Well, after switching Windows 2k’s default language back to English so I can read the IME’s menus easier, and further messing around with the keyboard, I’ve discovered how to directly type hiragana with that new keyboard, I had to engage in the IME what I believe is called “kana lock,” which you can enable with CTRL+Caps Lock, or by clicking on the little “KANA” button in the IME toolbar.
A couple of thoughtful friends got me a Japanese USB keyboard for christmas (thanks guys!), and I’ve been trying to read through the documentation that came with it, but it’s really slow going. n.n; It’s very interesting however, the slight differences in the basic keyboard layout. The english alphabet characters are still in the standard QWERTY layout, but the difference is in where some of the symbol keys are (or more correctly, what symbols are on what keys), and the fact that it has a few extra keys in the layout.
stephentigner.com dannychoo.com Figure.fm