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Google launches Chinese text input

(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-04-05 14:27

Yesterday's launch makes Guge Pinyin the second search-engine-developed input software in China. Sougou.com, a search engine under Chinese portal Sohu.com, launched a similar software in June last year.

But a posting on Donews.com, one of China's most influential IT information portal, alleged that Guge Pinyin is suspected of copying certain parts of the 7-megabyte Sougou Pinyin, citing an input bug that both software programs share when users key in "ping'gong."

Once users have done that, the result that appears is the name of a Chinese celebrity whose actual name is "feng'gong" in pinyin. For some other multi-syllable phrases, they also share the same recommended characters.

Other than this input bug, most users who have tried Guge Pinyin were impressed by its larger word base and speed.

"It makes it easier to type in certain celebrities' Chinese names and other popular terms," said a netizen, who had installed Guge Pinyin.

Google's version seems to feature a bigger word base of more popular phrases than other popular Chinese input software, such as the celebrity names of singer Li Yuchun (winner of the Chinese version of American Idol in 2005) and movie star Zhang Ziyi with only their pinyin initials.

Keying the letter V first for the English input, it recommends a list of English words with the first few letters, a function that no other input software has yet.

Google has been busy diversifying its portfolio in China after the New Year holiday this year since it partnered China Mobile, the country's No. 1 mobile carrier, on a mobile search service.