Is there a Japanese or Chinese name for Windows Vista? | The Coffeehouse

leighsword
LeighSword

We all knew Google's Chinese name is '谷歌', is there necessary making a foreign name for Vista?
Windows Vista's directly translation is 'Windows 景色' or 'Windows 眺望' and 'Windows 展望'.

leighsword
LeighSword

I can clear tell you why the privous versions of Windows (XP, 2000, 98, NT) are unnecessary own a foreign name, because no one has problems with A-Z alphabet, but if you put those letters together, then there are tons of foreigners has problems with it, also no one has problems with Arabic numeral system(0-9).

Rotem Kirshenbaum
The Master Of Cherries

Just out of curiosity:
Do Macs and Linux distros have their names translated to japanese or chinese ?
Also, why "Windows" is not a problem and "Vista" is ? You say that people have a problem with the english alphabet, but windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / NT don't need translations.

I know I might seem nitpicky, but I'm really curious about the point you brought up.

Thanks,
Rotem

leighsword
LeighSword

Rotem Kirshenbaum wrote:
Just out of curiosity:
Do Macs and Linux distros have their names translated to japanese or chinese ?
Also, why "Windows" is not a problem and "Vista" is ? You say that people have a problem with the english alphabet, but windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / NT don't need translations.

I know I might seem nitpicky, but I'm really curious about the point you brought up.

Thanks,
Rotem

Macs does, Linux does not. We used call Macs as "蘋果機"(directly translation is 'Apple Computer') in China, and Linux is just for Professional( or Advanced, or Power) users, so it would not be a huge problems to us.
Sorry for my not good English writing skills(but I knew I have a huge impovement on it recently:)), I mean 'no one' has problems with the English alphabet(A-Z, or 'V, I, S, T, A'), but tons of people has problems with the English words(Vista).

Windows has a Chinese name,and we also used call Windows as "視窗"(directly translation is 'Windows‘), Windows98 as "視窗98", Windows2000 as "視窗2000", WindowsNT as "視窗NT", WindowsXP as "視窗XP"... In mainland China, I remember people used call Windows as '晕到死' by it's pronounce, directly tranlation is 'faint until death'. haha

leighsword
LeighSword

Well, maybe my English writing skills not as poor as I think, it's because English as a nature language people cannot understand it well, lets change the postion, I have a Chinese brand named '一'(pronounce, 'yi', meaning, one), it's a very common letter in China and Japan, but I think it's a tough brand to you.
About Windows, I think MS has spent billion dollars for made the gold brand, that's why people has no problems with Windows, but Vista is just a new brand only.

Sven Groot
My name has 9 letters. Coincidence? I think not...

If I go to www.microsoft.co.jp they just use "Windows Vista" (roman characters) everywhere.

I'm glad they don't translate Windows names, I'd hate to be beta testing "Ramen Uitzicht". Tongue Out

leighsword
LeighSword

Sven Groot wrote:
If I go to www.microsoft.co.jp they just use "Windows Vista" (roman characters) everywhere.

I'm glad they don't translate Windows names, I'd hate to be beta testing "Ramen Uitzicht".

The same to http://www.microsoft.com/china/ or http://www.microsoft.com/taiwan/, because those websites are just for IT Pro ,computer guru, or students... not for the rest of normal users, and I don't think they will visit Microsoft website, so...

footballism
Another Paradigm Shift!

the biggest problem with the word "Vista" is that it is not so easy to pronounce it, you know my mouth get twisted when I say this word "Vista". But I think We Chinese are smart and creative people, we can come up with an alternative alias for it quite soon:P

Sheva

rjdohnert
You will never know success until you know failure

leighsword, Windows Vista is Windows Vista. Its not going to change for any nationality. If nothing else you guys just learned your first foreign word.

leighsword
LeighSword

rjdohnert wrote:
leighsword, Windows Vista is Windows Vista. Its not going to change for any nationality. If nothing else you guys just learned your first foreign word.

I knew its not going to change, if MS really want to change, then it would be changed when tons of people in here said they hate the new name of Windows at first time(MS introduce it to us).
I have thought about a new name for replace with Windows Vista, that's Windows V( V for Vista), V that means the fifth generation OS after DOS, Win3.x, Win9.x, WinNT(2000,XP).

leighsword
LeighSword

rjdohnert wrote:
Its not going to change for any nationality.

