Buying an overseas MBP : OSX Localisations.

[Stevm]

Hey guys, I'm looking to buy a MBP for university. I'll be going overseas to Hong Kong on holidays and I'll probably buy one if no new MBP is announced around CES2011 (I know that Apple isn't attending so I'm not sure what I'm expecting) since I'll need it in March.

My question is on the languages in OSX. I know English is an official language in HK but the majority of people buying MBPs there will probably look for a Chinese version of OSX. I don't know the language so I'm obviously after an English version so I was wondering if there was any difference in OSX depending on regions or are languages added on top of the original English OSX and can be easily switched without leaving behind weird fonts and the like.

Thanks it advance

 

[articcine]

The keyboard might be a chinese one? Can't be sure of course, I haven't really got a clue.

 

[aeboi]

You can select the country/language at first bootup, you won't be left with broken English or anything like that.

The mac keyboards in HK are the same ones you would find in the states.

 

[lauph]

And you get to have access to more WiFi channels.

 

[acidfast7]

Everything is configurable except the keyboard "number of keys".

I grew up in the US and worked in Sweden and now in Germany. I bought a US "blackbook" and used it in Sweden fine (could reinstall OSX to Swedish). When in Sweden I bought a unibody 13.3" macbook with Swedish keyboard and was able to change the language to German on both machines after moving to Germany.

The only real difference between the machines is the number of keys on the keyboard ... the US English keyboard has a large "enter/return" key while the Swedish one has a skinny enter key while allows for an extra key.

I like the one with the extra key better (skinny enter) and find it nice to have when remapping the keyboard to other European languages (more letters in the alphabet).

Good luck.

 

[Stevm]

Thank you VERY MUCH for the info guys .