Google Chinese Input vs. Natural Input Showdown - Lack of Tone Indicator
For 15 years, I had the special privilege of being a super fast bilingual typist, easily entertaining speeds of around 100 words per minute in Chinese, thanks to the language tools I had chosen... namely, Natural Input made by IQ Technology (input method via Hsu-Shi keyboard, an ultra intuitive keyboard based on a hybrid of the bo-po-mo and the English alphabets).
Due new computer upgrading in the past month, I began adopting the free, no-accounts-nor-cumbersome-log-in-necessary GOOGLE CHINESE INPUT.
I am finding my typing speed reduced by about 700%, squeezing out a measely 30 words per minute and with great struggle, losing my thought admist cumbersome search for the correct character to use.
Quite frankly, Google is relatively easy to learn, but when it comes to selecting the right character, because it lacks the TONAL INDICATOR (there are 5 tones to each Chinese character pronunciation and each tone has its own group of characters). Without the tonal indicator, the selection of Chinese characters becomes vast and unmanageable. I find myself being severely stalled by having to painstakingly scroll through lines and lines of irrelevant characters that have the same pronounciation.
Whereas, in Natural Input, the tonal indicator is built into the way characters are "spelt out" (the pinyin option includes tone indicator); thus, the available selection of Chinese characters more readily matched what I was looking for.
I have posted a question on the technical forum on Google, found here: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/pinyin/thread?tid=340ce20ba6aecc77&hl=zh-CN
Google 有無輸入 幾聲的功能？這樣選字會快很多。。。不然每個拼音沒有聲的分別，選字太多太慢了。 中文裡大多字音都有五聲，用拼音打字的時候，若指定是第幾聲，能選的字數·會少很多，打字也會快很多不然花好多時間在逐列掃描一籮筐不相干的字真的很沒效率！請各位不吝指點如何解決這個問題，謝謝！
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If anyone has suggestions, tips or answers please do not hesitate to post it here or on the Google forum linked above.
Many thanks in advance.