I think it should be, because Windows is an International Software for people who around the world.

syhsyh

It should have a Chinese name. Before 谷歌 appears, most of Chinese call google, 狗狗(dog dog). Even now in BBS nobody call it 谷歌.

I believe, Vista will be called 畏死他 if Microsoft does not care what it should be in Chinese.

blowdart
Peek-a-boo

leighsword wrote:

rjdohnert wrote:Its not going to change for any nationality.

I think it should be, because Windows is an International Software for people who around the world.

So you realise it's a global brand, and yet you want a different name for every country? There's a big conflict there already

footballism
Another Paradigm Shift!

syhsyh wrote:
It should have a Chinese name. Before 谷歌 appears, most of Chinese call google, 狗狗(dog dog). Even now in BBS nobody call it 谷歌.

I believe, Vista will be called 畏死他 if Microsoft does not care what it should be in Chinese.

It's so good to see my compatriot posting right here at C9:P

Sheva

leighsword
LeighSword

blowdart wrote:

leighsword wrote:

rjdohnert wrote: Its not going to change for any nationality.

I think it should be, because Windows is an International Software for people who around the world.

So you realise it's a global brand, and yet you want a different name for every country? There's a big conflict there already

I don't want, and don't know the different name is good or bad, maybe it should depend on the market, and there are do people who may never use English as a tools, so how could I tell them that my application only can running on Vista?
Lets take a look at another IT giant, Intel(英特尔® or インテル®), their famous products likes Pentium®(奔腾®) and Celeron®(赛扬®) has a nice Chinese name.

leighsword
LeighSword

footballism wrote:

syhsyh wrote: It should have a Chinese name. Before 谷歌 appears, most of Chinese call google, 狗狗(dog dog). Even now in BBS nobody call it 谷歌.

I believe, Vista will be called 畏死他 if Microsoft does not care what it should be in Chinese.

It's so good to see my compatriot posting right here at C9

Sheva

I would recommand you read Charles's Respect Reminder, or you would get banned. Smiley

figuerres
???

leighsword wrote:

blowdart wrote:

leighsword wrote:

rjdohnert wrote: Its not going to change for any nationality.

I think it should be, because Windows is an International Software for people who around the world.

So you realise it's a global brand, and yet you want a different name for every country? There's a big conflict there already

I don't want, and don't know the different name is good or bad, maybe it should depend on the market, and there are do people who may never use English as a tools, so how could I tell them that my application only can running on Vista?
Lets take a look at another IT giant, Intel(英特尔® or インテル®), their famous products likes Pentium®(奔腾®) and Celeron®(赛扬®) has a nice Chinese name.

Arg! I wish I could read or had a translation of some of this!

are the names a "transaltion" of the english name or what?
like did they take "Pentium" and make it read is "Five Dragon Power" or some such?

and what would you call "Vista" ?
Windows that Gives wide view?
Windows great expanse?

or ????

I know that some sounds in english come out as "rude" sounds in some languages and that other sounds are difficult for folks to say if they are not english speakers.

which is the case for "Vista" does it sound like a bad word
or is it just hard to speak for many chinese speakers ?

figuerres
???

leighsword wrote:

footballism wrote:

syhsyh wrote: It should have a Chinese name. Before 谷歌 appears, most of Chinese call google, 狗狗(dog dog). Even now in BBS nobody call it 谷歌.

I believe, Vista will be called 畏死他 if Microsoft does not care what it should be in Chinese.

It's so good to see my compatriot posting right here at C9

Sheva

I would recommand you read Charles's Respect Reminder, or you would get banned.

?? what was wrong ?? the parts I can read seem ok.
are you refering to the reply or the quoted text ??

leighsword
LeighSword

figuerres wrote:

leighsword wrote:
I don't want, and don't know the different name is good or bad, maybe it should depend on the market, and there are do people who may never use English as a tools, so how could I tell them that my application only can running on Vista?
Lets take a look at another IT giant, Intel(英特尔® or インテル®), their famous products likes Pentium®(奔腾®) and Celeron®(赛扬®) has a nice Chinese name.

Arg! I wish I could read or had a translation of some of this!

are the names a "transaltion" of the english name or what?
like did they take "Pentium" and make it read is "Five Dragon Power" or some such?

and what would you call "Vista" ?
Windows that Gives wide view?
Windows great expanse?

or ????

