Windows System
[top]Default MS Pinyin IME 3.0
All Windows computers come with the capability for this, however, you may have to install it. To do this on Windows XP, follow these steps:
Go to the Start Menu, and click on Control Panel. If it's not there, it should be under Settings.
In the Control Panel Window, if it says "Pick a Category" in big letters, then click on 'Date, Time, Language and Regional Settings', then click on 'Regional and Language Options'.
If it does not show this, then click on 'Regional and Language Options'.
You should now have a dialog box that says 'Regional and Language Options' at the top, with three tabs - 'Regional Options', Languages and Advanced.
Click on the 'Languages' tab.
There should be an area down towards the bottom of the dialog box that says 'Supplemental language support'. If the 'Install files for East Asian Languages' box does not have a tick in it, select it, and click the 'apply' button in the lower right hand corner. This may require you to insert your Windows XP CD.
Once that's done, click on the 'Details' button, which is in the same dialog box.
That should bring up a new dialog box called 'Text Services and Input Languages'.
From here, click on the 'Add' button on the right hand side of the list, where the list will display whatever language + keyboard combination you are currently using.
You should now see yet another dialog box called 'Add Input Language'.
Click on the box which is not greyed out and currently shows a language (Mine shows English New Zealand, as that's the language of my operating system). Select Chinese (PRC).
This will automatically select Microsoft Pinyin IME 3.0. Select OK.
That will close the dialog box. Select apply. You should now see the language bar somewhere on your screen, in all likelihood, down in the bottom right hand corner, near the taskbar, or in the upper right hand corner of the screen. It will be a simple blue bar, which should have the letters 'EN' on it. It may also appear in the taskbar.
When you have found the language bar, open a new document somewhere (e.g. start -> run -> notepad) and select the EN on the language bar. Click on Chinese PRC. Congratulations! You can now type Chinese on your computer!
If any of the instructions above do not work, then please post on the forums and ask for help.
[top]Wubi[1]
Follow the following steps to get Wubizixing working under Windows XP:
- Download the ime_gen.zip and wubi.zip files attached to this thread. (NOTE: wubi.zip is currently not attached due to being too large).
- Copy the contents the directory 'ImeGen5' to C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32 (assuming C:\ is where Windows is installed to)
- Copy the .MB file for the method to C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32
- Check that there is no .IME file with the same name as the one you want. If so, erase it.
- Launch the program IMEGEN.EXE
- Go to the second tab. Click on the (O) button at the top.
- Select the .MB file for the desired IME.
- Click on the bottom button (R), and a .TXT file is created
- Go to the first tab. Click on the (W) button at the top. Select the .TXT file which was created during the previous step.
- Click on the third button (C) from the bottom, and a box will open.
- Click on the first button (K) at the bottom.
- A box opens speaking about BITMAPs. Click OK
- A box opens speaking about ICONs. Click OK
- Answer yes to the final question to install the new IME.
- Finished! A new IME is available in the list at the icon at the bottom right in the taskbar.
[top]Google's Pinyin Input
Download Page
[top]Pinyin Input
THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER FOR LATER USE
[top]Mac System[2]
[top]QIM
QIM is for use on all Macintosh Systems running OS X. It can input both Simplified and Traditional Characters and switching between Simplified, Traditional, and Romanization is as simple as pushing one or two keys.
中文站
English Page
[top]OpenVanilla
OpenVanilla is a text entry (input method) platform and a collection of popular input methods and text processing filters. It is designed to offer a better text entry experience and alternative input methods that are not found in Apple’s built-in set and better suit the needs of Windows “switchers.”
[top]Biaoyin and Biauyin
Biaoyin is a pinyin input for Simplified Characters and Biauyin is for Traditional Character input. These plug-ins to your pre-existing Input methods on Macintosh will allow you to type Pinyin with the tone marks. All you have to do is type in the pinyin with the tone (designated by a number) and it does the rest.
Both Plug-ins are available here
[top]Fun Input Toy, FIT
Fun Input Toy(FIT) is a neat open source Chinese input method, which is able to save you some bucks but still provide as many features as QIM under Macintosh OS. Fun Input Toy comes with pinyin, double pinyin, and wu bi xing styles of input.
[top]Linux System
[top]Smart Common Input Method, SCIM
SCIM is a general input method for UNIX-like systems, which has a good smart-pinyin based Chinese input method (traditional and simplified). It is integrated in many modern distributions and works with all modern GTK and KDE/Qt-based applications.
