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IMG's Blog - Recorded Keystrokes

IMG's Blog - Recorded Keystrokes

Mobis North America purchases My-T-Touch Enterprise License for use in factory Industrial PCs
written December 10, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: Mobis North America, My-T-Touch    #55
 
Innovation Management Group, the primary supplier of on- screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced today that it has delivered an Enterprise License of its My-T-Touch user interface to Mobis North America for use in its automated factory systems. Mobis the latest in the automotive industry to incorporate IMG's My-T-Touch® software at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Key panel Designer offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input in any field or any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any commercial, industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 (including Embedded and Terminal Services), Linux and Mac, with other O/S platforms such as Android and iOS in development. Custom keypad and panel layouts can be created with the Build-A-Board Designer or imported and edited from IMG's new online layout database. An SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

About Innovation Management Group
Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

Group Limagrain, France purchases Enterprise License for My-T-Soft custom keypad user interface
written December 5, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: Group LimaGrain, My-T-Soft, Build-A-Board    #54
 
Innovation Management Group, the primary supplier of on- screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced today that it has delivered an Enterprise License of its My-T-Soft Build-A-Board with custom keypads designed by IMG for Group Limagrain, France to use in its seed producction facility systems. Group Limagrain becomes the latest in the agricultural industry to incorporate IMG's My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board System at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Key panel Designer offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input in any field or any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any commercial, industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 (including Embedded and Terminal Services), Linux and Mac, with other O/S platforms such as Android and iOS in development. Custom keypad and panel layouts can be created with the Build-A-Board Designer or imported and edited from IMG's new online layout database. An SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

About Innovation Management Group
Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

THAAD Missile Systems delivers new systems integrating IMG's My-T-Soft Linux User Interface
written December 5, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: THAAD Missile, Lockheed Martin, My-T-Soft    #53
 
PASO ROBLES, CA. December 5th, 2014 -- IMG, the primary supplier of My-T-Soft onscreen keyboard user interfaces and Build-A-Board designer tools worldwide, announced today that Lockheed Martin has started delivery of its Linux version next generation THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) Missile System. Lockheed Martin has used IMG's Build-A-Board Designer Tool to create and deliver other user interfaces for various Windows based projects in the past. This is its first use of a Linux version of My-T-Soft for a project.

The My-T-Soft® (My-Typing-Soft Keyboard) Family offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen keyboard and user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware software platforms. It allows customers to control user input at any point of any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

Various elements of the US and German Military and NATO armed forces are also licensee's of IMG's products, although the majority of IMG's installations are in automation, food, healthcare, HVAC, instrumentation, in-vehicle, medical, mobile field service, pharmaceutical, process control, SCADA, utilities, and voting systems.

The product family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Services, and My-T-Touch) is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft Family provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 including XP/7 Embedded), Linux, and Mac, with other O/S platforms such as Android in development. A thin client server version for Citrix / MS Terminal Server / Remote Desktop is available as My-T-Soft TS. Custom onscreen user layouts can be designed with the Build-A-Board Designer Tool. An SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

About Innovation Management Group
Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world. Visit www.imgpresents.com

About Lockheed Martin Space Systems
LMSS is one of the four major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. The division currently employs about 16,000 people, and its most notable products are commercial and military satellites, space probes, missile defense systems, NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (formerly Orion), and the Space Shuttle External Tank. Visit www.lmco.com

My-T-Soft Basic 2.30 is now available!
written November 6, 2014 by Kermit Komm
Category: Development Tags: My-T-Soft Basic;Build-A-Board;Board Browser    #52
 

My-T-Soft Basic has now been released - both as a Free Edition and as part of the IMG Personal License (along with IMG's Build-A-Board system). As a way for an individual user to access boards from the online database of boards at Build-A-Board.com, the stand-alone product named My-T-Soft Basic (also known as the Windows target run-time software from Build-A-Board) has been created. It may be licensed via the IMG Personal License for non-commercial use, and will be rolled into Build-A-Board 2.20 Release 4 for Build-A-Board customers. It includes many updates and capabilities not yet seen in the run-time software.

