[MacCheetah3]

Hi
Build-To-Order Generally, if you go to the Apple Store Online you can "custome build" your Mac by choosing hard drive size, RAM amount, etc.
MacCheetah3
"With all of the fish in the sea, we should never go hungry"

[Paranoid_Android]

pjskelti,
I'm well aware of the tilda's and certain other nuances in the different romance languages. My point is that the keyboard will work fine in a different language -- all it would take is some little decals to place on the keys that don't correctly map. If it's a key combo required, just download a little keyboard shortcut shareware app and set it that way. Unless of course the person wants to wait for a French BTO superdrive 12" powerbook.
I think my solution is the most practical given the objective.

[rockinphotog]

I don't know about French, but german keyboards have the letters arranged in a different way. Is this what you mean by "keys that don't correctly map"? It seems like a lot to reprogram the key order(evenn with a helpful shareware app) and re-label your keys. No offence, but I think that solution would suck.

[Paranoid_Android]

As far as I'm aware, when you switch the language the OS uses, it switches to the keyboard setup of that different language. So if you switch to french, it calls the French keyboard Map. I could be quite wrong about this as I only use one language: American English.
My suggestion was to find out how the French language setting of OS X maps to the U.S. keyboard and adjust the key letters to what they ought to be. It would take about 50 little white stickers with a letter drawn on them in permanent ink -- a very cost-efficient (but admitedly inelegent) solution to the problem.
This all hinges upon my assumption of the language-keyboard mapping. It could all be moot if I'm wrong about that. Nonetheless, it's a lot better than waiting for a French version of a BTO 12" SuperDrive PB.

[Agurri]

Well, the difference between a English, French Canadian, and Europe France are that :

[*]English = Standart - Got the keyboard QWERTY( 6 first letter)
[*]French Canadian - Got the keyboard QWERTY too but there are special characters such as , , ...
[*]Europe France - Got another style of keyboard: AZERTY....
[/list]
So, you see that for a language, there are several options you need to consider.

[pjskelti]

I wasn't going to bother replying, but sorry, do you mean to say that it's even remotely suitable to spend 2 odd thousand $$$ on a new portable computer and stick st on the keys so you can work on it????? Jesus F'n' Christ!
Get real.
As for the keys magically mapping themselves, errrr.....unless the keys themselves are LCD, they'll still display the letters printed on them! Yes, the addition/change of language will change what some of the keys produce on screen, but you'll still need to REMEMBER which key(s) produce the letters you need. It isn't efficient and it isn't the done thing.
Since the topic originator is in Canada, my guess is that Apple Canada will 'know' how many French keyboarded Al Books to carry/bring in in the different flavours of optical drives, etc. So it's likely the poster will be fine when he buys it from Apple Canada, and a quick call should clarify the situation.

[Wondering_Mac_User]

I also wanted a 12" superdrive PowerBook but 2 things convinced me of the opposite. 1: OS X Only. (I need OS 9) and 2. English keyboard. I use an english OS 9, but I like my french keyboard. On my PowerBook, there's a french canadian keyboard (called ISO something /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif ). The "return" key is in the shape of a reverted "L". The french quote marks are also on the keyboard... " " are english quote marks while French ones are . I think it's a bad move from Apple. The French version of the Apple Canada website sucks big time as well as the store. Someone should complain at "L'office de la langue Franaise". The way they are doing with the French Canadian Apple store is truly not professionnal. It's just a small list of some Apple products. Come on Apple. Even Dell's Canadian website is 100% bilingual and has a nice French store.
Agurri, just keep waiting. After all, the Apple store still doesn't sell French Canadian Pro keyboards. Just English ones. And for the person saying it's a small price to pay for such a great laptop, well, I'm sorry, this is a lame excuse. It's just like Honda would tell me "you know, who cares if the speed meter is in mph only. No Kms indications is a small price to pay to drive such a nice car". I'm sorry, but when you are doing business in a country, you look at the country's regulations. In Canada, the law is clear: it's Km/h not Mph. And if a business wants to make business in Qubec, they have to offer service in French. It's the law, not a "price to pay". Gee, thanks guys, now I'm on my high horses /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Hopefully, Apple will offer a French Canadian Superdrive equipped 12" PowerBook soon /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Paranoid_Android]

pjskelti, you must have some issues with me. You're really getting angry -- take a chill pill.
I think you misunderstand what I was trying to convey. If a person wanted a new PowerBook G4 12" now, my solution is an option, albeit (admittedly) inelegant. If there were other options, this person would choose them. We've already come to the conclusion that the 12" BTO is not available with a French Keyboard -- so what are you getting so angry about that I'm offering an actual SOLUTION? Get off the caffeine.
I don't know what that MAGICAL comment is all about, but what DOES happen when you switch to French in OS X? I wasn't even remotely trying to claim the actual KEYS change -- I was trying to figure out if characters like a tilda'd e would perhaps be available under a different key or combination thereof. If that's the case, then it's not ridiculous to just assign easy to use shortcut commands (i.e. option-shift-e). Now, if the OS language change DOES change how some keyboard keys display on screen (an idea you admit occurs) then what is the problem with putting a sticker on that key to let you know? As I said in previous posts, it's inelegent! -- but it would WORK!
And your last comments are quite odd.
The SuperDrive 12" isn't available except for Build To Order.
There is no solution for him except to do what I suggested or buy a different model.
Take a chill pill, bro.

[icruise]

You probably didn't intend it to come off this way, but your suggestions were not really that realistic and it seemed like you were dismissing the issue as trivial.

[sebimeyer]

I have to say, yes, the idea of sticking little stickers on a keyboard because apple cannot ship it in french is more than ridiculous.
I mean come on, would you really do that yourself?
This is a problem that should be solved by APPLE not the people that happen to want to type in french. Clearly the major problem in this case is the design as the new keyboard cannot be swapped out as easily as the ones on older powerbooks.

[jargr]

Okay, party's over.