Version 4.1

Version 4.1 Penfriend XL and version 4 of Penfriend XP and the full range of international variants, is now available.
 

It retains the convenient ease-of-use, with simple menus and windows, along with the excellent prediction quality which have made it so popular. Further features are planned for release with in the 4.x family of products, and will be available as free upgrades to customers of version 4.

Penfriend XP version 4 and Penfriend XL version 4.1 are available for the same price as version 3. Discounted upgrades are available to existing customers.

Penfriend XP version 4 offers the same features as XL version 4.1 with the exception of homophone support, type on hover, speak on hover and transparency.

Version 4.1 XL includes the following key enhancements:

A Homophone option in the prediction window to support literacy. As well as hearing the word you want, if it is the alternative homophone you can click on it to put in your document.

As you can see from the example below, if you want 'two' instead of 'too' simply click on the word two, e.g., 'too means excessive' but 'two means a number'.

Type on hover to help mobility for the on-screen keyboard.
Speak on hover to support typing with the on-screen keyboard.
A transparency option so you can see all your desktop Windows and icons.

New voices from CereProc, including Suzanne in French (available in Penfriend XL, or in France).

Both Penfriend XP and XL include the following key enhancements:

Alphabetical sorting of predictions, as an option. This display also has the function keys greyed out so that the prediction is easier to recognise.

Horizontal layout of predictions, as an option.

Clearer and more colourful display of predictions.

Improved smart punctuation, and learning words within quotations.
 
 

Improved interaction with keystrokes including tabs.
 
 

Improved speaking of words. Now does not speak punctuation.
 

Major expansion to the possibilities with abbreviation expansion.

Below is an example of how Abbreviations can now be used. – Here a disabled person is using abbreviations to communicate with a carer. By typing one abbreviation tv up to 12 related expansions can be shown and either entered into a document or spoken. Here by typing tv they have 12 requests to a carer for help with the TV. Below is abbreviation window when the 12 abbreviations have been created.

When they then type ‘tv’ in their document, the 12 instructions all appear in the predictor window. Note that tv does not appear as it has been banned in the lexicon.

If they have set Penfriend to speak on a right click then the phrase they want will be spoken when they click on it.
The same system can be used for common phrases, email addresses, URLs, postal addresses, to be read, entered or both. In English one could use qa, qb, qc as abbreviations as there are no words beginning with these combinations. So you could use qa as the abbreviation for 12 addresses. If qa is banned then it will not appear.

In French there are virtually no words starting with ‘k’ so ka, kb etc can be used for sets of 12 abbreviations.