--- Forwarded Message from Henry Wilmer <[log in to unmask]> ---

>User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.4.030702.0
>Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 20:23:07 -0500
>Subject: Diacriticals/accents with Windows machines
>From: Henry Wilmer <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information    Forum   <[log in to unmask]>

Another question to confirm my position as a not-so-savvy computer guy.
Accents in French, Spanish, and German are a piece of cake with the Mac OS,
but with Windows, the only solutions I know are incredibly cumbersome ­ (1)
the ASCII code combinations, insert symbol, (2) cut and paste from a
homemade palette of appropriate letter/accent combinations constructed in
Word, or install the foreign language keyboard utility available from
Microsoft.  This last sounds like a great idea, but it changes the entire
layout to French, German or Spanish mode.  For kids (and grown-ups like me)
who just want accents without losing the familiar QWERTY layout, it's a
pain. I know you can toggle back and forth from English to a foreign
language, but it's still pretty lame compared to Apple.  Are there no third
party solutions that allow you to learn a few key combinations to make the
accents.  Would I be better of constructing some macros for my own key
combinations.  Most teachers aren't likely to do that... and kids who need
to do their homework?

Any ideas?


H