I am very interested in learning Korean, but I know nothing about how to do this on a computer. Do I need a Mac, or will Windows be all right? Can I do this on Linux? How do I enter hangul and what is hanja? Is there a way for me to practice on the computer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Taikoo Shing
I have always been interested in the Korean language, but never had enough time to study it. But a friend recently gave me a Korean course with book and CDs and I have transferred the discs to my iPod. It's a great way to learn.
As far as your first question is concerned, things have changed in recent years. I remember turning to the Mac nearly 20 years ago because Windows was dreadful at handling multiple languages. Today it would be difficult to say which operating system is best, because all of them - Windows, Mac OS X and Linux - have worked hard to support most of the world's languages.
Both Microsoft and Apple include, or allow you to add, Korean and many other languages. You will need two things: the right fonts and some kind of input method.
Usually, when you wish to add a language, it is fairly straightforward. With Windows, you may have to be a little careful, depending on the version. Recent versions - especially Windows XP - are much easier to use than older ones. The Microsoft website is useful here.