KanjiTalk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KanjiTalk was the name given by Apple to its Japanese language localization of Mac OS. It consisted of translated applications, a set of Japanese fonts, and a Japanese input method called Kotoeri.^[1] The software was sold and supported only in Japan. However, it could be purchased through other re-sellers in the United States, though Apple did not support it for that market.^[1]

Early versions of KanjiTalk were based on a proprietary Kanji script input system called 2.0 & 2.1.^[2] Developments following version 2.0 laid the groundwork which eventually became Kotoeri intoroduced with System 7.1.^[3]

KanjiTalk debuted with version 1.0 in 1986, corresponding to Apple's universal System 3.0 and distrubted first with the Mac Plus. It was followed with limited version updates to 2.0, 6.0, and then parallel updates with Apple's System 7.^[4] Development was so slow prior to System 7, that Apple released a special version of System 6.0.7.1 for use on its new PowerBook models which only supported System 7, in order to market them in Japan.^[5] Sony was a *co-designer/manufacturer of the PowerBook 100.^[6] ^[7]

KanjiTalk was succeeded by Apple's more standardized precursor to Unicode called WorldScript from System 8 to OS X, a controversial decision as it did not adequately provide for all of the traditional Kanji charaters.^[8]