SOME OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL USERS:
The American Institute in Taiwn (AIT) Mandarin School; Motorola Group; the C.I.A.; Apple Computer; University of California, Davis; University of California, Irvine; State University of New York, Buffalo; University of Minnesota; University of Massachusetts; University of Alabama; University of Tennessee, Cal. State Fresno; Tulane University; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Chinese American International School; Oberlin College; Middlebury College; Lawrence University; James Madison University; Southwestern University; Southern Methodist University; Baylor University; Bryn Mawr College; Reed College; Hamilton College; Seattle School District; Capistrano Unified School District, Los Angeles; Minnetonka Public Schools, MN...
From: xxxx@aol.com
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001
Subject: HyperChina
To: dajuin@sinologic.com
Hello Dajuin,
The Hyperchina software is great! I spent 6 weeks in Yunnan last year, and am planning to return. So I'm taking a beginning class in Mandarin here at my university. Hyperchina is a tremendous help.
...
Best wishes,
Richard
From: "M. K." <xxxx@zh.ref.ch>
To: "dajuin yao" <dajuin@sinologic.com>
Subject: Re: HyperChina
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001
dear dajuin yao
I received the HyperChina CD about a month ago and I would like to thank you and your colleagues for an excellent piece of software, it proved my european (or personal) prejudice that a language course that Americans like must be superficial wrong.May I ask you a question?
...
Thanks again and have a nice day
M. K.
Zurich, Switzerland
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000
To: clas@sinologic.com
From: xxxx@unc.edu
Subject: Thanks and a question
I've received my copy of HyperChina and have started the initial material.
This is a superb program; I'm enjoying and learning. Sitting down and practicing is a joy!
I do have a question about a link on your site:
I tried to click on the "MacChina" link, but there is apparently no connection available. I've done an extensive search, but keep coming up with "macchine"--lots of Italian sites! Could you help steer me to MacChina's software site??
Again, thank you for HyperChina. I get a lot of curious looks when people hear Chinese coming from my new powerbook!
Looking forward to the CD version 2.
Best Wishes,
C.T.
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000
From: Ronald D. <xxxxxx@ultimanet.com>
To: sales@sinologic.com
Subject: Return to Taiwan
Dear SinoLogic,
I bought your HyperChina for the Mac and I studied for about a month before returning to Taiwan. I had been employed in Taiwan for three years and I studied during the times I had available, but it was not half as effective as your CD. I returned to Taiwan in July for a visit with my wife (Taiwanese). We visited her parents, who are villagers. I was able to understand some of their language, but when I went to Kaohsiung and Taipei, I was able to speak with my Chinese friends and also to understand them much better than I had ever before.
Your course has given me a much needed boost in my confidence in speaking and understanding the Chinese Mandarin language.
I am looking forward to the 2.0 version of the CD. When can we expect to see it on our computers? I would even be willing to pay for it, just to have the new sections.
Again, thanks for a wonderful course. I am still studying it, and I imagine I will for the next ten years. At least that is what my wife said to me.
Ron D.
"I would like to say that I love your HyperChina language program. I am studying everyday with your software and have a tutor as well, two days a week. Your program is very sophisticated and yet simple to use, allowing me to practice over and over without rewinding tapes or changing cassettes...
If you need any testimonials for potential buyers of the program, please use my name, email (jlika@lika.com) or telephone. I will be happy to share my full support of your excellent work. Please let me know of any new upgrades or new developments with the program. I am also very happy that this program works with Macintosh Power PC's.
Thank you, again.
Zaijian,
John Lika"
President,
Fat Cat Inc.
Colchester, Vermont
"We have very much enjoyed and been profited by studying with HyperChina during our time here in Dalian." - J.T., Dalian, China
"I have only gone through lesson 4 in HyperChina, but my Chinese friends seem to be genuinely impressed with my progress." - A.C., Milwaukee
"Your Chinese wonder cube just arrived... Just played around with the program for an hour. It is really fun! The sound quality is excellent."
