Can MacBook read chinese .txt files?

Sasuke-chan · Oct 29, 2009, 09:53 PM

Hi, I am interested in getting a macbook. Has been using windows since I have a computer so I dunno much about mac..

Just a question, can chinese .txt files be read on MacBook? My brother tried it and he said he can't read it. I read it on my PC using Microsoft Words (notepad don't work for chinese .txt). I heard there is a Mac version of Microsoft words, so I wonder if chinese .txt can be read on that.

This is the most important consideration I have for getting a macbook. So can anyone help me pleasE? Thanks!

chill. · 12:06 AM

i just wrote some chinese down in TextEdit, saved it as a txt file in traditional chinese encoding, and opened it back up with TextEdit without any problems

then i tried to open that same .txt file using mac word and it worked fine

your brother might not have the language pack installed/enabled

also, notepad can definitely be used to read chinese .txt, you just need to enable it

Sasuke-chan · Oct 30, 2009, 12:49 AM

wow thanks alot =D

I read on the apple site it says iwork doesn't support some form of Chinese, korean, jap input.. I guess I assumed that it doesn't support chinese.. I guess as long as it does, I am happy =D

old-wiz · Oct 30, 2009, 07:11 AM

Why not post a short chinese .txt file here and let people see if they can read it?

Sasuke-chan · Oct 30, 2009, 08:51 AM

good idea =D

I read a chinese forum and they say to do some settings somewhere (to customise the language i think) but I really have no idea what it is saying exactly since I don't know what they are referring to.

I wonder if anyone has microsoft office for mac, coz currently microsoft words can read the .txt files.. so I hope that the one for mac can do it as well..

My bro used iwork and he said it doesnt work...

Anyway I will just attach the file and hope that any kind soul can help me =D

chill. · Oct 30, 2009, 11:48 AM

i was able to read that file successfully in both textedit and microsoft word for mac.

for textedit, you need to open preferences and set encoding to simplified chinese

for microsoft word for mac, you need to select the convert from unicode text option, and use the simplified chinese encoding

i don't have iwork so i can't test that for you

andalusia · Oct 30, 2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chill.

i was able to read that file successfully in both textedit and microsoft word for mac.

for textedit, you need to open preferences and set encoding to simplified chinese

for microsoft word for mac, you need to select the convert from unicode text option, and use the simplified chinese encoding

i don't have iwork so i can't test that for you

Worked exactly the same with me for Word and TextEdit, but couldn't work it out in Pages. You could try Googling it, but at least there's support in Word and TextEdit.

Sasuke-chan · Oct 30, 2009, 08:27 PM

wow thanks!! Now I can buy the macbook without too much of a concern =D

In addition to that.. I am going to purchase one in Australia, does it come with Chinese language already installed or do I have to download it off somewhere? Sorry I am a total IT noob..

andalusia · Oct 31, 2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasuke-chan

wow thanks!! Now I can buy the macbook without too much of a concern =D

In addition to that.. I am going to purchase one in Australia, does it come with Chinese language already installed or do I have to download it off somewhere? Sorry I am a total IT noob..

I can't imagine that being in Australia would limit the language packs installed, so it will probably have support on it.

Sasuke-chan · Nov 5, 2009, 09:46 PM

Hi, I know I'm really noob.. but can anyone teach me how to go to the encoding menu and make the changes? thanks~!

Sasuke-chan · Nov 6, 2009, 06:10 PM

Please help me...?

andalusia · Nov 7, 2009, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasuke-chan

Please help me...?

Sorry, what encoding menu?

Sasuke-chan · 08:44 AM

coz i wanna read chinese .txt files and that's only possible if you change the encoding for textedit or word... So my question is... how do we change the encoding.. or rather, where is the menu for it where we can access this? thanks =D

andalusia · Nov 7, 2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasuke-chan

coz i wanna read chinese .txt files and that's only possible if you change the encoding for textedit or word... So my question is... how do we change the encoding.. or rather, where is the menu for it where we can access this? thanks =D

In TextEdit, go to Preferences, click the Open And Save tab, near the bottom there's a drop down menu for encoding, change it to Chinese and close the preferences window. Then try and open your chinese text file. The word instructions should be somewhere in this thread.

Sasuke-chan · Nov 9, 2009, 12:46 AM

I just got my mac, and found it really difficult to orientate and all (seeing that I have been on a PC for all my life). But anyway, so I can actually open the chinese text file in words and textedit.. But I can't do the same on Pages (I dunno where are all the settings).

A few things that I would like to clarify...

So regarding Words, there was this option, zoom, and I can zoom it too say 250%, but the thing is, when i click the green button, it didn't actually automatically try to make the window bigger to fit in the bigger fonts. As such, I have to scroll 360 degrees left right up down to read, which is pretty troublesome. I wonder if this is a problem with everyone? It seems that the green button is entirely useless with regards to Words? Is there a similar zoom function in pages?

Also, can we use the 'pinching' way to zoom in and out in a words/ textedit document like we do on web pages? I tried it and it doesn't work?

