Japanese on Windows XP Vs. Windows 7 - IME?

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Reply #1 - 2012 May 28, 11:48 am
OzarM Member
From: Ohio Registered: 2012-01-09 Posts: 34

I plan on buying a new computer/Windows 7 soon, but I seem to remember hearing that the basic versions of Windows 7 lacked some of the features you could get in Windows XP Home.

Is there anything to that? Anything I should know before selecting which version of Windows 7 I purchase?

Reply #2 - 2012 May 28, 12:12 pm
Omoishinji Member
From: 埼玉 Registered: 2011-07-12 Posts: 289

I think that Windows 7 Ultimate allow multiple languages, however IME is included available for versions of Japanese Window 7.

Reply #3 - 2012 May 28, 2:24 pm
mehtor New member
Registered: 2012-05-27 Posts: 3

If you need the Japanese locale (such as for Japanese software), you will need Ultimate edition.

I'm not really sure on the IME, if the W7 one is Ultimate only you could always use the Google IME from http://www.google.co.jp/intl/ja/ime/

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Reply #4 - 2012 May 28, 2:31 pm
Zarxrax Member
From: North Carolina Registered: 2008-03-24 Posts: 949

Japanese software works fine on windows 7, you only need ultimate edition if you want the actual windows interface to be in Japanese.

Reply #5 - 2012 May 28, 3:56 pm
OzarM Member
From: Ohio Registered: 2012-01-09 Posts: 34

So there's no functional difference between Windows XP Home and Windows 7 [non-Ultimate]? You can still run under Japanese for non-Unicode, run the IME, etc.?

Does XP Home even allow running under a Japanese interface?

Reply #6 - 2012 May 28, 4:30 pm
monitor Member
Registered: 2012-03-13 Posts: 21

You don't need Windows 7 Ultimate unless you want to change your entire interface to Japanese. However, I remember seeing a program that will let you do it for free on any version of Windows, but I can't remember the name at the moment.

The Japanese IME is very easy to enable in 7, you don't even need to install anything extra (I think).

Running non-Unicode Japanese software will require you to get AppLocale. Remember that you'll need to run it as Administrator, and AppLocale hasn't been updated to prompt you automatically.

Last edited by monitor (2012 May 28, 4:33 pm)

Reply #7 - 2012 May 28, 5:41 pm
blackbrich Member
From: America Registered: 2010-06-06 Posts: 300

monitor wrote:

You don't need Windows 7 Ultimate unless you want to change your entire interface to Japanese. However, I remember seeing a program that will let you do it for free on any version of Windows, but I can't remember the name at the moment.

Is it Vistalizator?

Reply #8 - 2012 May 29, 12:23 am
JimmySeal Member
From: Kyoto Registered: 2006-03-28 Posts: 2279

Windows 7 feature comparison chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_ … ison_chart

Here are the instructions for changing the locale for non-unicode programs.  I would presume this would work for all versions, but I can't say that for sure:
http://www.sisulizer.com/localization/s … s-w7.shtml

The above page specifically indicates you need Ultimate to change the system language, so I would conclude from that that you don't need any specific version to change the non-unicode locale.

Last edited by JimmySeal (2012 May 29, 12:30 am)

Reply #9 - 2012 May 29, 7:13 am
OzarM Member
From: Ohio Registered: 2012-01-09 Posts: 34

monitor wrote:

Running non-Unicode Japanese software will require you to get AppLocale. Remember that you'll need to run it as Administrator, and AppLocale hasn't been updated to prompt you automatically.

How is AppLocale on Vista/7 compared to just changing the system locale?

From the sound of it, I won't need to spend an extra hundred+ dollars on Premium or Ultimate (At least for Japanese.) That's a relief! Thanks for the replies.

Reply #10 - 2012 May 29, 8:34 am
Zarxrax Member
From: North Carolina Registered: 2008-03-24 Posts: 949

Applocale just lets you launch an application in a specific locale, rather than having to set the entire system to that locale (which can be annoying with certain applications and requires a system restart).

Reply #11 - 2012 May 29, 2:46 pm
monitor Member
Registered: 2012-03-13 Posts: 21

blackbrich wrote:

Is it Vistalizator?

Yup, that's the one. Haven't tried it myself, but I saw online reviews and it looks like it works fine.

OzarM wrote:

How is AppLocale on Vista/7 compared to just changing the system locale?

If you're fluent in Japanese, it's obviously not an issue if you have to change the system locale (and it might be of help for studying, as Khatz has said). But otherwise, it'll basically make your system unusable. Even if you're relatively experienced with Windows (as I am), you'll find that being able to read the interface text is essential to using an OS.

If you're interested in running non-Unicode Japanese software (such as VNs/eroge), then you should use AppLocale. Remember that after you've run AppLocale for the first time for a given application and have selected all the desired settings for your non-Unicode Japanese software of interest, you can create a shortcut for it, to make running it in the future much easier.

Reply #12 - 2012 May 29, 3:17 pm
mehtor New member
Registered: 2012-05-27 Posts: 3

Changing system locale by itself won't change your display language, that's an entirely different option. Looks like I was wrong about the locale though, I assumed the separate locale setting was exclusive to Ultimate along with the display setting.

AppLocale is not perfect by any means, so I don't use it much, but it looks like that fairly moot if built-in locale switching is inherit to all versions like Jimmy's link suggests.

