Thanks to Avro, the numero uno Bengali input software, working with MS Word in Bangla is just child’s play. No more issues e.g. no spell-check errors, seamless transition from English mode to Bangla mode at the press of a key (F12) or a single click.
If you are using Notepad, the notepad file has to be saved in Unicode format. That’s all.
In fact, in all Windows applications which have support for Unicode you can type in Bangla.
Yes you can name files in Bangla on your Windows. Avro, the highly popular software already clocking 100,000 downloads, makes it easier for you. This has been made possible by the following-
Firstly you have to change the font of file/folder name. Follow these instructions:
Windows 2000
(Note: Of course, select a font that allows typing in both English and Bangla.)
Windows XP
(Note: Of course, select a font that allows typing in both English and Bangla. If you are using Windows XP Service Pack 2 you will get a great font called Vrinda, you can use that.)
Now you can rename any file in Bangla using Avro.
NOTE:
Your computer needs to be configured for Bangla. To know how to configure your Windows for Bangla refer to this article.
Caution: Don’t go overboard and rename every file you have on your computer. Don’t rename system files. Some programs which don’t have support for Unicode in file paths will not be able to execute files named in Bangla. For example, Winamp cannot play music files named in Bangla.
Any mail solution supporting Unicode will let you mail in Bengali. You can of course use Avro to make things easier!
I could not write in Bangla in Yahoo. Probably they don’t support Unicode. I am telling how to write in Bangla in Gmail.
1. Open your Gmail mailbox. Click Settings. Under the option Outgoing message encoding select Use Unicode (UTF-8) encoding for outgoing messages.
2. Now type mails in Bangla. The user you are writing to should be using either Gmail or any other webmail that supports unicode (not Yahoo) or using a email client that supports unicode e.g. Microsoft Outlook.
Needless to say, you can mail in Bangla if you are using Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.
Is it possible to read or write Bengali on these operating systems?
Since these Windows editions don’t have support for Unicode, you won’t be able to use Avro with them. However, there are some primitive ASCII based softwares that will let you do so, but that you can use only for printing purposes in your own computer. Not for sharing anything on the web i.e. chatting, mailing or designing webpages.
However, you will still be able to view Bangla websites if you have Microsoft Layer for Unicode installed. If you have MS Office or latest version of IE already installed then Microsoft Layer for Unicode is already installed on your computer and you will be able to view Bangla websites.
Typing in Bangla has never been easier! The latest version of Avro Keyboard — the robust and versatile Unicode-compliant Bangla writing software — supports phonetic typing. For example, if I type ami banglay gan gai in English I get the corresponding Bangla text! Avro Keyboard 3, free to download and use, has really surpassed all of our expectations and dreams.
Why should I use Avro?
I have seen many of my friends eager to type in Bangla – the language of our hearts – but they think that it is something not feasible and difficult to achieve. But it is not so if you have Avro installed on your computer. Using Avro is child’s play, nothing difficult or anything technical. So what are you waiting for? Go, grab it!
How to use Avro?
1. DOWNLOAD Avro Keyword from Omicron Lab or from the Downloads section of my site.
2. INSTALL it on your computer
3. Now to see the Bangla script properly you have to INSTALL SUPPORT FOR COMPLEX SCRIPT for which you will need the installation CD of your Windows operating system. If you don’t do it, you will still be able to see Bangla text but the vowels will be all jumbled up. In fact, you have to install this for proper viewing of all Indian languages as well, including Hindi.
Windows XP users: Go to Control Panel, Regional and Language Options. In the Language tab, select Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages (including Thai). Click Ok. You may have to restart your computer. (see screenshot)
Windows 2000 users: Go to Control Panel, Regional Options. In the General tab, see the Language settings for the system. Select Indic from the list. Click Ok. You may have to restart your computer. (see screenshot)
4. There is no 4th step. 😀 Fire up Avro and START TYPING. Should you have any query, feel free to ask in the Omicronlab Forum.
Why do I see on sites like Google, BBC Bangla, Wikipedia that the vowels are all jumbled up?
Yes, this is true. ‘Gobindo’ will read as ‘Gobondi’ if your Windows does not have support for complex script. To solve this you will have to follow step 3 as mentioned above i.e. install support for complex script.
Why not any other software?
