Michael Everson wrote:

>
> At 21:55 +0100 2005-09-01, Andrew Dunbar wrote:
>
> >Actually, Arabic keyboards are no more expensive at all. Perhaps in
> >a country where there is a low demand and they need to be imported
> >specially.
>
> Like Liberia?
>
> Suzanne has already noted that in Liberia, knowledge of Arabic is
> pretty much related to the Qur'an, which makes it unlikely that Vais
> will be comfortable with Arabic-language Windows interface. I could
> be wrong, but I am sure the Arabic used in that interface isn't
> Qur'anic.

Modern Standard Arabic is the same as Qur'anic Arabic minus a variety of
complications. If you can read the Qur'an and other religious writings,
you can read MSA. (Though not particularly vice versa.)

> >Calling a standard keyboard "QWERTY" isn't really helpful since it's
> >only the keycaps which change, the most minor element of the
> >hardware.
>
> I say "QWERTY-based" and refer to the engraved keycaps.

--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...