First and foremost it can access boards from a Build-A-Board.com account, so favorite layouts can be carried across multiple systems. By having a set of favorites (or required layouts) tied to an account, it becomes trivial to install and deploy these layouts onto any system. As the Free Edition, it allows any individual access to boards for various helpful tasks - check out the Edit panel, Windows panel, or even the SMS board for texting, in addition to various keyboards. The Free Edition, while an advertising / marketing tool, still provides value for any Windows user even with its limitations. For those wishing to get the full capabilities of My-T-Soft Basic, the IMG Personal License provides complete access (along with access to the additional titles already part of the license). With the customization capabilities of Build-A-Board, the online database of boards provides the starting point for experiencing what a real interface can do for you - no more dealing with a system provided keyboard, you now have access to what you want, when you want it!

For the technically inclined, here are some of the features available in this release:

  • Key Action/Label abstraction allows operation with version 1.xx Keyboard Macro Files - allows for quick change of language/layout/operation
  • Key image selection - layout appearance can be changed at will within Build-A-Board
  • Region (display) support - arbitrary shapes possible, along with rounded edges or split layouts
  • License options - platform support from Build-A-Board, system licenses via IMG Personal License, image ready deployments, and evaluation licenses
  • Integrated board selection tool
  • May be tied to Build-A-Board.com account
  • Get My Boards command and selection option
  • Embedded Macro support
  • Special Password/Username option
  • KBF Editor (KeyBoard File) included for field editable options
  • TypeFile tool included for external macro support
  • Arbitrary Startup / Shutdown executable support
  • Cursor / Move / Menu options (per board)
  • Key Zoom (Key Echo feedback window) options
  • Parallax settings
  • Key Block timeout settings
  • Support for external DLL display
  • Plus even More!

This also is the first release to utilize what we call the Product Manifest Update. In simple terms, during the "Check for Updates..." option using the IMG Download Manager, the current file manifest is checked against the product release from our download server, and if necessary, individual files (or the complete package of files) will be download and cross-checked to match the current release. This ensures timely updates and a more granular approach to accessing needed updates. Note this is a user requested update process, aimed mainly at accessing new capabilities when they are made available.

National Beverage chooses IMG's My-T-Soft Build-A-Board User Interface for new mobile tablets
written September 1, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: National Beverage, My-T-Soft, Build-A-Board, Motion Computing    #51
 
Innovation Management Group, the primary supplier of on screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced today that National Beverage has chosen IMG's My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board System to create a custom user interface for its new Windows 7 Motion Mobile Tablets. National Beverage becomes the latest in the food and beverage industry to incorporate IMG's My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board System at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Keyboard Designer Tool offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen keyboard user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input at any point of any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 (including embedded), Linux and Mac, and other O/S platforms such as Android and iOS in development. A thin client version for Citrix / MS Terminal Server / Remote Desktop is available as My-T-Soft TS. Custom keyboard layouts can be designed with the Build-A-Board Keyboard Designer Tool, and an SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

About Innovation Management Group
Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

Sargento Cheese upgrades to My-T-Soft TS User Interface for Windows Terminal Servers
written August 21, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: Sargento Cheese, My-T-Soft TS Terminal Services    #50
 
Innovation Management Group, the primary supplier of on screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced today that Sargento Cheese has upgraded its My-T-Soft TS® onscreen keyboard user interface in its production facilities. Sargento Cheese becomes the latest in the food industry to incorporate IMG's Soft® at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Keyboard Designer Tool offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen keyboard user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input at any point of any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8 (including embedded), Linux and Mac, and other O/S platforms such as Android and iOS in development. A thin client version for Citrix / MS Terminal Server / Remote Desktop is available as My-T-Soft TS. Custom keyboard layouts can be designed with the Build-A-Board Keyboard Designer Tool, and an SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

About Innovation Management Group
Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

US Navy chooses IMG's My-T-Soft user interface for next generation Ship Control Systems
written August 1, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: US Navy, My-T-Soft    #49
 
The US Navy has chosen IMG's My-T-Soft Onscreen Keyboard User Interface for its next generation Ship Control Systems.

My-T-Soft onscreen keyboard user interfaces are used on handheld, medical, mobile, military, pen, rugged, tablet, and touch based systems in extremely clean, hazardous, intrinsic, or rugged environments.

Various elements of the US & German military along with NATO are also licensee's of IMG's onscreen keyboard user interfaces, although the majority of IMG's installations are in automation, food, healthcare, HMI, HVAC, instrumentation, invehicle, medical, mobile field service, pharmaceutical, process control, SCADA, utilities, and voting systems.

