You should already have Cyrillic fonts. The next few words are in Russian. Мама мыла раму. Видно?
You also need a Windows installation CD. Install language support for Russian. It will install fonts too if you're missing them for some reason. To learn touch-typing you need third-party software. I hear Solo (http://www.ergosolo.ru) is good.
In XP, you should go to Control Panel / Language and Regional Settings. There you'll find "Languages" tab and a button on it. This button opens the dialog where you can add languages Windows lets you type in. Simply add Russian.
You don't need any special software (unless you have something really ancient like Windows 3.1). Just go to Control Panel->Regional and Language options->Advanced tab, select Russian from the list box and check the 1251 (Cyrillic Windows) and 20866 (Russian KOI8) in the list below. After that go to Languages tab, press details button and set up the combination of keys with which you will switch your keyboard between English and Russian. Now you are able to type in Russian.
You can view both (or as many as you want) even if you don't use Unicode. And the switch is just a combination of keys that you press, it takes less than a second in any case. Maybe I misunderstood your comment, though.
Actually, you don't need any special software to type Cyrillic. Just open Start > Control Panel > Languages & Regional Settings > Languages > Input Methods (or smth. like that), press "Add" and choose Russian. Then choose a key shortcut for switching languages (e.g., Ctrl-Shift) and voi la - you may type Cyrillic. Это действительно просто.
However, you will need time to get used to Cyrillic keyboard and most probably you'll need some stickers with Russian letters for your keyboard. But that's not software so I shut up.
That is a link to a series of pages where you can install an english homophonic conversion for russian letters. For example, typing N will get you Н and typing S will get you С.
It works very well and it's enabled me to type quite quickly in cyrillic.
Now imagine yourself in Russia one day. You'd be very surprised, but Cyrillic letters on Russian keyboards were not located homophonic to Latin alphabet (and waht abot щ, э, ы etc., in any case?) but rather according to how frequent they were used in Russian. You probably made the initial step easier, but you kind of prevented yourself from typing on a normal Russian keyboard this way...
I advise against lurid_me's advice and advise you to use the following free program, quick and easy registration. Simplest thing out there. Just remember to change language to English, so that you can read instructions in English and type in Russian. It's honestly the best I've seen out there, although it does require patience. After all, you're just starting with a WHOLE new alphabet on the keyboard. Transliteration keyboards get you nowhere. And it feels kinda like you're betraying Russia by Englishifying the Russian keyboard.
I'm a native speaker. I live in Russia. I've been using phonetic "яверты" layout since... hmm, for 14 years, I think. :)
I used "йцукенг" layout in 80s when English layout of the Soviet keyboards was also "jcukeng", not "qwerty". But after several years in front of qwerty/яверты vt220 clone I figured it's too troublesome to relearn йцукенг.
Transliteration keyboards get you nowhere? I don't understand, that's not what this is..Every single letter is there on the keyboard and it is a lot easier for me as a native english speaker to type quickly in Russian. I think N and type N and it is H. I say try it and if you don't like it, then do what you do like no?
The problem being that if you ever go to Russia, you will have to learn the йцукен layout, anyway. In the end, it's faster and easier, and since there are so many different kinds of phonetic layouts if you use someone else's computer you have to hunt and peck the whole time.
hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 04:59 pm (UTC)Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 05:00 pm (UTC)Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 05:06 pm (UTC)Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 05:20 pm (UTC)You also need a Windows installation CD. Install language support for Russian. It will install fonts too if you're missing them for some reason. To learn touch-typing you need third-party software. I hear Solo (http://www.ergosolo.ru) is good.
Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 05:20 pm (UTC)Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 05:31 pm (UTC)Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 08:15 pm (UTC)Re: hmmm
Date: 2005-04-11 11:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 05:18 pm (UTC)Just go to Control Panel->Regional and Language options->Advanced tab, select Russian from the list box and check the 1251 (Cyrillic Windows) and 20866 (Russian KOI8) in the list below.
After that go to Languages tab, press details button and set up the combination of keys with which you will switch your keyboard between English and Russian.
Now you are able to type in Russian.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 06:11 pm (UTC)And the switch is just a combination of keys that you press, it takes less than a second in any case.
Maybe I misunderstood your comment, though.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 05:19 pm (UTC)However, you will need time to get used to Cyrillic keyboard and most probably you'll need some stickers with Russian letters for your keyboard. But that's not software so I shut up.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 05:24 pm (UTC)I wanted to know that too before I bought them.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 06:00 pm (UTC)maybe it helps: http://www.yandex.ru/yandsearch?text=%2Brussification+%2Bwindows&stype=www
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 06:04 pm (UTC)http://www.softportal.com/freesoftware/600/
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 06:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 06:04 pm (UTC)The ability is built in. Just enable it.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 08:23 pm (UTC)That is a link to a series of pages where you can install an english homophonic conversion for russian letters. For example, typing N will get you Н and typing S will get you С.
It works very well and it's enabled me to type quite quickly in cyrillic.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-13 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-19 06:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-11 10:23 pm (UTC)http://www.alfatyping.com/index_en.php
no subject
Date: 2005-04-12 02:33 am (UTC)I used "йцукенг" layout in 80s when English layout of the Soviet keyboards was also "jcukeng", not "qwerty". But after several years in front of qwerty/яверты vt220 clone I figured it's too troublesome to relearn йцукенг.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-13 04:31 am (UTC)I don't understand, that's not what this is..Every single letter is there on the keyboard and it is a lot easier for me as a native english speaker to type quickly in Russian. I think N and type N and it is H.
I say try it and if you don't like it, then do what you do like
no?
no subject
Date: 2005-04-14 03:22 am (UTC)