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From: exspes@gdr.bath.ac.uk (P E Smee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: More Internationalization of Software
Message-ID: <1989Oct23.102935.10422@gdt.bath.ac.uk>
Date: 23 Oct 89 10:29:35 GMT
References: <9995@cadnetix.COM>
Reply-To: exspes@gdr.bath.ac.uk (P E Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol c/o University of Bath
Lines: 82

In article <9995@cadnetix.COM> terrell@cadnetix.COM () writes:
>
>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?
>
Depends how you define popular.  Most 'home-level' printers I've seen
default to 8-1/2x11 (US size) paper (or 9-1/2x11 counting the tractor
strips.  This size paper also tends to be cheaper.  Some people, like
me, find it annoying.

'Serious use' printers tend to (at least switch selectably) default to
A4, as that is the customary size for business correspondence, binders,
etc.  A4 is really sized in metric, but as a near-enough approximation
A4 computer paper is 8-1/4x11-2/3 inches.  The 11-2/3 is slightly wrong
for A4, but means that the paper works neatly in a printer with a 6 lpi
line throw.  80 columns wide is good enough (anyone who really needs
more margin will handle that when they format things) but 66 lines is
wrong -- A4 is 70 lines long.

Again because of the split market, A4 tractor paper is more expensive
than US size in the UK.  A lot of this, though is because A4 is only
easily available in high-grade 'letter quality' paper, while 8-1/2x11
is available in junk 'listings' grade.  Still, if you are going to do
any serious business- oriented software, WPs, etc, you've got to cater
for A4.  It's painfully tedious otherwise.  But, you have to leave in
8-1/2x11 support as well, for the low-budget users.

>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?
>
US developers don't normally seem to convert the docs.  Since I'm bilingual,
(US and UK :-) I tend not to care too much.  Just be careful to keep the
doc and the program consistent.  Don't change the doc to talk about your
'COLOUR' command in BASIC if the BASIC interpreter still insists on your
using 'COLOR'.

More importantly is to be consistent.  What's REALLY annoying is docs (or
software) which SOMETIMES use British spelling and sometimes US.  Then
you never know where you are.

>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.
>
Do note, though, that it should be CONVERTED.  A lot of companies simply
ADD British spellings to their US dictionary.  That seriously compromises
their usefulness, as the US spellings, most of which are WRONG in the UK,
get left in and accepted.

>Is there a big market for third-party native-language software
>documentation?
>
Yes, for complicated packages e.g. Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, Word, etc.
Mostly for 3rd-party stuff designed to explain them to non-computer folk.
>
>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?
>
This may simply be due to there being something like 3 times as many STs
in Europe as in the US.
-- 
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