I am Hispanic, and I live in a large Hispanic community. Over the past 5 years or so, a lot of my neighbors come to me when they have issues with their computers or need advice on what computer to buy.
As more and more Hispanics are getting computers, I have noticed an odd trend. While my neighbors have computers, only a portion of the family uses it, mainly the kids that are in school.
I always wondered why this was the case, but I really never bothered to ask why until recently when I was asked by a colleague of mine if I thought a Multi-Language computer would benefit Hispanics in America.
As soon as that question was asked, I immediately thought of two complaints my neighbors constantly have:
Complaint 1: My mom or dad always bug me asking me what this and that means on the computer.
Complaint 2: I want to know what my kids are doing on the computer but I am uncomfortable reading English and really don’t understand anything on the computer.
So I answer the question. I tell the person the above two complaints, and I think of schools and libraries that could also benefit from computers like these.
If there is ever a computer like this, I think it should function in the following manner:
I think if the above is done, then the computer would be a hit in the Hispanic community, and people would use it both to make their computer experience easier but to help them improve their English skills and keep in touch with family and friends in a way they currently can’t.
Now I know some of you think this is a bad idea. You think that if they live in the US, they should learn to speak English. Well the problem isn’t that they don’t know how to speak English; the majority of my neighbors speak English. The problem is they aren’t comfortable reading and doing things in English all the time, and why should they have to?
There are over 42 million Hispanics in the US, so the market is HUGE, and I think the first company to tap the market will make a killing. One company which I won’t mention made an attempt at this in the past, however it wasn’t promoted in a way that it should have been, and I don’t think it was as easy of a computer to obtain nor was it bi-lingual.
A lot of people whom I have talked too, think a computer like this would be a great idea. Others claim that it’s a horrible idea and some have gone as far as to say “English is the Official Language in the US”. Those of you who think that should brush up on the constitution.
So my question to you all is, do you guys and gals think a computer like this would benefit the Hispanic Community?
Comments: (37)
Lyssa on Wed, Mar 05th, 2008 at 11:59 PM
I agree. It would make things a whole lot easier for the states growing hispanic community.
dogerfan on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:17 AM
I think it’s a dumb idea, i mean if they in the US learn english
Chris123NT on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:20 AM
Sorry Mikey but I have to go with dogerfan on this one. I think if you live here you need to accept the fact that we in the US speak English.
mitchelle on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:23 AM
you are smart thats sexy and spanish is a sexy language so you rock!
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:24 AM
But they speak english, the majority of them anyway, they just feel more comfortable reading and doing things in spanish. After all they are in their own homes.
Allen on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:27 AM
I like the idea of a multi-lingual interface with hints in other languages. I do think people in the US should try to learn English, but I also think a computer like this would aid them in doing so.
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:35 AM
Exactly thats why I would recomend, if its ever done to have a bi-lingual version with everything in English except tool tips etc.
shawty on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 12:49 AM
I would love a computer like this, because we have like 3 generations in my house and only half of us speak english fluently, my grandma and grandpa can get by but they really just speak spanish. My grandma loves to email but she has a hard time because of her bad memory, she forgets where the send button is, and is constantly asking me to translate the buttons for her. So a computer like this would be a god send for me.
Jake on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 01:00 AM
This is a decent idea, but this should not be limited to Spanish, instead it should work for any language you choose. It could be useful for learning Finnish thus allowing me to speak to Tarja Turunen more effectively.
John on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 01:09 AM
I think it is a very bad idea!
If we first get past the fact that doing so would be redundant, since, after all, there is a Spanish version of Windows, it is un-necessary.
If you cannot speak English, install the Spanish language pack, and rock on. When you feel proficient enough,switch the primary language back to English.
What is next? A version in Farsi with the tool tips in Urdu? Or the French version with tooltips in Flemish for the Belgian market?
