(AFP) – 15 hours ago

ADDIS ABABA — US software giant Microsoft has launched Windows Vista in Amharic, the first operating system in the national language of Ethiopia, the official news agency said Saturday.

"Launching the Amharic version software is a major step forward for Amharic to be a language of technology," Director of the Ethiopian ICT Development Agency, Debretsion Gebremichael was quoted as saying by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).

He said 40 scholars from the Addis Ababa University had taken part in the translation of the software and added that plans were being drafted for translation into some of the nation's other languages.

"Ethiopia as a country of over 80 million people, has its own language and alphabet, and it is Microsoft?s desire to let this huge country use its Amharic service pack," ENA quoted Microsoft's Africa boss Cheick Modibo Diarra as saying.http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jdVabWXWy0yN8JfammU1GAOo0dnA

From Nazret.com


Ethiopia - A Guide to install Amharic Windows Vista LIP by nazret.com

If you like your Windows Vista in Amharic (the official working language of Ethiopia) then you can download the latest Windows Vista Language Interface Pack (LIP) now and we have got the instructions as well.

nazret is pleased to announce that we have successfully tested the recent release of Amharic Language Interface Pack by Microsoft for Windows Vista. As you may have heard by now, Microsoft along with Addis Ababa University have developed the language interface for Ethiopia's official language and is now available for install.

We have created a step-by-step guide on how to install the pack and configure your Windows Vista to display menu and commands in Amharic. The language pack is available for Windows 7, but we don't have the download location and will let you know as soon as we know about it.

In less than 30 minutes, you can install the LIP and have your PC speak with you in Amharic ;) which has its own script.

Here is how to get started. Get the language pack from microsoft.

And follow our easy to follow -we hope installation guide (PDF)
http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?title=ethiopia_a_guide_to_install_amharic_wind&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Microsoft's Amharic language pack: http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/B/4/1B41C637-AF58-4635-BB15-5D312A6FA18F/LIP_am-ET.mlc