And can we also set it to 'always open this type of file with ___' so that whenever i want to open my chinese .txt it will automatically open it with microsoft words?

SOrry I am really confused. Hope someone can answer my questions =D thanks

Sasuke-chan · Nov 9, 2009, 08:41 PM

I would like to add that..

When I open the .txt file in Words, they gave me this menu to open it in different format including Unicode, MS-DOS and other random stuff. I can't click it open when I choose Microsoft Words in that menu and had to open in Unicode. After that, I had to choose 'Chinese Simplified on Mac' or something like that to be able to read. I wonder if I am actually using the right steps to read it or is there another way to directly read it off Microsoft words?

Do I have to do the settings (for Chinese Simplified conversion) everytime i want to read similar documents?

Oct 29, 2009, 09:53 PM	#1
Sasuke-chan macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	Can MacBook read chinese .txt files? Hi, I am interested in getting a macbook. Has been using windows since I have a computer so I dunno much about mac.. Just a question, can chinese .txt files be read on MacBook? My brother tried it and he said he can't read it. I read it on my PC using Microsoft Words (notepad don't work for chinese .txt). I heard there is a Mac version of Microsoft words, so I wonder if chinese .txt can be read on that. This is the most important consideration I have for getting a macbook. So can anyone help me pleasE? Thanks!
	0

Oct 29, 2009, 11:48 PM	#2
chill. macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2008	i just wrote some chinese down in TextEdit, saved it as a txt file in traditional chinese encoding, and opened it back up with TextEdit without any problems then i tried to open that same .txt file using mac word and it worked fine your brother might not have the language pack installed/enabled also, notepad can definitely be used to read chinese .txt, you just need to enable it Last edited by chill.; Oct 30, 2009 at 12:06 AM.
	0

Nov 7, 2009, 08:39 AM	#13
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	coz i wanna read chinese .txt files and that's only possible if you change the encoding for textedit or word... So my question is... how do we change the encoding.. or rather, where is the menu for it where we can access this? thanks =D Last edited by Sasuke-chan; Nov 7, 2009 at 08:44 AM.
	0

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Oct 30, 2009, 12:49 AM	#3
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	wow thanks alot =D I read on the apple site it says iwork doesn't support some form of Chinese, korean, jap input.. I guess I assumed that it doesn't support chinese.. I guess as long as it does, I am happy =D
	0

Oct 30, 2009, 07:11 AM	#4
old-wiz macrumors 603 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: West Suburban Boston Ma	Why not post a short chinese .txt file here and let people see if they can read it?
	0

Oct 30, 2009, 11:48 AM	#6
chill. macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2008	i was able to read that file successfully in both textedit and microsoft word for mac. for textedit, you need to open preferences and set encoding to simplified chinese for microsoft word for mac, you need to select the convert from unicode text option, and use the simplified chinese encoding i don't have iwork so i can't test that for you
	0

Oct 30, 2009, 08:27 PM	#8
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	wow thanks!! Now I can buy the macbook without too much of a concern =D In addition to that.. I am going to purchase one in Australia, does it come with Chinese language already installed or do I have to download it off somewhere? Sorry I am a total IT noob..
	0

Nov 5, 2009, 09:46 PM	#10
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	Hi, I know I'm really noob.. but can anyone teach me how to go to the encoding menu and make the changes? thanks~!
	0

Nov 6, 2009, 06:10 PM	#11
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	Please help me...?
	0

Nov 9, 2009, 12:46 AM	#15
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	I just got my mac, and found it really difficult to orientate and all (seeing that I have been on a PC for all my life). But anyway, so I can actually open the chinese text file in words and textedit.. But I can't do the same on Pages (I dunno where are all the settings). A few things that I would like to clarify... So regarding Words, there was this option, zoom, and I can zoom it too say 250%, but the thing is, when i click the green button, it didn't actually automatically try to make the window bigger to fit in the bigger fonts. As such, I have to scroll 360 degrees left right up down to read, which is pretty troublesome. I wonder if this is a problem with everyone? It seems that the green button is entirely useless with regards to Words? Is there a similar zoom function in pages? Also, can we use the 'pinching' way to zoom in and out in a words/ textedit document like we do on web pages? I tried it and it doesn't work? And can we also set it to 'always open this type of file with ___' so that whenever i want to open my chinese .txt it will automatically open it with microsoft words? SOrry I am really confused. Hope someone can answer my questions =D thanks
	0

Nov 9, 2009, 08:41 PM	#16
Sasuke-chan Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	I would like to add that.. When I open the .txt file in Words, they gave me this menu to open it in different format including Unicode, MS-DOS and other random stuff. I can't click it open when I choose Microsoft Words in that menu and had to open in Unicode. After that, I had to choose 'Chinese Simplified on Mac' or something like that to be able to read. I wonder if I am actually using the right steps to read it or is there another way to directly read it off Microsoft words? Do I have to do the settings (for Chinese Simplified conversion) everytime i want to read similar documents?
	0