P.S.: What are 'Haw flakes'?" - B.P., Germany
"Your program is great!!!!" - T.P., Colorado
"I am going to Beijing in 1997, and HyperChina has really given me excellent preparation in the language for this trip." - R.H., San Francisco
"Well, it came yesterday, and I've been having a blast playing around with it. Yes, I promise I'll stop playing around with it and start using it... I enjoyed the manner in which it was packed, and the idea of using haw flakes as packing material was rather original and very tasty."
"You're a good teacher, Yao Dajuin! Had I known about this stuff when I was a Cal undergrad, I would've taken the class. Of course, that was the early 80s; you probably weren't teaching it..."
"Who's the lucky woman that got to record about 5 billion words and sentences into the computer?"
"...I'm FINALLY really going through HyperChina. The more I use it, the more I like it." - M.S., Stanford University
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997
From: From: xxxx@connix.com
To: dajuin@sinologic.com
Subject: Hello
Hi,
How are you? I lost your address, but now I think this is it. I'm using the program a lot more now and really starting to appreciate how different it is from other stuff out there. I mean the explanations of both language and culture aren't found in anything else I've tried. I'm curious if the CD will be OS 8 compatible? ...
- G.B, Connecticut
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997
From: xxxx@chattanooga.net
Subject: Re: Apple's CLK Version 1.2
Dear Dajuin:
Thank you for your reply. I will hope to hear some word from the masters just how well the CLK 1.2 works compared to its predecessor. It reminds me ...
Anyway again thank you for producing the best Mandarin software on the market - Bar None. I'd really like to see your work successful at bringing Chinese to American students - the younger the better. Were I not enjoying life in business, your work would interest me the most.
...
Best regards,
B.E., Chattanooga, TN
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997
From: xxxx@compuserve.com
Subject: Chinese typing program
Dear Sir:
We are very satisfied users of your Hyper China software program and have recommended your program to our many friends both American and Chinese. The mandarin diction on your program is excellent for Cantonese speaking Chinese who want to speak Mandarin. Most of the Hong Kong chinese are getting ready for the July 1 turnover to China and appreciate your program very much. Because of our complete satisfaction with your program, we would like you to recommend to us a English/Chinese typing program for our Power Mac. Thank you in advance and keep up the good work you are doing. Regards
I.K., Washington, D.C.
Date: 27 Mar 1997
From: xxxx@specular.com
Subject: Nice Product
Dear Dajuin,
I just wanted to let you know that my wife and I have received the copy of HyperChina you sent us. We love it.
I like the small box packaging and the chinese candies. I am particularly excited about the plum wafers; I haven't seen one since when I was little. My wife immediately got started w/ the lesson, and insisted on showing me her progress. Hats off to you and your team for creating the wonderful product.
Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy 3DWW.
D.C., (co-founder of Specular)
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997
From: xxxx@astro.ocis.temple.edu
Subject: Re: hyperchina features
Thanks for your reply!
I am very impressed with your software, and have been showing it to many people. Many people have lamented that such good software does not exist for the languages they are studying!
P.K.F., Anthropology, Temple University
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997
From: xxxx@hiwaay.net
Subject: HyperChina Geography
Hello!!
HyperChina is my favorate software in my Mac. One item I really like is the map of China.
Question: Do you plan to expand the map to include more details and names of cities and locations in China?? This fall I hope to be going to China to adopt a child and plan on using HyperChina to help teach her Chinese. It would be great if I could use HyperChina to teach the child the geography of China.
Thanks for all the work you put into HyperChina!!
W.H., Huntsville, Alabama
From: xxxx@garnet.acns.fsu.edu
Subject: Stop playing with us!!!!
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997
I have been waiting for the PC version of your Chinese language software to make it to the market for months. Now I see that you have pushed back the date of release to the Summer of 1997. You are driving me crazy!! I have waited this long because your software seems to be an extraordinary accomplishment, but I can't keep waiting. Why did you make the Mac version first anyway? If you wanted to make any money you surely should have made that version after the PC compatible one was finished. Not vice versa. You academics always confuse me.
