As usual my Windows PC keep behaving erratically. But today, it started to hang every few minutes making it difficult to work on anything. After I lost my drafts multiple times, I decided to quit using my PC.
Initially I was planning to write a post in Hindi. But when I switched to my laptop, I found I had uninstalled Hindi language input tools from it. So I want to re-install Google Input Tools for Hindi typing on Windows. But now it's been hours that I couldn't figure out how to do that!
Earlier it was so easy. We just need to visit the Google Input Tools website and there was an option to download a file for Windows for offline use. But unfortunately, Google has discontinued this option for some months. Last month, one friend on Facebook was asking for an option to type in Hindi. I thought it's so simple that many will guide him for it. Still, I checked the Google input tool website and got confused when I didn't find any option to download for Windows. But at that time, I thought there must be some other way. That friend too didn't express any trouble. But today, I was lost. I couldn't find any official website from where I can download it.
Now, I see that there are several websites and youtube video tutorial to guide you to how to get these files now. But in the absence of any reputable source, I do not dare to download any file. Who knows if there are some malware in it?
I do have a facility to type Hindi in my laptop but actually, I don't know typing. I used to type it through transliteration. Google had introduced this service for Indic lanuages and after its popularity, it was renamed as Google Transliteration IME and was offered as free offline tool in December, 2009. This made communicating in Indic language fonts very easier for everyone.
But now neither the online IME (Input Method Editor) is functional at https://www.google.com/ime ; nor is the link for input tools for Windows working any more:
https://www.google.com/inputtools/windows
So I'll need to think of some other ways to post in Hindi now.
- Do you have any suggestion?
- How do you type in Indic languages now?
- Is there any authentic source from where I can get the original Input Tools' files for Windows?
I don't want to use Chrome Extension on offer as I don't want to be bound by one browser for my work.