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From: terrell@cadnetix.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: More Internationalization of Software
Message-ID: <9995@cadnetix.COM>
Date: 19 Oct 89 19:39:27 GMT
Sender: news@cadnetix.COM
Reply-To: terrell@cadnetix.COM ()
Organization: Cadnetix Corp.,  Boulder, CO
Lines: 54


More "Internationalization of Software" questions:

I:	Computer Printers

It's clear that European paper sizes are different than in the US.
However, what about popular computer printers:  do they tend to
(at least by default) print pages of 66 lines by 80 columns?

What are the dimensions of the tractor feed paper that is loaded in
the printers?


II:	Software Documentation & Orthography

How does documentation differ in Europe?  Do US software developers go
to the trouble of converting to British spelling?  Do British users
resent it when they don't?  Or perhaps the users don't care?

Note that I'm talking only about the documentation.  It's clear that
(for example) a spelling checker would have to be converted to British
orthography.

Does US software/documentation usually get translated for countries that have
relatively small user communities (e.g. Sweden)?  If the answer is "No",
would translation of a product give it a great competitive advantage
over a similar, but non-translated product?

Is there a big market for third-party native-language software
documentation?  In the US there's a big market for third-party software
documentation because pirates don't like reading loose xerox copies, and so
much software documentation isn't very good in the first place.


III:	Product Introduction

After reading several overseas computer mags, I get the impression that
(to be sarcastic) Europe is used as a beta-test site for US-developed 
software.  I own SPRINT 1.0 which I believe is the most recent version
available domestically, while users in Europe are using version 1.5.
I've seen other cases...  Does the European user community tend to get
US products before their counterparts in the US?  If so, is there a bias
against US products due to buggy initial versions of software being
offered first in Europe?  Or do European users appreciate the chance to
work with more recent versions of software?


Once again, thanks in advance.

I will try to post a summary of this dialog.  Unfortunately, the results
of this discussion two months ago have been dropped into the bit-bucket.


Terrell