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Computer question - I have searched through old threads
Patience
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I am going to be in Italy and France probably. I know that hostels and libraries have computers. Is it difficult for english speakers to use these? Can you change the language easily? What’s the deal? Just click the browser icon, type google and just go to American websites and they’re in english? Is that the deal?

oldlady
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Quote:
s it difficult for english speakers to use these?
No it’s not difficult. The biggest internet cafes have computers in several languages — just find an “English” one. Unless you’re someplace that doesn’t use the Latin Alphabet, it’s not hard to work around minor keyboard differences or other issues, anyway.
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Can you change the language easily?
Yes, if you want to. Play around with it at home before you go.
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Just click the browser icon, type google and just go to American websites and they’re in english? Is that the deal?
That’s how it works.

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pretty much. the french keyboard is different than the US keyboard I know (AZERTY instead of QWERTY) but there is usually a button or clickable thingy where you can change it to US style (it’ll arrange it so even if you are physically pressing the A french key, it will turn it into the Q American key. just don’t look at the keyboard when you type or you’ll get confused)

Websites don’t really change languages no matter where you are, unless you click something on the specific website that sets the language to a different one. Google might go to google.fr but you can always just type something in English and it will probably come up with English sites mostly. Usually if I type something in French even in US google, it comes up with mainly French sites. (and an offer to “translate this page”…. google.fr says “traduire cette page”)

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I found the keyboard thing frustrating, but that is because I touch type all the time and I was getting annoyed that I could not type 50 words a minute. It just took a little time for me to figure out where the keys where and then I just had to train myself to slow down and pay attention. It is really only about 5 or 6 keys that really get you (like: y, m, a, etc) that you use often.

Its not something to worry about, you will manage just fine, it will just take a little getting used to.

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Yeah it’s different but not that big of a deal really. Plus your friends back home may find it quaint when your emails are full of accidental “ä” and “ö” marks instead of apostrophes and whatnot

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