I know that some sounds in english come out as "rude" sounds in some languages and that other sounds are difficult for folks to say if they are not english speakers.

which is the case for "Vista" does it sound like a bad word
or is it just hard to speak for many chinese speakers ?

No, all above Chinese or Japanese in my post is a brand of Intel, '奔腾'(Pentium) is from the Chinese idiom '万马奔腾'(Directly translation is 'ten thounds horse are running' that meaning speed and power, see the following pictrue, and a picture worths thounds of words)
If I have to call Vista in Chinese , I prefer a bad word or 'rude' sounds one like '畏死他', but I think '維斯塔'(Vesta,hearth goddess in Greek Mythology) is a good new brand for Vista.
I don't know how many people are hard to made some voice like Vista, but Vista does not a bad word in Chinese, but I knew there people would be made it bad for the 'market', because tons of Chinese like to hear something bad under the government who always like to tell us good news about China, and hide or modify bad news for us, because the government do not want us know they are lacking the necessary abilities on governance, but paper can not cover fire.

blowdart
Peek-a-boo

A picture may be worth a thousand words but when it's on some slow server, and it's stupidly big and one of them doesn't load within 5 minutes then really the only words they come out as are

WHAT THE F**K

SCMcDonnell
.NET

Yes, I heard it was going to be called eeendoes eeestah.

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

SM

DoomBringer
Doom!

This is something I've always wondered about. When marketing a brand in a foreign land, should the company change the name?
The joke is that Chevy tried to sell a car named "Nova" in Mexico... of course, "nova" sounds exactly like "doesn't go" in Spanish.
A Japanese soda called "Calpiss" is another brand that is funny sounding (to an English speaking audience, at least).

I suspect Microsoft isn't going to change the name for foreign markets, and I don't know what they'd change it to if they did.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

First there was the Nintendo Wii, and now it's the Windows Yay! Big Smile

But I have a question. How do make a new word in Chineese and then write it down and expect someone else to be able to pronounce it correctly? Is it possible?

leighsword
LeighSword

alwaysmc2 wrote:

First there was the Nintendo Wii, and now it's the Windows Yay!

But I have a question. How do make a new word in Chineese and then write it down and expect someone else to be able to pronounce it correctly? Is it possible?

The Complex Chinese characters are based on the Basic Chinese characters, which consist of two parts: left part(meaning, or radicals) and right part(sounds, or pronounce). 愛(love),嬡,曖,璦,噯, If you knowing how to read '愛'(pronounce 'ai') is equal to knowing how to read another four characters which contain that phonophore, and can guess what the meaning they are, also that meaning if you can master one thound Basic Chinese characters is equal to knowing the rest of thounds of Chinese characters.
By the way, the Simplified Chinese characters(made by the stupid Communist government) has broken the rules(which is made by Cangjie(倉頡), and existed in thounds years ago) of make a Chinese word, so I would recommend you to reseach the Traditional Chinese characters(which is most widely used in Chinese world, especially in HongKong and Taiwan) if you are interesting in Chinese characters.

DoomBringer
Doom!

leighsword wrote:

alwaysmc2 wrote:
First there was the Nintendo Wii, and now it's the Windows Yay!

But I have a question. How do make a new word in Chineese and then write it down and expect someone else to be able to pronounce it correctly? Is it possible?

The Complex Chinese characters are based on the Basic Chinese characters, which consist of two parts: left part(meaning, or radicals) and right part(sounds, or pronounce). 愛(love),嬡,曖,璦,噯, If you knowing how to read '愛'(pronounce 'ai') is equal to knowing how to read another four characters which contain that phonophore, and can guess what the meaning they are, also that meaning if you can master one thound Basic Chinese characters is equal to knowing the rest of thounds of Chinese characters.
By the way, the Simplified Chinese characters(made by the stupid Communist government) has broken the rules(which is made by Cangjie(倉頡), and existed in thounds years ago) of make a Chinese word, so I would recommend you to reseach the Traditional Chinese characters(which is most widely used in Chinese world, especially in HongKong and Taiwan) if you are interesting in Chinese characters.

Interesting to learn stuff like that. Just curious, which part of China are you from? I know there are several dialects, such as Cantonese, Mandarin, and so on.