Bottom line, and this has absolutely nothing to do with national origin, unless the computer has a sorta mind meld with the user, how can it tell what language you are computing in at that time?
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 01:16 AM
There is a Spanish version of Windows, but there isn’t a Bi-Lingual version. And last I checked correct me if I’m wrong, Vista Ultimate is the only version of Windows where you can have More than One user account with a different language.
If there is a large Belgian population in France then why not have a French version with Flemish tooltips.
Afterall, aren’t computers meant to make peoples lives easier?
John on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 01:22 AM
Why a bilingual version?
Listen, I hate to sound xenophobic, but for goodness sakes, accommodation of shit has to stop somewhere.
For all aircraft, guess what? The language of operation is English. Period. Maybe in some countries they use something else internally; however, if they want to go international, English it is.
Same in shipping. How tough do you think it would be to accommodate every language?
You wanna do it in English, fine. Do English.
As to only Ultimate have the MUI packs, that is true. However, you can purchase a single-language version at any mega-mart.
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 01:45 AM
A bilingual version in my opinion will help them learn English, bundle it with some translation software, help them along.
As for aircraft, ever been in a cockpit? The altitude gauge is labeled ALT. What’s Altitude in Spanish? Altitud. What about French? Altitude. What about Italian? Altitudine. SO your example doesn’t fly.
Velocity Gugage is labeled Vel. Shall I tell you what Velocity is in Spanish?
So I don’t think your aircraft example really flies. Also governments from around the world agree on terms pilots use, to make the skies safer.
As for your shipping example, same situation. The toxic radioactive label in china is the same one in the US but there aren’t any words on it. well some of them say radioactive but I have even seen one that had Chinese characters on it.
Xavier on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:12 AM
Great post Michael. Your readers who disagree sound ignorant to say the least. Learning how to use a computer for the first time is challenging enough, especially for those who didn’t grow up with them. Learning to use one in your second language can be nearly impossible.
I think this kind of setup would benefit more than just the Hispanic community. It wouldn’t take that much extra effort on Microsoft’s part to make this work on Vista Home Premium.
This post reminded me of a French girl back in college who called and said her new rat was moving too fast. She spoke flawless English, but couldn’t seem to find a ‘rat’ help topic. I took a look at it and in a couple of clicks slowed down the on-screen speed of her ‘mouse.’
Spansih_Please on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:12 AM
Mi Familiar es grande, nosotros somos de puerto rico. Vivimos en Virginia y yo estoy en el Navy.
Mi padres quien viven con migo no hablan espanol, y quando yo estoy trabajando ellos no usan la computadora porque tienen miedo que van hacer algo mal.
Entonces ellos esperan que yo llege de trabajar y me preguntan que les ayuda usar la computadora.
So in english now. A computer like this would be a the next best thing next to sex for me, because I wouldn’t need to be bothered every 5 minutes helping my parents figure out how to open an email.
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:14 AM
I agree xavier, computerease is a hard language to learn.
my rats too fast lol thats classic.
dogerfan on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:33 AM
haha that is funny, fast rat, but I can understand why she would make that mistake.
Josh on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 09:25 AM
I would agree its difficult, and the upsell angle hurts microsoft. I think they should be forced to make language packs available for all languages (legislation anyone?). I also like the idea of a hyprid with just the tips in another language. Never happen,but is a very intresting concept.
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Yeah even i Microsoft doesn’t do the hybrid version with tool tips in spanish how hard would it be for lets say a major OEM like HP to pump some money into it and have an engineer of theirs res hack the shell?
Zain on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Sure, it’s a good idea. If what you say is the problem, then it would definitely help not only the hispanics, but the companies who don’t already make enough money.
John on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 01:29 PM
@Xavier: How does disagreeing make one’s answer ‘ignorant’, Xavier? How?
For goodness sakes, Xavier, it is an English language system. Period.
Should I like take your answer as the fucking gospel? Should I?
You want to learn to speak English, buy a language training program.
