Web based Chinese input
I talked about how to install ZiGuang Chinese input software on an English Windows machine here in this post.
Recently I came across InputKing, which allows Chinese input on ANY machine that has Internet access through a web interface. This is perfect for people to try different input methods, playing around, and enter Chinese in many different places. I’ve tried it and it is just awesome.
I am curious about different input methods and their advantages and disadvantages. My Chinese input speed is pretty slow. I am a self-trained touch typist so my English typing speed is decent. I have ZiGuang pinyin on my laptop. I like ZiGuang pinyin because for common phrases, I just need to type the Sheng Mu (声母) and ZiGuang would give me the list of words for me to choose from. However, not knowing other input methods, I am not sure if I miss out on something better.
What is your favorite Chinese input method and why? What tricks and/or shortcuts do you use? Pinyin, Wubi, Microsoft Pinyin, ShuangPin, and/or others? I’d appreciate it if you let me know by commenting below, either in English or Chinese. Thanks.
PS. I highly recommend touch typing. It can make such a big impact on your life, given that most of us use computers everyday. I didn’t touch a computer until when I was in my early 20s so my typing speed was pretty bad for a long time. I taught myself touch typing in 2003. I am so glad I did that. It is very liberating when inputting text is not a hindrance. There are a lot of typing programs available on the web. TypingMaster is one of the best.
Brendan Said,
July 24, 2006 @
I switch between Ziguang Pinyin and Microsoft Pinyin at work. No particular reason - both are good, though I find that MS Pinyin tends to be a little better at word segmentation for common words, whereas Ziguang is a bit better for stuff that I’ve already taught it.
At home, I use Mac OS X, which has a much sparser choice; there’s the built-in Pinyin input, which sucks, and a third-party input, QiM, which also sucks, but sucks slightly less. I’ve actually thought about learning Wubi/Cangjie/something else, just to get rid of the disappointing Mac input solutions, but I type quickly enough in Pinyin that the alleged speed benefits of Wubi aren’t all that compelling to me, and it seems like it’d be a real pain to learn.
Haidong Ji Said,
July 24, 2006 @
Thanks for sharing Brendan.
I guess I will stick with Ziguang. I just don’t want to miss out something really easy and efficient.
xilian liu Said,
December 5, 2006 @
我个人非常喜欢智能拼音，速度基本在120个/分（汉字），尽管我不是专业的打字员。
Haidong Ji Said,
December 5, 2006 @
我不会智能拼音。看来得抽空学习一下。。。