Avro Keyboard 5.6.0

Avro Keyboard is a free software program that allows users to type in the Bengali language using QWERTY keyboards. With Avro Keyboard, you can use Roman letters to write Bangla characters. This freeware was released as an open-source project in 2003 to celebrate Independence Day in Bangladesh.

Avro Keyboard is a safe application to download and install. Developed by OmicronLab, it provides Bengali speakers with a convenient way to express themselves online. While the original Avro Keyboard application is secure, it's important to be cautious of variations of the open-source app that may contain malware. However, since Avro does not have in-app advertisements, you don't have to worry about invasive spyware tracking your activities while using the tool.

Avro Keyboard is both ANSI and Unicode compliant, allowing users to switch between the two outputs by clicking on the settings icon in the top bar. While ANSI is suitable for certain applications, the Unicode mode is recommended for most circumstances.

The GUI of Avro Keyboard offers two main modes: top bar and system tray. The top bar displays icons at the top of your desktop screen, providing easy access to various options such as 'Avro Mouse' and 'Spell checker'. The 'Select keyboard layout' choice in the context menu allows you to switch between different keyboard layouts, including 'Avro Phonetic (English to Bangla)', 'Avro Easy', 'Bornona', 'Munir Optima', 'National (Jatiya)', and 'Probhat'. The active layout is marked with a bullet point, and you can also view the active keyboard layout by clicking on the 'Show active keyboard layout' button at the bottom of the expanded menu.

Avro Keyboard offers a highly customizable experience, allowing users to make the toolbar transparent and move the top bar around the screen. If you prefer to have Avro Keyboard in the system tray instead of the top bar, you can easily switch to the system tray view by tapping on the logo and selecting 'Jump to system tray'.

Switching between English and Bangla keyboards is simple with Avro Keyboard. The second icon in the top bar opens a dropdown menu that allows you to change the keyboard language. By pressing the interactive button, you can automatically switch between English and Bangla characters, and the current language is displayed in the toolbar. Avro Keyboard also provides hotkey options and allows you to switch between keyboards using the CTRL and spacebar keys.

Avro Keyboard offers multiple typing options, including phonetic-, touch-, and mouse-based typing. With the phonetic feature, you can type Bengali words using Roman numerals, and the text will be automatically translated into Bangla characters. A floating preview window shows real-time translations. The software also includes a built-in dictionary with 150,000 Bengali words, allowing you to customize the autocorrect feature and easily type with automatic vowel formation.

Avro Keyboard supports both Bangla and English characters in the same fonts, and the chosen font remains consistent even when switching between keyboards. You can use Avro Keyboard in various applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Facebook, Microsoft Office Word, Outlook Express, MSN Messenger, and Notepad.

In addition to the PC version, Avro Keyboard is also available for Apple devices (iAvro) and Linux systems (ibus-avro). There is even an Avro Keyboard extension for the Google Chrome web browser.

Overall, Avro Keyboard is a professional and user-friendly tool for typing in the Bengali language. Its lightweight nature ensures seamless integration with various applications, and its customizable features make typing Bangla characters on QWERTY keyboards easy and efficient. With regular updates and new keyboards and extensions being added, Avro Keyboard continues to evolve as an optimized platform for Bengali typing.