Logitech Says Europeans Can't Type the Euro Symbol

I have to admit that this bit of news from keyboard and desktop peripheral retailer Logitech is news to me. Being your typical American, the only currency designation I usually have to type is the dollar $ign. To type the Euro symbol (€) in Microsoft Word, I have to use the obtuse method clicking on Insert, then Symbol, then digging around a plethora of mathematical and other symbols I can't identify to find it. One can only imagine that Logitech must be coming up with a solution, since they posted this news in a press release. The company says that 61 percent of European PC users do not know how to insert the Euro symbol into a document. The study also found that only 39 percent of companies in Europe have made efforts to educate their employees about how to make their computers "Euro ready." This compares to 84 percent of companies questioned who had taken steps to minimize the impact of the date change around the Millennium.

Logitech says that the research raises concerns about the lack of consideration that has been given to the implications for the launch of the single currency. The survey, undertaken by Logitech in 13 European countries, also revealed differences in preparations for the launch of the Euro. (Note: please keep in mind that these are Logitech's findings. I'll bet most THG readers are ready for the new currency - or don't care much about it at all.) The highest level of Euro computer readiness was among some of the countries not in the first wave of the establishment of the single currency. 60 percent of Swedes said that they knew how to insert the Euro symbol, followed closely by 58 percent of Norwegians. These were the only two countries in the survey where over 50 percent of those surveyed knew how to type the Euro symbol. Among the countries introducing the Euro on January 1, the French had the highest level of awareness about where to find the Euro symbol, although only 50% of respondents claimed to be "Euro ready." 83 percent of French, 67 percent of Norwegian and 40 percent of Swedish people reported that the companies they work for have put in place measures to minimize technological difficulties associated with the launch of the Euro. In Denmark, the figure was just 17 percent. The whole thing seems very weird to me. Does a standard keyboard combo exist? Once again, my American isolation shines through.