[jpteuf]

Hello, I am currently in Japan working in a pension. The owner lent me a computer so I can use it for email. The computer is an IMac (the very first one they did, the blue one). It is running on os 8.1 but in japanese. Usually I work with PCs but I also used Macs from time to time. I was wondering if there was a way to change the language of the os without reinstalling. I have seen a guest at the pension change the language of his os on his powerbook from english to japanese on the fly but it was the latest version (tiger right?). Is it possible to do the same but with os 8.1. As you know I do not have a lot a experience with Macs so if you have a solution please be as explicit as you can especially because everything is in japanese. So if you could for example tell me the positions of the concerned settings in the box, menus, etc., I would be most grateful. I know I am probably asking a lot for a new member but without this I don t know if I will be able to operate this computer and I figured since I will be there for a while that I would try to get more into the Apple systems. So if you help me, maybe down the road you will convert a pagan the light!

[wataru]

Before OS X there is no way to change the language without installing a different version of the OS. That machine can run up to OS X 10.3, but you'll likely have to upgrade the RAM to get even halfway decent performance, plus the stock hard drive will barely have enough room. I recommend you find an English copy of OS 9 somewhere and use that instead.

Or, since it's not your computer and it sounds like this is a temporary situation, learn some Japanese.

[Jspeed]

Start telling the owner how great OS X is and how you could change the system language on-the-fly.