in a phrase. This semi-intelligence requires massive memory, so it comes with a dedicated RAM card for the IBM PC. You’ll still need a graphics card. It will manipulate 9,000 characters, traditional or simplified. Costs $615.
The most graphic heavyweight Chinese word processor runs on the Macintosh. Called FeiMa (Flying Horse), the program boasts the usual way of entering characters as well as two others: pick one out of a scrolling dictionary, or type in the English word and it will translate. The graphic superiority comes at the price of a smaller glossary. The Mac Plus version ($400) comes with 2,400 words (enough to write a newspaper story), with an additional 3,080 words in the hard-disk version ($590). You can get a limited version that allows only Pinyin entry of 2,400 words for $200.