A disgruntled surfer
A.M.L.
xxxx@garnet.acns.fsu.edu
Hi! This is Don B. in San Francisco. Nothing important. I was just calling to compliment you on the course. I've been working on it for a while now. I really think it's beautifully done, well-puttogether, and well-thoughtout. It's a great job. And I'm enjoying it very much. Thank you. Bye.
- Voicemail message from D.B, San Francisco (Jan. 1997)
(This is an email from a user of HyperChina who had been using HyperChina for several months before traveling to China. Our reply is included in brackets, in yellow.)
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 11:44:04 +0000
From: xxxx@worldnet.att.net
To: info@sinologic.com
Subject: Suggestions
Ni hao,
I just returned from a month in China where, astonishingly enough, my Mandarin was readily understood, thanks to HyperChina. My experience did make me think of a few suggestions that would have made communication easier.
[Hi, Deborah, Thanks for your interesting email. We cracked out laughing real hard at the last part, where you requested strong swear words!]
First, it was immediately apparent that my listening skills were not nearly as good as my speaking. If someone initiated a conversation out of the blue, or gave a response that did not include any of the answers I anticipated, I was confused. I think it would have helped if the HyperChina listening drills included not just phrases from the dialogue, but also entirely new sentences combining words used in earlier dialogues.
[Good suggestion. You know, the way HyperChina is the way it is now, is mainly because we had to deal with the limited file space problem (sounds take up almost 90 per cent of file space). With the upcoming CDROM, which all current users of HyperChina are entitled to get for free, we won't have any space problem, and there will be a lot more listening comprehension with longer sentences, and sentences not based on the vocab from the lessons.]
Secondly, although I looked up the words I needed to request a double room with shower in a hotel, I never felt as comfortable saying that as I did things I'd practiced on HyperChina. In addition, Chinese hotels have features such key deposits and fuwuyuans that mystified me for quite some time. I wish I'd known how to ask if the room had heat. It would be great if you had a hotel section just as you have an eating one.
[Okay, we'll add a HOTEL section, which hasn't occurred to us. We were going to do a travel section, but now I think we need a separate HOTEL section. By the way, heating is "Nuan3 qi4" (lit., warm air), so the sentence should be something like, "You mei you NUAN3 QI4?"]
Finally, I wish I had known something stronger than "Tai gui le (too expensive)," something more like, "You shame your entire country when you cheat like that," or even, "You lying bastard!"
[We seriously considered a real-life, street-smart swear words section, but quickly abandoned the idea because the most common curse words in Chinese are the dirtiest insults on the other person's mother. Now I think that section is still necessary; we just need to avoid the real dirty ones. Here's an example of a clean phrase: BU2 YAO4 LIAN3 (lit., don't-want-face), which means "You shameless!" or "You cheap..." Another one: "PIAN4 ZI3" : liar, cheater.
Oh, yes, when I teach in the classroom, I always warn my students on how not to get ripped off by the Chinese. Now I think there's need to add that part to our software.
I don't know if you know this already, but we have a Web magazine for all our users and any student of Chinese language and Chinese culture. It's called "Chinese Learner's Alternative Site", and the URL is:
http://www.sinologic.com/clas
And a good ChinaLinks page, at:
http://www.sinologic.com/ChinaLinks.html
You must visit if you haven't!]
But all in all, I was impressed by my success. Many thanks!
- D.G., Cambridge, Mass.
Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 17:43:36 -0700
From: xxxx@planet.eon.net
To: info@sinologic.com
Subject: HyperChina is here!
Dajuin...I received my software order several days before Christmas, and have been playing with it ever since. It is GREAT!!! Thanks for your efforts, I'm looking forward to your CD release (hopefully you can put more music on it), and also taking a one month immersion spoken language course in April. Have a prosperous, happy New Year. Temp here is -22 Celsius and skies are cloudy...