Innovation Management Group is the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, invehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worlwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

Goodwill of Arizona continues its rollout of IMG's My-T-Soft user interface in its thrift stores
written July 1, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: Goodwill of Arizona, My-T-Soft    #48
 
IMG, the primary supplier of on-screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced that Goodwill of Arizona continues its rollout of IMG's My-T-Soft user interface in its thrift stores. Goodwill integrated IMG's My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board software into its store registers. Goodwill becomes the latest store chain to integrate IMG's software at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® (My-Typing-Soft Keyboard) Build-A-Board System offers a consistent cross-platform on-screen keyboard user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input at any point of any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board System is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistics, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, voting, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 (including XP / 7 Embedded), Linux, and Mac, with Android and other O/S platforms in development. A thin client version for Citrix / MS Terminal Server / Remote Desktop is also available. Custom layouts can be designed with the Build-A-Board Designer Tool, and an SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

Caps Lock - who decides?
written June 6, 2014 by Kermit Komm
Category: Development Tags: Caps Lock; My-T-Soft; IgnoreSystemCapsLock    #47
 

When using the Caps Lock on the My-T-Soft virtual keyboard, way back it was deemed sensible to sync with the physical keyboard so users could go back & forth and not run into a mismatched input state. Then came the users. Then came the programmers doing things in applications. And mixed-case password issues. And special situations with remote interfaces or systems without physical keyboards. To solve a specific problem, the IgnoreSystemCapsLock option was added as an Initialization option. It wasn't too long after that when another situation arose. Finally, it was deemed sensible to resolve all the possibilities that were imaginable, and there were 6 distinct options as to how to treat the Caps Lock key in My-T-Soft. Synchronize to the system or ignore the system; Show Caps state based on Internal Setting or System Setting; and Switch key action. For those interested, this is the entry for IgnoreSystemCapsLock documentation in MYTSOFT.INI.

This is one of those issues where only by doing and working with users and systems in the real world will the actual needs of software be discovered. It also illustrates that there can be situations where software expects to solve problems that are not sensible - i.e. the system with no keyboard that acts as though Caps Lock is always on (as reported by the operating system). So who decides which is the correct action? The person actually using it (to match their expectations). This is only possible with supported, field tested, configurable, and maintained software. Which is why our customers rely on My-T-Soft - it can solve problems they didn't even know they had!

Berings Bridal Registry stores integrate My-T-SoftCE user interface on mobile store scanner systems
written June 1, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: Berings, My-T-Soft, Build-A-Board    #46
 
IMG, the primary supplier of on-screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced today that Berings Bridal Registry stores has integrated its My-T-Soft®CE software into its bridal registry mobile store scanners. Berings becomes the latest retail store chain to integrate IMG's software at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® (My-Typing-Soft Keyboard) Build-A-Board System offers a consistent cross-platform on-screen keyboard user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input at any point of any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board System is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistics, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, voting, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 (including XP / 7 Embedded), Linux, and Mac, with Android and other O/S platforms in development. A thin client version for Citrix / MS Terminal Server / Remote Desktop is also available. Custom layouts can be designed with the Build-A-Board Designer Tool, and an SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

Fresh Direct expands its My-T-Soft investment for new Windows 7 systems
written February 26, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: Fresh Direct, My-T-Soft, Windows 7    #45
 
IMG, the primary supplier of on-screen keyboard user interfaces worldwide, announced today that Fresh Direct has expanded its My-T-Soft® software licensing for new Windows 7 systems. Fresh Direct becomes the latest corporation in the food industry to upgrade to IMG's Windows 7 software at its facilities.

The My-T-Soft® (My-Typing-Soft Keyboard) Build-A-Board System offers a consistent cross-platform on-screen keyboard user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input at any point of any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft® Build-A-Board System is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistics, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, voting, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

The latest release of the My-T-Soft / Build-A-Board System provides support for Windows CE thru 8.1 (including XP / 7 Embedded), Linux, and Mac, with Android and other O/S platforms in development. A thin client version for Citrix / MS Terminal Server / Remote Desktop is also available. Custom layouts can be designed with the Build-A-Board Designer Tool, and an SDK Developers Integration Kit is included.

IMG announces new Individual Personal License option
written February 21, 2014 by Jerry Hussong
Category: PR Tags: IMG's Individual Personal License    #44
 
Innovation Management Group, Inc. Announces the IMG Individual Personal License

Individuals often want the features, functions, and reliability of IMG Software, but cannot justify the expense of a Professional License. In response to customer demand, IMG has created the IMG Personal License as a simple, affordable, and straightforward way for individuals to access various IMG software products.

