Jonathon Blake wrote:.

>
> Explain why it is unrealistic for a person who uses a syllabic writing
> system to expect do data input in that writing system?
>
> Why do they have to go thru a writing system that uses an alphabet
> that they would not otherwise use?

Probably because ME's approach is, engineering effort-wise, the "low
hanging friut". Anyone else can make whatever they want. The tools are
available for free. But they will find it is a more complex effort then
ME's.

I don't think the "overall" population is the overriding concern.

In fact, I predict taht if ME's gets to themarket first, and the resto
fo the folks like what they see but are frustrated at the lack of being
able totype, then someone (perhaps even ME!) will create a differnt
keyboard for them.

Which will be ironic, becasue so many people are yellign that it must be
done here, (not you Jonathon) yet they are not stepping up to the plate
to suggest a scheme for ME, which he has offered to assist
implementation of if it makes any sense at all.

>
> On a purely theoretical level, a thirty person L10N team can produce a
> desktopin a new language within a year. (Operating system, office
> suites --- including spell checker and grammar checkers, Internet
> suites, audio-visual tools ) Writing documentation will take another
> year -- and can be done by people whose only language is the target
> language.

Aside from the effort estimation there, your broader point agrees with
mine that this is but one step in an ongoing evolution of Vai software
tools, not the last step.

Best,

Barry