ATOK

ATOK
Developer(s)JustSystems
Initial release1983
Stable release
ATOK for Windows (Tech Ver.34) / February 1, 2024[1]
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
TypeInput method editor
LicenseTrialware
Websitewww.atok.com

ATOK (/ˈeɪtɔːk/; エイトック Japanese pronunciation: [eitokku]) is a Japanese input method editor (IME) produced by JustSystems, a Japanese software company.

ATOK is an IME with roots from KTIS (Kana-Kanji Transfer Input System) come with JS-WORD, the Japanese word processor software for PC-100 in 1983,[2] but it now supports a variety of platforms including macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.

Once ATOK meant Automatic Transfer Of Kana-kanji.[citation needed] Now, it means Advanced Technology Of Kana-kanji Transfer. It is occasionally taken to stand for Awa-TOKushima, site of the headquarters of JustSystems, or Alphabet TO Kanji.[3]

Functions

Functions vary between versions for different platforms, and the following list is not exhaustive.

  • Search kanji from phonetic input – both using romaji keyboard and kana keyboard.
  • Search kanji by radical.
  • Drawing pad for handwriting recognition.
  • Reverse retrieval of phonetic input – both to kunyomi and onyomi.
  • Text templates for standard phrases, address labels and Japanese emoticons.
  • Real time auto-completion of text – both Japanese and English. (Example: type "fun" and you immediately get a list of words starting with "fun": function, fun, fund, funk...).
  • Character information, JIS and Unicode codes, pronunciations, related characters.
  • Japanese date formats.
  • Character palette for input of special symbols, accented Latin, Russian, etc.
  • Customizable input keys and keyboard shortcuts for the different functions.

Versions

ATOK 8 running in MS-DOS of PC-98 computer

As of April 2019, the latest version for Windows is 31.1.6; for macOS, 31.0.3; for iOS, 1.6.2; and for Android, 1.8.15.[4] They are available via the ATOK Passport subscription and an annual subscription which comes with Ichitaro.[5] Linux, OS/2, Palm OS, Pocket PC, and Windows CE are no longer supported.[6]

KTIS and ATOK was originally a component of JustSystems' word processor software. Ichitaro released in 1985 allowed the use of ATOK 4 in other MS-DOS applications of the PC-98 platform. ATOK 7 was bundled with Ichitaro 4, and was available as a standalone product in 1992.[7] In DOS era, ATOK was spreading with Ichitaro despite competition from VJE, Matsutake, and some other software. Windows 3.1, the first retail version of Japanese Windows, bundled the Microsoft IME (MS-IME) input method. MS-IME 97 contained notable improvements, and was bundled with a new retail box of Windows 95 and Office 97. The difference between ATOK and MS-IME went smaller.[8]

In 2008, JustSystems began a subscription service, ATOK Passport.[9] ATOK 2017 was the last version to be physically shipped as boxed software.[10]

Sun Microsystems chose ATOK as their input method when running under the JP locale in Solaris 10 and above, enhancing Sun's already strong Japanese language support.[11]

For embedded systems, JustSystems has developed +ATOK. Some Japanese mobile phones, PDAs, video game consoles (PSP, PS3 and Wii), digital video recorders, automotive navigation systems come with +ATOK.

See also

References

  1. ^ 的場, 奏瑛 (2014-02-07). 新機能「ATOKパーソナライズドコレクト」搭載の最新「ATOK for Windows」が提供開始. Windows Forest. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  2. ^ 国友, 正彦 (1989). 最新日本語入力FP対決 ATOK 7 VS VJE-β Ver.2.1. ASCII (in Japanese). 13 (9): 249–256. ISSN 0386-5428.
  3. ^ 日本語入力システムとは. ATOK.com. 2010-05-27. Archived from the original on 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  4. ^ 個人向け製品の新元号への対応状況. JustSystems. 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  5. ^ 井上, 翔 (2018-12-04). ATOK for Windowsに「漢字の絞り込み」と「地名変換」を強化した新バージョン 月額版は2019年2月1日から配信. ITmedia PC USER. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  6. ^ "サポート製品一覧". JustSystems. 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  7. ^ 先進の日本語システム「ATOK」の進化. JustSystems. 1998-10-23. Archived from the original on 1999-02-02. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  8. ^ Abe, Keisuke (2002-08-24). 日本語入力プログラムの歴史(MS-DOS～Windows). Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  9. ^ 三柳, 英樹 (2011-11-08). 「ATOK Passport」提供開始、Windows/Mac/Android向けATOKが月額300円. INTERNET Watch. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  10. ^ 劉, 尭; 若杉, 紀彦 (2017-12-05). 【速報】新ATOK、パッケージ版廃止で月額制のみに ～新バージョンは2018年2月1日提供開始. PC Watch. Impress Corporation. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  11. ^ "ATOK for Solaris ユーザーガイド". Documentation. Sun Microsystems. 2006. Retrieved 2019-04-22.