About KeyStrokes

KeyStrokes is a fully-functional advanced virtual on-screen keyboard that allows you to type with a mouse, trackball, head pointer or other mouse emulator to type characters into any standard Macintosh application.

KeyStrokes provides advanced multilingual word prediction. Thanks to its revolutionary PolyPredix™ word prediction engine it can do word completion, next word prediction and even multi-word prediction in any Roman language as well as many other languages. The PolyPredix™ prediction engine offers many unique, time and effort saving features allowing significantly easier and faster typing. PolyPredix™ can reduce typing efforts by 50 to 70%.

KeyStrokes 4 adds LayoutKitchen, which allows users to design their own virtual keyboards. Such virtual keyboards can be used not only for typing, but also to launch applications, speak, run AppleScripts and much more.

For those who can position the pointer, but not click the mouse buttons, the integrated Dwellix™ system-wide dwell-based utility allows mouse button clicks to be entered by simply holding the cursor motionless for a programmable period of time. You can even type without clicking!

On Mac OS X KeyStrokes provides SmartTransparency™ technology to provide you with an optimum use of your screen real-estate and make sure the virtual keyboard never gets in your way.

With KeyStrokes virtual keyboard a person who can only use a mouse or mouse emulator can have complete access to the Macintosh, the Internet and by extension the World.

Upgrading from KeyStrokes 3 to KeyStrokes 4

Registered KeyStrokes 3 users can use the new version, but to use LayoutKitchen and design their own keyboards an upgrade to a KeyStrokes 4 activation code is required. An upgrade from KeyStrokes 3 to KeyStrokes 4 (including LayoutKitchen) costs 99 euro excluding VAT (129 USD in North America). This upgrade is free for anyone who purchased KeyStrokes 3 in 2007 or 2008. For more info contact support@assistiveware.com.

KeyStrokes key-features

• Fully functional on-screen keyboard floating above other applications.
  
  
• New in KeyStrokes 4: Users can now design their own virtual keyboards with the include LayoutKitchen. Such virtual keyboards can be used not only for typing, but also to launch applications, speak, run AppleScripts and much more. Note that to use LayoutKitchen a KeyStrokes 4, LayoutKitchen or SwitchXS activaion code is needed.
  
  
• Works seamlessly with all standard Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X applications.
  
  
• Includes PolyPredix™, an advanced word prediction engine that can do word completion, next word prediction and even multi-word prediction in any Roman language as well as many other languages. Currently, multi-word prediction dictionaries are included for English US, English UK, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, and Italian. PolyPredix™ can reduce typing efforts by 50 to 70%. New in KeyStrokes 4: Spanish and Russian prediction dictionaries.
  
  
• KeyStrokes 3.6 or higher provides prediction for the on-screen keyboard, the hardware keyboard and for SwitchXS 2.1 or higher.
  
  
• Learns your vocabulary as you type or through text files and on Mac OS X learned text can even be spell-checked automatically to prevent learning typos.
  
  
• Includes a powerful dictionary editor to edit user dictionaries or even design dictionaries for additional languages or dialects.
  
  
• Provides various visual and audio-feedback features including speaking what you type (the latter option is built-in for English and can be extended to other languages and higher quality voices by using Proloquo)
  
  
• Has configurable auto-spacing and auto-capitalization features for a number of languages.
  
  
• Provides powerful shortcut expansion features.
  
  
• Includes Dwellix™, and advanced, system-wide, dwelling solution to click and type without pushing the mouse button.
  
  
• Includes SmartTransparency™ technology to automatically show and hide the keyboard as needed.
  
  
• Handles command-key combinations, dead-keys, and modifier key - click combinations and auto-key repeat.
  
  
• Works with US and international keyboard layouts and offers multiple interactively resizable keyboard models. New in KeyStrokes 4: Chubon and Damper frequency-based layouts, Simple Alphabetic layout and Standard Plus with Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste and other keyboard shortcut buttons.
  
  
• Offers extensive customization, including various key designs, selectable font, and adjustable key spacing. KeyStrokes 4 even allows user-designed keyboards with the included LayoutKitchen software.
  
  
• Includes has a special “invade fullscreen” and game modes” for increased compatibility with fullscreen applications and games. On 10.4 (Tiger) also provides a Dashboard widget that facilitates typing with KeyStrokes into Dashboard widgets.
  
  
• Provides a Simple Mode to limit a student's access to more advanced features.
  
  
• Also available in French, German, Dutch, Italian, and Norwegian, but also works with many other languages.
  
  
• New in KeyStrokes 4.1: Universal Binary optimized for PowerPC and Intel processors.
  
  

Requirements for KeyStrokes

KeyStrokes 4.1 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. Version 4.0 is still available for Mac OS X 10.3.

Requires a minimal screen resolutions of 800 x 600 pixels and at least 10 MB of free memory. For optimum performance and access to all features Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is recommended.

Reviews of KeyStrokes

On version 4.1

Denis Anson, Director of Research and Development of the Assistive Technology Research Institute, wrote: "KeyStrokes 3 was a tough act to follow. As a best-in-class product, it simply worked, and virtually never got in the way. KeyStrokes 4 adds an enormous degree of customization, to make a very good product even better. KeyStrokes is, to me, still the best on-screen keyboard, not just for the Macintosh, but for any platform." (read the full review)

On version 3.1

Robert Pritchett in the March 2004 issue of macCompanion: "This is a "killer-app" for the physically challenged. Believe it. It is worth every penny." (read the full review online or download the entire macCompanion March issue)

On version 3.0

Brian S. Friedlander in the Nov/Dec 2003 issue of the Inclusion Times: "KeyStrokes 3.0 for the Macintosh is by far the premier on-screen keyboard for the Macintosh." (download the full review)
For more info about the Inclusion Times contact the editor at editor@assistivetek.com or visit http://www.assistivetek.com

Charles Moore for Applelinks: "This application has gained more polish and useful functionality with each version release, and KeyStrokes 3 is now a powerful and versatile suite of tools that will prove a boon to any Mac user who has difficulty with conventional typing, and could mean the difference between computing and not computing for more seriously disabled folks." (read the full review)

On version 1.5

stars

Philippe Gruchet in SVM Mac: "Very easy to use, KeyStrokes 1.5 meets the needs of people with disabilities very well." (read the full review; French-only)