Reply #13 - 2012 May 30, 9:43 am
juniperpansy Member
Registered: 2009-08-03 Posts: 164

I would highly recommend using the google japanese ime with windows 7. its awesome
http://www.google.com/ime/

Reply #14 - 2012 May 30, 5:38 pm
Yucalus New member
From: USA Registered: 2010-04-13 Posts: 7

monitor wrote:

blackbrich wrote:

Is it Vistalizator?

Yup, that's the one. Haven't tried it myself, but I saw online reviews and it looks like it works fine.

Oh, damn. I thought the program was called Vistalizer, but I guess it's Vistalizator. Anyway, I've used it to set my American non-Ultimate edition of Windows 7 to Japanese, and it does exactly what it says it does: All my interface text is in Japanese. (And there are times I wish I could do like Linux and temporarily override the text for specific programs, but oh well.) So if anybody is considering an Ultimate edition of Windows solely for changing the language, you can save yourself money and use a cheaper edition of Windows with this program.

Reply #15 - 2012 May 31, 12:33 am
animehunter123 Member
From: Figaro Castle Registered: 2010-12-10 Posts: 208

Not to repeat, but in case you purchase Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise;

Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise can change Locale and IME Japanese. This is done by using Microsoft Windows Update and selecting "Other" > Language Packs > Japanese. It is free. Our staff did this yesterday.


Here is a article on how to change any version of Windows (both locale and Input Methods) into Japanese from Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972813

Reply #16 - 2012 May 31, 2:53 am
JimmySeal Member
From: Kyoto Registered: 2006-03-28 Posts: 2279

I'm a little confused.

animehunter123 wrote:

Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise can change Locale and IME Japanese.

You can use the Japanese IME on any edition, not just Ultimate and Enterprise.  The UI localization requires the more expensive versions.

Here is a article on how to change any version of Windows (both locale and Input Methods) into Japanese from Microsoft:

Don't you mean Enterprise and Ultimate, not any version?

Reply #17 - 2012 May 31, 9:03 pm
HonyakuJoshua Member
From: The Unique City of Liverpool Registered: 2011-06-03 Posts: 617 Website

juniperpansy wrote:

I would highly recommend using the google japanese ime with windows 7. its awesome
http://www.google.com/ime/

You didn't reply to my post on the  other thread.What is so good about Google IME?

Reply #18 - 2012 May 31, 9:41 pm
Zarxrax Member
From: North Carolina Registered: 2008-03-24 Posts: 949

I think the google IME often has much better suggestions for kanji and phrases than the Microsoft one. It has lots of current phrases and its better for names and stuff. And it has lots of neat features like being able to insert today's date by typing in きょう, and its got lots of other neat tricks like that.

Reply #19 - 2012 May 31, 9:48 pm
HonyakuJoshua Member
From: The Unique City of Liverpool Registered: 2011-06-03 Posts: 617 Website

oh cool. is there any links to info on it in Japanese or English?

Reply #20 - 2012 May 31, 10:33 pm
Zarxrax Member
From: North Carolina Registered: 2008-03-24 Posts: 949

Well the link above has a video.

Reply #21 - 2012 May 31, 10:46 pm
netsplitter Member
From: Melbourne Registered: 2008-07-13 Posts: 183

There is the Mozc project, which is an offshoot from the original Google IME. It's open source, liberally licensed and runs on many OSs. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the only great thing about Google IME, which is the dictionary based on Google's "web corpus". It does give away some information about the original Google IME, though, which is the best I could find on it.

They claim they are different products, but I suspect Google IME is based off Mozc (I've only used Mozc on Linux, so I can't comment on their similarities.

Edit: Reading closely, they ripped out the freely releasable portions and made that Mozc. Google IME is Mozc + the extra proprietary Googliness on top.

Last edited by netsplitter (2012 May 31, 10:50 pm)

Reply #22 - 2013 August 12, 4:37 pm
OzarM Member
From: Ohio Registered: 2012-01-09 Posts: 34

Sorry for the bump. Getting a new computer hasn't gone as quickly or smoothly as I'd hoped.

So one thing I've noticed on Windows 7 is that you seem perfectly able to see and input Japanese text without actually changing the locale to Japanese (I could have sworn on Windows XP that Japanese turned into corrupted gibberish without it.) Furthermore, the old backslash turning into the yen symbol thing that I thought was still present in Windows 7.. doesn't seem to be. Was that finally fixed? Or do I just not have things set up properly?

Reply #23 - 2013 August 13, 8:44 am
Arupan Member
Registered: 2012-08-05 Posts: 259

That's because Windows 7 automatically installs the "East Asian languages" package or whatever it's called unlike XP, so you should practically be able to read everything now if it's in unicode.

The yen symbol should still be used (when you go to the command prompt for example) instead of the slash.

You can still get a Japanese interface Windows 7 (Home Edition) if you just go and buy your computer/laptop from Japan big_smile

Reply #24 - 2013 August 13, 8:57 am
Vempele Member
Registered: 2013-06-16 Posts: 615

Arupan wrote:

You can still get a Japanese interface Windows 7 (Home Edition) if you just go and buy your computer/laptop from Japan big_smile

Or Windows 8 from almost anywhere in the world.

Reply #25 - 2013 August 13, 9:09 am
Arupan Member
Registered: 2012-08-05 Posts: 259

(Off-topic)
Not many people seem to like Windows 8 for one reason or another though. Totally removing the start menu (I'm not sure if they added it in a later patch) wasn't a very good maneuver since many Microsoft employees behind 8 seem to have been fired after that.