If you want tooltips in your native language, it makes the assumption that you have at least some comprehension of English.
Become proficient in it. That is all you have to do.
In Africa, the Far East, Eastern Europe, all those people, who BTW, are a whole lot more than 42 million, use systems every day. Do they ask for this?
It will take extra work, so get to it.
Kinda learn to be proficient in English, it is te language of instruction and commerce in the US.
@Michael: Aerospace, dude! I’ve seen more than aircraft cockpits. I don’t care what the labels are, when pilots travel out of their own little sandboxes, they *have* to speak to foreign air traffic controllers in English. So do ships when in foreign ports or requiring assistance.
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:09 PM
Dude you know how many close calls happen at JFK, because the Chinese Pilot can’t understand the English speaking air traffic controller, or the French one who can’t understand English either?
Last year I can recall at least 3 near misses reported at JFK because a Chinese or French pilot understood stop as go, and hold short as proceed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDEIvjwaFU (Might want to check this Kennedy ground with AirChina Recording)
Now if lets say JFK Ground had a Chinese speaker, this would have been less frustrating for both parties, granted that air china crew obviously didn’t speak the right amount of English. When this report aired on my local news last year, ATC workers said this happened a lot during the day.
There was another case where an Air France pilot was told to hold short and instead proceeded into an active runway, a jumbo jet buzzed the plane by an estimated 30 feet.
English may be the language chosen by the ICAO but even they admit the problems with that.
And english may be the official language of the skys, but it’s not the official language on the ground.
Michael on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:13 PM
Oh and by the way, I’m the first to say that if you come to the US, then learn your English, but at the same time I understand that if you come from Puerto Rico, lived in Puerto Rico your entire life, and you are trying to escape the hard ships over there (crime etc), I can’t expect a 30 to 40 year old person to learn English in a short time frame.
Most of these families come over, none of them speaking English, the kids learn English in literally a week or two, and the parents struggle for years. Tell me a bi-Lingual computer wouldn’t benefit them.
There is a saying thrown around a lot, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and the older you get the harder it is to learn a new language.
Xavier on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:44 PM
@John-You sound like a very angry guy and I’m surprised you chose to use foul language towards me, especially since you seemed like a well-balanced and polite individual when we met at CES. Ignorant is indeed what I meant to. I think your offensive language, disregard for how challenging it can be to learn English and lack of knowledge of Microsoft’s Global Development efforts prove you’re ignorant in more way than one.
FYI- Vista is not an English system ‘period.’ Microsoft sells Vista in 35 different languages and has 61 Language Interface Packs (LIP). A Hindi LIP can be layered on top of an English Vista install for example.
Microsoft understands that we live in a global society and people want/need to interact with computers in their native language. If you want to read up on their Global Dev. program, check out this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/vista/Whats_New_Vista.mspx
Michael’s idea of Spanish tool tips in English really wouldn’t take that much work since MS already has all the tool tips available in Spanish. Microsoft already has translations of the UI in Urdu and Farsi too. Obviously there’s not an full Farsi version of Vista to layer Urdu on top of, but there is a full Spanish version. Why not mash Spanish tips on top of the English version or at least make a Spanish LIP?
@ John- here’s a freebie to improve your own language skills.
Mariam Webster:
ig·no·rant
1 a: destitute of knowledge or education <an ignorant society>; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified b: resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence
John on Thu, Mar 06th, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Listen, you come over here to be assimilated. So learn. Whatever your age. Try.
For example, how do you help Africans? With several hundred languages? How do you resolve that? For goodness sakes, people over there are whacking each other based on language differences.
How many flights come into the US daily? You would have an interpreter for every language?
Say there are 120 countries represented. You would have 120 interpreters per international airport?
Are you freakin’ kiddin’?
Think you pay a lot now in airport and TSA fees, imagine how much more you would pay to subsidize some yum-yum’s English lessons!
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