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Both the software packages developed by IBM and Apple in Hindi are easy to use and
would make a Hindi literate person a computer buff. Thus, the availability of Hindi and
regional language software is bound to usher in an increase in the usage of computers
not only in the offices of the central, but state governments as well.
Worldwide, adoption of local languages has been recognized as one of the largest
drivers of the PC population. The best cases in point are USA and Japan. While
the widespread use of English gave a natural advantage to inventions in the USA,
Japan consciously adopted localized versions of popular software products to diffuse
information technology.
With India boasting more than 30 vernacular languages, it is logical for the country
to encourage the use of localized versions of popular software packages.
Lessons can also be learnt from China which doesn’t have many English speaking
people. China had started localization of software five years back and today is one
of the largest markets for computers. Chinese shipments of computers are nearly
80
percent more than Indian shipments as they operate on Chinese software.
In India, the number of Hindi medium schools exceed that of English medium
schools by a factor of nearly 10. The introduction of Hindi on computers would
change the way villages use computers. After all, in the Western world, child
education and business are the most important reasons for buying PCs.
WINDOWS NT IN HINDI
When Bill Gates visited India in March 1997, he was so impressed by the Indian
market that on his return he ordered Microsoft to introduce the operating systems,
MS-DOS and Windows NT in Hindi. The products are likely to be available in the
next few months.
With India opening up its gates to the Internet, it is the right time to introduce
Hindi on PCs. In the next five years, we may witness extensive use of computers
in the Hindi heartland ranging from Jodhpur, Jaipur, Rohtak, Delhi, Haridwar,
Agra, Meerut, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Jhansi, Patna and Nalanda.
For all you know, in the next few months, our Bollywood writers may be seen
happily tapping away at the keyboard and writing scripts and film songs on
computers.
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