Re: Chinese kanji, etc.

I wrote:

I'm afraid I'm just one step behind the starting post for your
explanations.

Phil Yff replied:

I apologize. You have a half Japanese last name and were referencing
a diversity of kanji in your post that I skipped over some steps.

It's not so much the language stuff that's foxing me as the technical manipulation of computers. Unless, of course, you are referring here to the phenomenon of Japanese children knowing more about computers than I'll ever know by the time they have been six months in the womb!

In case you're not completely comfortable with the Japanese instructions,
click on quick guide if you need some start-up instructions in English.

I'm on the quick guide page, and can't get from there to the information about fees; the link doesn't do anything. Fret not, though, I don't think I want to pursue this option at this stage.

I, myself, prefer to have the dictionary on my PC. I use Logo Vista
dictionaries. This URL gives a list of their dictionaries. For example,
the one on the bottom is the 岩波日本史辞典:

http://www.logovista.co.jp/product/search/search_series_dic_pur.html

Using these dictionaries, I can look up a word and drag and drop it and/ or
its meaning into my document.
OK. The 日本史辞典 would cost me some \10000, but it would cover most of my needs. That might be the way to go.

Years ago, when I first came to Japan, I had a Thinkpad laptop that had a list of every conceivable kanji that's ever been used. Unfortunately, that laptop died! I wish I had that programme now, though. In those days I was too elementary ever to want or need to make use of it.

If you have access to Akihabara or a discount computer store, try to get
the software from there. I have 12 Logo Vista dictionaries that I bought
in Akihabara at various times for about a third of the list price. They're
really neat because all 12 combine in a single user interface.

OK. This might be the way to go. I've got pretty comprehensive information in book form (Spahn and Hadamitzky for standard kanji and a Gotai Jikan for the variant scripts - including reisho, of course, which was what prompted this thread!), as well as my trusty Zaurus (which I gave up hooking up the computer years ago, because it's so fiddly), and I much appreciate Jim Breen's dictionary; the only difficulty I have is inputting obscure kanji.

John
.

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