The IMG Personal License is a system-based individual/personal license that provides access to certain IMG Software Products with all their features and capabilities, but at an affordable price. The License and software is managed through an individual's personal online web account at Build-A-Board.com. It provides account history, product information, and keeps track of the users products and licenses.

The initial offering is a starting point, and over time, additional products along with expanded platform support will be added to the IMG Personal License. Support is included, but limited to IMG's online support knowledge base, FAQ's, help, web account, available updates, and other published resources. History has shown this is more than adequate for most personal users.

The IMG Personal License is for individual / non-commercial use only. IMG Product Services or upgrade to a Professional license are available for additional cost.

System Design Considerations: The on-screen keyboard - User Control, Application Control, or System Control
written January 9, 2014 by Kermit Komm
Category: Development Tags: system design; on-screen keyboard; user; application    #43
 
System Design Considerations: The on-screen keyboard - User Control, Application Control, or System Control

User, Application, or System - these 3 different approaches for using an on-screen keyboard are major design choices by anyone building a complete computer system.

The first question is: Will the system be general purpose, or will it perform specific tasks? From the point of view of the onscreen keyboard in a touch driven system, which approach the system designer selects becomes a critical choice as to how to implement the way the user can access the onscreen keyboard for text input.

There are various ways an onscreen keyboard can appear on a system - it is always there, it is there on demand, it shows up when needed by the application, it shows up when needed as determined by the system. Additionally, what exactly do you mean by "an onscreen keyboard"?

A good system designer would typically want the flexibility of bringing up a number pad when only numbers are needed, or only the alphabet for password entry, or a full keyboard when doing system level tasks. Aesthetics can also be important, and flexible layouts, colors, keys, sizes, operating logic all are things a "forced by the system" onscreen keyboard can not accommodate.

As computer systems have become more sophisticated, system designers have to be involved in the choice of the operating system, which is a major aspect of what capabilities the finished result will have, along with the cost of the entire device & its software. Since each design choice can affect the options available for the onscreen keyboard, it makes sense for some systems to have components as flexible as possible, so more possibilities are available as choices are made that affect other components of the system.

Even when you look at the history and family of Microsoft Windows, the system level onscreen keyboard has been implemented more ways than anyone would want to think about. A system choice that defines the user interface creates another aspect to face when making decisions on various systems.

IMG's onscreen keyboards have always focused on user control or application control. The fact that we are not involved or put much effort into system control is because this is a poor design choice. A system level approach imposes too many constraints on the infinite flexibility allowed by letting the user or application control the user interface.

There can be security concerns, training concerns, and ease of use concerns. Additionally, it blurs the role of the operating system when the system defines the user interface. While there are benefits that a system controlled onscreen keyboard can offer, these same benefits can be available when used in conjunction with a user or application controlled approach, but a system controlled approach can limit what the user, application designer, or system designer can do - limits which should not be imposed by operating system software.

Having a consistent, flexible onscreen keyboard option that can operate across many versions of Windows (and now multiple platforms) has been a very good thing for many of IMG's customers. Our design choice has always been to let the user or application designer control the onscreen keyboard. When the system forces an onscreen keyboard onto the scene, our software must defer to that design choice.

To have the keyboard software do any design or user interface actions has always seemed counter to what the software was designed and built for. Historically, a keyboard has been a user interface tool, and not much more. So what, then, is an keyboard that shares the screen with the system? Is it more like an input device, or a user interface component? If it is a user interface component, should it be handled by the user, the application, or the system? Since on some systems, the operating system controls the keyboard, these systems can greatly limit what the system can and cannot do.

So when we get asked about having the keyboard do things on its own (such as show up when needed), we point to our Developer's Kit, and discuss the best approaches to handle & manipulate the various keyboard products we offer. Our design approach is to make the keyboard as flexible as our customers need it.

So by definition, the software can't act like an operating system component on its own - that would be up to the system designer, not the keyboard software. For that same reason, if the application will be in control, then the application should be in control - the keyboard portion should be flexible, and easy to manipulate, but the onscreen keyboard should not define when it does whatever it might do. If the user will be in control, then having the keyboard readily accessible is paramount - for example, the classic software has 4 different user selectable minimize options (without even mentioning programmatic options).

