Read Chinese with Netscape

Shixing Wen
swen@fgcu.edu

To read Chinese with Netscape, you need to have the Netscape Communicator version 4.0+. If you don't have one, it is free to download at:

http://www.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html

The next step is to get free Chinese fonts from Microsoft download sites. You need both the Traditional Chinese font and the Simplified Chinese font so that you can switch fonts in your Internet Explorer to view web pages written in GB or Big5.

Generally speaking, web pages in Mainland China and Singapore are encoded in GB; web pages in Taiwan are encoded in Big5; web pages in Hong Kong are written in both GB and Big5. Some web sites give you a choice to pick.

Installation Steps for Dummies :-)

  1. Go to the following URL address for the Traditional Chinese font:

    http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/lang/00001.htm

  2. You'll see many download sites. Pick one that is closest to you. [Author's Note: As of today (June 1, 1999), it seems only the downloading site of Tokyo Internet works.] And then click on the file called ie3lpktw.exe and a File Download window will pop up, with the following words:

    What would you like to do with this file?
    O Run this program from this current location
    O Save this program to disk

    The default choice is the second one. So you just need to click the OK button.

  3. On the next Save As window, choose a directory, say, the Temp Directory, to save the file ie3lpktw.exe into.

  4. Go to the following URL address for the Simplified Chinese font:

    http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/lang/00000.htm

  5. You'll see many download sites. Pick one that is closest to you. [Author's Note: As of today (June 1, 1999), it seems only the downloading site of IIJ (Internet Initiative Japan Inc. works.] And then click on the file called ie3lpkcn.exe, and save it to the Temp Directory.

  6. Go to the Temp Directory.

  7. Double click on the file called ie3lpktw.exe, and a window will pop up, saying:

    This will install the Traditional Chinese Language Support Kit for Microsoft Internet Explorer on your computer. Do you wish to continue?

    Please click the Yes button.

  8. You will see a License Agreement window. Please read it and if you agree, click the Yes button.

  9. Another window will pop up:

    The Traditional Chinese Language Support Kit for Microsoft Internet Explorer was successfully installed. To complete the installation, you need to restart your system.

    You have no choice but to click the OK button.

  10. Then, another window pops up:

    You must restart your computer before the new settings will take effect.
    Do you want to restart your computer now?

    Please select the No button.

  11. Go to the Temp Directory and double click on the file called ie3lpkcn.exe.

  12. And follow Steps 6-9. At Step 10, please select the Yes button.

  13. Once your computer is restarted, the Chinese fonts are available to use.

  14. Now you can open your Netscape web browser and find any site with Chinese web pages.

  15. If you see a page with non-recognizable words, go to the top menu bar, click and hold the View button, move your cursor down to Encoding, and then select Traditional Chinese (Big5) or Simplified Chinese (GB2312). The web page will reload, and there come the familiar Chinese characters!