I have personally tried many Bangla writing software and found Avro to be the best. While there are other software like Bijoy they don’t support Unicode, instead they use ASCII encoding (surely not a choice for web-developers). Now one may wonder what is so special about Unicode. Unicode ensures that the Bangla text will be visible universally on all computers without the user having to download anything. As for example, Google, BBC Bengali.com, Wikipedia, Microsoft use Unicode in their sites that can be viewed without any hassle. On the other hand, Anandabazar, Aajkaal, etc. don’t use Unicode encoding. If you go to the Anandabazar site you are prompted to go through an installation at first. None of these two sites open in Firefox. (For the uninitiated, Firefox, and also Opera, are two great browsers that are said to be the choices of the geeks). May be these two newspaper sites have not opted for Unicode keeping in mind that some users still use Windows 98 that does not support Unicode (in this context I should say that Microsoft has phased out support for Windows 98 and it is now an obsolete OS), but in the long run they will have to switch to Unicode. Whatever it is, all I want to say is that if you send PMs or mails in Bangla typing with Avro then you can rest assured that your friend will be able to read it. 🙂
What are the system requirements?
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista or later. Earlier Windows versions do not have support for Unicode and hence are not compatible.
I want to properly view Bangla sites, Bangla mails and PMs sent to me by friends. But I don’t need to write in Bangla. Do I still need to install Avro or any other Bangla software?
NO. Certainly not. Any Bangla text on the web (Unicode encoding) can be universally viewed.
What’s new in version 3?
Many improvements have been made in this version which can be found out at this page. I am mentioning the most remarkable ones:
The Kolkata Book Fair (Boi Mela) is the greatest yearly attraction I look forward to. The Book Fair is not only about buying books. We get to touch and feel the books and even smell the freshly printed books with crisp pages. Delicious! It’s really worth checking out Greatbong’s blog – a brilliant post where he recreates the atmosphere of the boi mela with his superb style of writing.
This time I visited the Book Fair twice. I made it a point not to buy any books this time (because once I get a book I can’t rest till I finish it and my academics require me not to lose focus till April this year), instead I convinced my parents to get me a membership to the British Council Library which was available at a discount on the Fair ground. Participated in the crossword contest at the Indian Express stall and won a prize! Whoa! 🙂 Would have liked to participate in the quiz too but I had to move on with the so many other stalls still to explore. While I had my parents with me on yesterday, today I accompanied my friends to the fair.
This year is supposed to be the last one for the glorious ‘boi mela’ to be at the Maidan. I am afraid that the fair will lose much of its glory if it is shifted. How can we get the same ambience elsewhere?
A glimpse of the Book Fair captured on my friend’s camera-phone.
[Update] An anecdote :- On Sunday i.e. the closing day of the fair, at the Penguin book stall a person was caught red-handed stealing a book. He was punished with the task of memorising the first two pages of that book. Only after he could read out those pages from his memory was he let off —- along with the book too! 😮 Now this can happen in the Book Fair only. The true spirit of the Kolkata Book Fair.
This January I got 1137 unique visitors (even though my site was down for almost 4 days) — this, though not a big figure, means a lot to me. I launched my site in September last year. In the first month I got 147 visitors. It increased slowly but steadily… I am especially thankful to Google which accounts for most of my traffic.
Below are daily traffic stats of January: 
The top 25 countries my visitors came from: 
Monthly stats of 2006: 
Monthly stats of 2005: 
Justine Henin-Hardenne is in the Australian Open women’s singles final having knocked down Maria Sharapova in the semifinal. Losing the first set, she came back into match to win 4-6 6-1 6-4. I am a great fan of Henin-Hardenne and the least that of Sharapova. So nothing could have been better news for me. Up against her in the final is Amelie Mauresmo, the muscular Frenchwoman, who got an easy walking into finals as Kim Clijsters withdrew in the 3rd set following an ankle injury.
Waiting to see a good final. Hope Justine wins. All the best to her!
The Madhyamik (secondary examination of my state) syllabus has been thoroughly revised. In our time — I gave Madhyamik in 2003 — we had telegram-writing. It carried 10 marks in the English paper. Now that the syllabus has been restructured, I wonder if it is still there. I, for one thing, think that telegram-writing should be phased out from the syllabus. After all, who bothers to send a telegram these days? Instead SMS-writing should be incorporated in the syllabus. This is one way we can keep up with the changing times. Be it an SMS or a telegram, the challenge before the pupil is the same — that is, summing up a given situation in a concise form.
Wish you all a Happy New Year! Let 2006 be your annus mirabilis!
Here are my New Year resolutions — taken from my diary, things that I have been kept telling myself throughout 2005. Realisations of yesteryear become resolutions of new year. (more…)