8692 Last week, we checked out Keyclick 1.0.1, a shareware preference pane that provides audio feedback for each keystroke the system recognizes. More computing noise isn't something I personally covet, but the little program worked well enough if audible typing feedback is something that appeals.

The subject of this review is another typing audio feedback utility, Typewriter Keyboard 3.2, which facilitates making typewriter sounds or other sounds to accompany each keystroke.

Unlike Keyclick, which has a sort of generic clicking sound, Typewriter Keyboard emulated the sound of a classic mechanical typewriter - not just the clack of the type arm striking the platen, but also the "park" stroke, carriage return warning bell, the sound of the carriage traversing when you hit Return, and so forth. The sound effects are actually quite convincing, although the whole effect is a novelty. Brings back memories of my hulking old Remington office model typewriter on which I used to work before entering the digital era with a used Wangwriter II word processor 16 years ago.

Typewriter Keyboard is an application rather than a Preference pane like Keyclick, and is controlled from a menulet. In the program's preference window, you can adjust the sound volume, mute certain keys like navigation keys, and select custom sounds.

It generally works pretty well. I notice a millisecond or so of lag on my 1.33 GHz PowerBook G4, but it's not major, and might not be an issue at all on a faster Mac.

Typewriter Keyboard 3.2 Features:
- It plays typewriter sounds when you press your keyboard keys.
- You can replace the typewriter sounds by your own sounds.
- A free and growing library of new sounds is available on the tkb website.
- You can adjust the sound volume.
- It appears in the right side of the menu bar.
- It doesn't need any installation which makes it very easy to use.
- It is available in English, French, Norwegian and many other languages.

New in version 3.2:
• A reception of the Quit Apple event has been improved.
• The display of unhandled exceptions has been improved.
• A Norwegian localization has been released. Thank you to Daniel Nilsen for his translation from English to Norwegian.

System requirements:
Mac OS X

System support:
PPC/Intel

For more information, visit:
http://alphaomega.software.free.fr/typewriterkeyboard/Typewriter%20Keyboard.html


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Charles W. Moore

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