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Google launches Chinese text input

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

Google Inc launched a Chinese language text input software yesterday - its first ever input software - which also has a search function as the world's No. 1 search engine strives to grow its influence and catch up with rival Baidu.com in China.

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The 10-megabyte software, called Guge Pinyin, provides a gateway to Google on its tool bar that enables users to search from anywhere they are writing on the computer. The software also remembers users' preferred dictionary on Google's server based on certain settings as long as they have a Google account.

"We are just trying to get people here, who are not familiar with Google, to know us and our product with this new software, which is useful to everybody," said Cui Jin, a spokeswoman for Google China.

 

Cui refused to predict how many users would be drawn to Google, or Guge as it has been known since a year ago, which literally means valley song or grain song. So far no figure has been made available on the number of downloads of Guge Pinyin.