- E.B, Edmonton, Canada
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 15:01
To: dajuin@sinologic.com
From: xxxx@netspace.net.au (Christ Church Grammar School)
Subject: Hyperchina
Hello Dajuin,
Thank you for your reply. I was delighted to receive it! I have gone through what you suggested and EVERYTHING is running!!
In my quick review, the programme looks terrific.
Regards,
J.P.
- Christ Church Grammar School, Australia
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 1996 20:05
From: xxxx@wavenet.com
To: dajuin@sinologic.com
Subject: Re: HyperChina Game Crash
Dajuin Yao wrote:
>
> Hi, Lorraine,
>
> Regarding the problem with the Game section-- We have traced the problem to:
>
> 1. RamDoubler
> 2. Sound Manager 3.0 or 3.1
>
> If you have any of these two extensions, please try to disable them (by placing them in a different folder than the Extensions Folder within System Folder) and
>
> Please let me know what happens.
The problem appears to be Sound Manager 3.1. I turned it off in Conflict Catcher and have played twice without it crashing. Before I could never complete a game. I was able to achieve a perfect score in Lesson One!!!
So far I am very happy with the program. It seems flexible and thorough. My 8 year old daughter is even repeating the words and able to pronounce them at least as good as I am.
I am very happy to have something that uses Pinyin with the traditional characters. That is the combination I had settled upon for myself (I am an acupuncturist and am studying Feng Shui and Zi Wei Astrology, as well as Yi Jing).
And finally, I would like to thank you for your packaging of program. I was feeling bad about spending $200. But when I opened it and saw the candies and the design of the box, I felt great pleasure. Thank you...Lorraine
- L.W., Los Angeles
Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 23:09
From: xxxx@earthlink.net
Subject: HyperChina
Many thanks for the HyperChina "kit." We are very happy with the program. Just a note: Although my name was correct on the mailing label, for some reason the invoice... (cut)
I ask you to correct your records so in May when I request the CDROM update, there will be no problems.
Again, many thanks for a fine, engaging, useful product.
Best,
- J.E., Northport, NY
From: xxxx@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 20:14
To: info@sinologic.com
Subject: Thanks from dumb old man
Hi Dajuin,
I am on the AOL Web Browser and exploring this wonderful creation [Chinese Learner's Alternative Page] of yours.
What a magnificent gift to mankind!
- G.S., Palo Alto, California
From: xxxx@aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 01:20:35 -0500 (EST)
To: clas@sinologic.com
Subject: feedback
I am a Chinese currently living in Albuquerque New Mexico. My ancestors were from mainland originally. I have been looking for a China Internet site that could help me get back in touch w/ my people, culture, language. I know I've just made it when I came upon Chinese Learner's Alternative Page. Keep it up. We need your shared insights, reflections, reports, grunts & what have you. Consider your work as beeing part of a umbilical cord function.
Thankful,
Gangumus
"I am the Macintosh Support person here at Lawrence University, and one of our professors recently purchased a single copy of HyperChina. She enjoys the product, and would like to use it with her classes... How should I go about installing it on our server? Also, what is the pricing and policy for buying site licenses for HyperChina? Thank you for your time and a wonderful product." - B.P.S., Lawrence University
"I got the demo disk today; many thanks. In the twenty-seven years since I stopped studying Chinese, I've been looking for a practical, affordable way to get my Mandarin good again... Now I've found it. From what I can see in the demo, this is a tremendously well-thought-out and useful piece of software. How it works for people who don't know any Chinese, I can't say, but for my needs it looks perfect. I'll be placing an order next month, when the program won't distract me from urgent work I'm inclined to avoid. But I had to write at once to say how impressed I am... Anyway, thanks again, and hats off to a wonderful idea seemingly very well done indeed." - D.K, AOL
"My wife thinks the packaging you use for HyperChina is a nice touch." - D.R., Pennsylvania