So the focus has always been either on the user and what the user might want to do with the keyboard software, or with the application developer, and how to manipulate the keyboard software. So when we get asked to make our keyboard act more like a system keyboard, we remember all the systems that have come & gone, and try to think why it would be a good idea to invest time in something so fleeting - we can point you in the right direction, but with dozens and dozens of systems left behind in the trash can of computer history, we must focus our resources on our customer's current and future needs.

Typically the operating system will provide the bare minimum and force their design choices onto the user - this approach is a poor compromise that typically makes for a less than ideal user interface. When you compare that to what IMG's keyboard software can do, you should be able to see why customers with specific usage scenarios want complete flexibility in their onscreen keyboard software.

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Blog Information

My-T-Soft for Linux 2.20 Release 22 now available!
November 17, 2023
Kermit Komm
Category: Development
Tags: My-T-Soft; Linux;
 

Major National Trucking Company uses My-T-Soft® on thousands of tablets
July 28, 2023
Tracy Chang
Category: PR
Tags: My-T-Soft; Build-A-Board;
 

25+ Years of Innovations in On-Screen Keyboard Interface, How IMG Ensures Security and Productivity Across Industries
January 19, 2023
Tracy Chang
Category: PR
Tags: My-T-Soft; Build-A-Board; Security; Productivity;
 

Major National Retailer uses My-T-Soft® to bridge user interface from Windows to Linux
December 28, 2022
Tracy Chang
Category: PR
Tags: My-T-Soft; Build-A-Board; Linux;
 

My-T-Soft® updates rolled into GE Digital iFIX 6.1
November 28, 2022
Tracy Chang
Category: PR
Tags: My-T-Soft 1.90 Release 5; iFIX
 

Build-A-Board 2.20 Release 7 & My-T-Soft Basic 2.20 Release 12
August 26, 2022
Kermit Komm
Category: Development
Tags: My-T-Soft; My-T-Soft Basic; Build-A-Board
 

My-T-Soft for Linux 2.20 Release 16 now available!
August 10, 2022
Kermit Komm
Category: Development
Tags: My-T-Soft; Linux;
 

IMG is pleased to announce that My-T-Soft® 1.90 Release 5 is now available
May 31, 2022
Kermit Komm
Category: PR
Tags: My-T-Soft 1.90 Release 5
 

The Magnifier support - software vs. hardware
January 10, 2022
Alex S.
Category: Development
Tags: The Magnifier; Support; Video
 

Mobis North America purchases My-T-Touch Enterprise License for use in factory Industrial PCs
December 10, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: Mobis North America, My-T-Touch
 

Group Limagrain, France purchases Enterprise License for My-T-Soft custom keypad user interface
December 5, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: Group LimaGrain, My-T-Soft, Build-A-Board
 

THAAD Missile Systems delivers new systems integrating IMG's My-T-Soft Linux User Interface
December 5, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: THAAD Missile, Lockheed Martin, My-T-Soft
 

My-T-Soft Basic 2.30 is now available!
November 6, 2014
Kermit Komm
Category: Development
Tags: My-T-Soft Basic;Build-A-Board;Board Browser
 

National Beverage chooses IMG's My-T-Soft Build-A-Board User Interface for new mobile tablets
September 1, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: National Beverage, My-T-Soft, Build-A-Board, Motion Computing
 

Sargento Cheese upgrades to My-T-Soft TS User Interface for Windows Terminal Servers
August 21, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: Sargento Cheese, My-T-Soft TS Terminal Services
 

US Navy chooses IMG's My-T-Soft user interface for next generation Ship Control Systems
August 1, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: US Navy, My-T-Soft
 

Goodwill of Arizona continues its rollout of IMG's My-T-Soft user interface in its thrift stores
July 1, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: Goodwill of Arizona, My-T-Soft
 

Caps Lock - who decides?
June 6, 2014
Kermit Komm
Category: Development
Tags: Caps Lock; My-T-Soft; IgnoreSystemCapsLock
 

Berings Bridal Registry stores integrate My-T-SoftCE user interface on mobile store scanner systems
June 1, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: Berings, My-T-Soft, Build-A-Board
 

Fresh Direct expands its My-T-Soft investment for new Windows 7 systems
February 26, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: Fresh Direct, My-T-Soft, Windows 7
 

IMG announces new Individual Personal License option
February 21, 2014
Jerry Hussong
Category: PR
Tags: IMG's Individual Personal License
 

System Design Considerations: The on-screen keyboard - User Control, Application Control, or System Control
January 9, 2014
Kermit Komm
Category: Development
Tags: system design; on-screen keyboard; user; application
 


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