Using the US-International Keyboard (for PCs)

(http://www.trinity.edu/departments/modern_languages/spanish/accents.html)

Windows allows users two different ways to enter accented and other characters used by French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian such as á, ì, ö, ç, and ¿. The best way is to install the US-International keyboard driver found on the original Windows installation diskettes or CD. Here are the instructions for installing the driver:

For computers using Windows 95 through 2000: 

1. Click on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel. 
2. Double click on the "Keyboard" icon, then single click on the "Language" tab (called "Input Locales" in some versions; in every case it is the second tab), then on the "Properties" button. 
3. In some versions you will see the "English (United States)" keyboard selected in a box with a small down-arrow to the right. In that case, go on to step 4. In other versions you will see the "English (United States)" keyboard selected and a "Properties" button. Click on the "Properties" button.
4. Click on the small down-arrow next to the indication of the keyboard currently installed. Scroll up or down until you see the "US-International" keyboard specification and click on it. 
5. Then click on OK and accept all specifications until you return to the Control Panel window.
6. In Windows 98 and later, small icon that says “EN” should appear on the lower right hand side of your tool bar. When you click this, a menu will appear allowing you to select the language.

For computers using Windows XP:

1. Click on Start, the Control Panel.
2. Double click on the “Regional and Language Options” icon.
3. Click on the “Languages” tab.
4. Click on “Details.”
5. Under “Installed Services,” click on “Add.”
6. Under “Input Language,” select “Spanish (Traditional Sort)” from the drop-down menu.
7. Under “Keyboard Layout-IME”, select “US-International” from the drop-down menu.
8. Click OK, OK and Apply and exit out of the Control Panel.
9. A small icon that says “EN” should appear on the lower right hand side of your tool bar. When you click this, a menu will appear allowing you to select the language.

Now what?

To type Spanish characters, select Spanish as the input language on your toolbar (or in the control panel for older versions of Windows). Use the following shortcuts:

(don’t type the keys at the same time unless specified otherwise)

á = ‘ + a

é = ‘ + e

í = ‘ + i

ó = ‘ + o

ú = ‘ + u

ñ = ~ + n

ü = “ + u

¡ = Alt (hold down; sometimes only one Alt key will work) + !

¿ = Alt (hold down) + ?

Typing Accents and Spanish Punctuation with a Mac

You don’t have to do anything special to your computer. You just use the following shortcuts:

-Keys joined by a “+” are pressed at the same time

-Keys separated by a coma are pressed one after the other

To produce	Press
á, é, í, ó, ú Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú	OPTION+e, the letter
Ñ, ñ	OPTION+n, n
Ü, ü	OPTION+u, the letter
¿	OPTION+SHIFT+?
¡	OPTION+!