--- Forwarded Message from Gabriel Webster <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 02:31:25 -0800 (PST)
>From: Gabriel Webster <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: #6956.3 OS X, Word X, and special characters (!) (fwd)

------------------

Just a bit more information for those who are interested.  Although OS X
fully supports Unicode, an application written for OS X may or may not.
Office X is a so-called "Carbonized" version of Office 2001, which means
it's (almost) a straight port from the OS 9 version, which of course also
doesn't support Unicode.  I read a quote from a Microsoft spokesperson to
the effect that their most important priority was to get *any* OS X-native
version out the door, with Unicode compatibility waiting for the next
release, which will be "Cocoa", i.e., written specifically for OS X.

As for the macrons, this means that you can't use the Unicode character in
a Word document.  However, you can still use the pre-Unicode way of doing
it, which is to find a special font that includes that character in it
(Latvian, for example, uses macrons), use that font, and then don't ever
open that document on a computer that doesn't have that font loaded on it.

All things considered, I would use TextEdit, or one of the other Unicode-
savvy OS X word processors -- see
http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/utilities_editors_macosx.html.

Cheers, Gabe Webster


> >>> Posting number 5131, dated 1 Dec 2002 18:56:54
> Date:         Sun, 1 Dec 2002 18:56:54 EST
> Reply-To:     Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
>               <[log in to unmask]>
> Sender:       Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
>               <[log in to unmask]>
> From:         LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject:      Re: #6956.3 OS X, Word X, and special characters (!)
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: text/enriched
>
> Word X is not completely Unicode capable. Therefore, the characters with macrons
> that are available in the character palette cannot be copied correctly into a
> Word document.
>
>
> If you use TextEdit (comes with OS-X) you can copy and paste the macrons (and a
> multitude of other special characters) in easily. They also print on standard
> printers.
>
>
> I have only tested this with Lucida Grande - which seems to have all the
> necessary glyphs.
>
>
> Otmar Foelsche
>