According to [wikipedia]Windows_8_editions#Regional_restrictions_and_variations[/wikipedia], it should be built-in, except for special Regional restrictions (in particular, in China)/Windows 8 Single Language for Emerging Markets variants, so I need to make sure I don’t get one of these crappy versions.
Let me know if you’ve managed to purchase a copy here and was able to run it on all English.
On the web, it looks like 3650 for Win8 and 4650 for Win8Pro. I wonder if the OEMs are any cheaper.
Any version of Win8 can be changed to any language you want, at any time. It’s one of its few advantages over Win 7. (Plus faster boot time.)
Any reason you want Win8 instead of Win7? I’d recommend Win7 if you have a desktop computer. Win8 is designed more for touch-screen pads than for computers you might want to get actual work done on. I had to add hacks to get it to boot directly to the desktop (avoiding the ridiculous Metro UI interface), plus 3rd-party software to add a start button/menu.
[quote=“Chris”]Any version of Win8 can be changed to any language you want, at any time. It’s one of its few advantages over Win 7. (Plus faster boot time.)
Any reason you want Win8 instead of Win7? I’d recommend Win7 if you have a desktop computer. Win8 is designed more for touch-screen pads than for computers you might want to get actual work done on. I had to add hacks to get it to boot directly to the desktop (avoiding the ridiculous Metro UI interface), plus 3rd-party software to add a start button/menu.[/quote]
Yes, in theory, it is switchable - but I wanted to confirm with someone who has actually bought a copy in Taiwan that MS is not trying to sell one of those crappy single-language editions here…
Was it hard to install those hacks for Win8/desktop? I don’t intend to use Win8 most of the time - only on a rare occasion that I can’t get a game to install through WINE or get it to run in Win8 inside Virtualbox, I will need to dual-boot Win8 to do a native install.
The main reason I don’t want Win7 is simply that it is older (and the language issues - have to pay a lot more to get my hands on an English-capable edition here). Also, I’m assuming the Win8 to Win9/Win10 transition will be easier/cheaper.
Actually you don’t have to pay more for a Win7 English install in Taiwan. You use the same product key and simply find the thread on the microsoft help forum with complete downloadable Win7 versions in English. I followed the instructions for the USB boot disk and it was easy to install. Absolutely no issues.
When you install Win7, it asks you which language you want, and it installs that language version. But you can’t change it afterwards (unless you get Ultimate).
With Win 8, even the cheapest version, you can change the language at any time (requires some file downloading and a reboot though). You can have multiple user accounts with a different language in each.
The hack to start up with the desktop is setting the Task Scheduler to run a small batch file on login. You can add a Start Button/Menu with ClassicShell (free software). But the overall sleek metallic/glassy/rounded-corner look-and-feel of Win 7 has been done away with, and now it is much more reminiscent of Win 3.1, and I can’t find skins, hacks or 3rd-party software to remedy this travesty.
[quote=“Chris”]When you install Win7, it asks you which language you want, and it installs that language version. But you can’t change it afterwards (unless you get Ultimate).
With Win 8, even the cheapest version, you can change the language at any time (requires some file downloading and a reboot though). You can have multiple user accounts with a different language in each.
[/quote]
When you install Win7 with a bought in Taiwan version you only get a Chinese install. It asks you what language you want but Chinese is the only option. But it’s not that hard to find an English install as I mentioned and use the purchased product key. At least this was the case with the Win7 that I bought a few months ago at 3C. The Win7 version was only 31xxNT and I think Win8 was a 1000NT more.
As far as I can see there are few benefits to getting Win8 on a desktop (or even a laptop) unless your significant other is terrible at English.
If I’m not mistaken, if you go to the Microsoft website, you can download the translation packs for Windows 7 if they exist, regardless of the version you have. Then you can install those, and your system will have the other languages as an option. There are full translation packs for english and another major languages, and the smaller ones get partial (read:70-80%) translations in the form of LIPs (language interface packs). I did that with my desktop computer to include Catalan (which is not available by default in Windows7). I think you should be able to download the english translation if you want to, even if your system only has the chinese language files.
just get Steam on Ubuntu. TF2, counter strike and so much more…[/quote]
That’s another option if you want FPS’s, but it lacks good RPGs, for example. Of course, consoles are a no-no if you are into MMORPGs… (right now, the only game i’m playing is Guild Wars 2, for example, and it’s not available for console. And Wine can’t manage it yet. (Guild Wars 1 had a better performance under Ubuntu/Wine than under Windows XP, actually).