[taril]

Why is N900 without the Chinese language?

because china has already cloned n900 with maemo that support chinese language! :D:D:D

[PrinceOfThieves]

The boys at ifanr.com are almost ready to release Chinese pinyin input. Check that out:

http://www.ifanr.com/5645

I think I might still order my N900 before XMas. :p

[PrinceOfThieves]

Oh, and even system-wise, there are people here who really got their thumbs out of their you-know-what... and are about to release a Chinese version of the N900 user interface: check this out

http://news.chinaunix.net/digi/2009/1216/199750.shtml

:cool:
Developer says it shall be ready before 31 Dec 2009. Happy New Year!

[chuan huang]

very good! I am looking forward.

[freppas]

Looks cool!

I would have thought that Nokia would target China specifically with the N900 to gain the upper hand on chinese apps over the iPhone... but I was wrong sadly

[PrinceOfThieves]

The boys at ifanr.com are almost ready to release Chinese pinyin input. Check that out:

http://www.ifanr.com/5645

I think I might still order my N900 before XMas. :p
There you go, boys... Chinese input is now supported on Nokia N900.

All details (in Chinese only) on http://www.ifanr.com/5882

[HRZ]

anybody have any experience connecting to QQ yet on the N900? My plugins aren't working...server, use TCP, client version, etc...what settings to use? Im using the QQ2009 edition (English).

[kcman123]

Any update if there is a repository or delevel app? I heard that there is a chinese app but you would have to convert your whole N900 into a chinese language desktop/names of icons. Anyone have any input on this?

[maluka]

I saw N900s being sold in Singapore and Hong Kong without the N900 branding. They cost the same amount that the N900 costs in Europe.

[hwong_pz]

@kcman123: are you asking about Chinese input methods or Chinese conversion? There are already couple of scim's' that do Chinese input in the extras-devel repository. I tried mscim with google pinyin and it works pretty well for me(in terms of input). However, installing scim will disables the on screen keyboard (something I don't like) until it's removed. I also tried few other scim developed by different developers and at one instance my on screen keyboard actually got disabled from fiddling with one of those apps (even after removed), so I would suggest you to wait as I felt that they are not "ready" yet.
As for Chinese conversion, there's a package called "Traditional chinese language pack for Maemo 5" in extras-devel. However, someone from this thread http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=42058&highlight=chinese seems to have some problem with his device after installation

[kcman123]

@hwong_pz I downloaded mscim google pinyin and i couldnt use it to type in SMS messages to send to people can you?

[bitziz]

in sms message input box, try the following the start google-pinyin:

- press shift+space, if that doesn't work then...
- press ctrl+space

:)

[yrkulkarni]

i am an N900 owner form India. i didnt find any way to read/input hindi characters. no hindi sites are readable. even gtranslate fails showing hindi fonts.
can anyone help? is there anyone form india facing same issue?

[internet]

the point of n900 is not to sell the most. the point is to further develop OS and get user feedback & software to the platform.

This topic is a feedback from users. :)