HanWJ Chinese Input Engine

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on September 01, 2009

The Chinese language and display options in Windows leave a bit to be desired, but a good Chinese language input engine can help. HanWJ's pinyin-based Chinese Input Engine not only adds power and flexibility to Windows programs like Word, Office, and Internet Explorer, but it also does much more, such as making it easy to choose normal, proverbial, and poetic usages or search for words, phrases, and other selections in a huge database of Chinese characters and definitions. A Word Forecast feature automatically determines hundreds of dependencies and usages and projects suggested words and sentences. You can create one-key shortcuts of sample words and phrases. There are handy extras, too, such as a Chinese text editor.

The bilingual installer performs flawlessly without rebooting. A system tray icon closes or shuts down the program. Several methods let you easily toggle between Chinese and Western input modes, including the F12 key. A small floating toolbar opens an extensive menu, a character keyboard, full- and half-width character and punctuation options, and other settings.

It's a breeze to use, considering the complexity of the material involved, but it has many ways to help. For example, it will offer suggestions as you type in Word, and it also suggests alternative selections to help you avoid potential misunderstandings. While we're no experts, it clearly makes it easy to enter Chinese characters into Windows programs, and, with its extensive guidance and selections, to choose the right words and phrases, too. The full-featured download is free to try for 30 days. We recommend it for all users.