🚀 go-pugleaf

Okay, here's the scoop:

First, I have no experience with CJKOS, but if Japanese is what you
want, then JOS is the way to go, anyway.


The freeware (JOS 1.9) route:

- Go to Mr. Tatsushi Yamada's homepage at:
http://www.tt.rim.or.jp/~tatsushi/

- Download both the J-OS 1.9 package and Erisa font.

- Install the appropriate size dictionary file depending on the amount
of free memory you have (dic-s.prc or dic-m.prc).  Install the
appropriate program file depending on the version of your Palm OS
(j-os10.prc for 1.0 users, j-os20.prc for 2.0 or 3.0 users).

- Install the Erisa font.

- Install whatever localizers you want (these files turn the menus and
such in the various built in in apps into Japanese).  You don't need to
use them if you don't want all your apps to become Japanese.

- Soft reset, and turn JOS on in hackmaster.  You should now be able to
input Japanese (by tapping on the "abc" dot in the bottom left corner of
the graffiti area) in any of the built in apps, as well as view Japanese
in other apps that support them (J-Doc, Palmscape, etc.).

- You can also add a single custom dictionary words using a special
entry in the memopad.


The commercial ware (JOS IIIx) route:

- J-OS IIIx is a substantially improved version of J-OS now sold as
commercial ware.   In Japan, you can purchase it at Ikeshop
(http://www.ikeshop.co.jp/) and in the US, you can purchase it from Ark
USA (http://www.arkusa.com/palm/).  It goes for about $50 US.

- Differences of JOS IIIx over the freeware version according to the
author include:

1. You can now use the on-screen keyboard for inputting English (JOS1.9
basically replaces the keyboard with a Japanese input panel).  It is
also now compatible with PiloKey (and the Landware keyboards).
2. The kanji conversion algorithm is smarter.
3. Delete, select, cursor movements now happen properly.  (It
differentiates between double byte and single byte text properly for on
screen handling.)
4. Sort and find features work properly.
5. The input panel is improved, and has been made more friendly for left
handed people.
6. There is now a large Japanese font included.  And it can handle up to
four Japanese fonts.
7. You can now do inline (as opposed to in a window) input.
8. There is now a diagnostic feature that tells you if everything is
properly installed.
9. Now properly handles English wordwrapping when installed.
10. No longer a HackMaster extention, and all files can be burnt into
Flash memory.
11. You can use up to 15 custom dictionaries.
12. You can still use localizers for various apps, but now it is easier
to enable/disable them (1.9 requires that you install/deinstall them).
13. Various minor bug fixes.


So which should people use?  Well, if you only use Japanese very
infrequently (and mostly read Japanese, as opposed to inputting it),
then J-OS 1.9 should meet your needs.  It is less convenient than the
commercial ware version, and a bit klunky, but it is an amazing piece of
software, and it gets the job done.

On the other hand, if you routinely use Japanese, then using the
commercial ware version is well worth the investment.  The improvements
are, as you can tell, quite numerous, and the usability is considerably
improved.  It behaves as if the Palm was designed to do this from the
beginning.  It is a very good piece of software.

I would suggest downloading the freeware version, and if you can live
with its limitations, then just use that.  You can always move up to the
commercial ware version.  And it does give you Japanese capabilities
immediately.

Also, it should be noted that J-OS III was upgraded recently to include
support for the IIIx and V.  I am not entirely positive that the
freeware version is fully compatible with the most recent Palm machines,
although it does support the 3.0 OS.

Finally, if you want to input Japanese into your Palm using the desktop:
There is a quick and easy patch that you can apply to the Mac version of
the desktop app that allows Japanese input via JLK.  As for Windows, I'm
not positive about this, but there should be a similar patch as well
(and you might even be able to get the fully localzied Japanese version
of the software from IBM Japan).

Hope this helps.

Tomoharu Nishino
tomoharu_nishino@post.harvard.edu

Stuart Lester <slester@nospam.gol.com> wrote:

> I face the same problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> I tried CJKOS. It currently takes 194k of memory in my Palm V with the
> fonts. There doesn't seem to be an input method for Japanese however.
> 
> It displays Japanese just great. Better than the Japanese addon for US
> Outlook in fact.I use WinNT.
> 
> Onegaishimasu
> 
> stu