Softboy.net On Screen Keyboard

Computers can be used as terminals, with special touch-enabled screens that don’t require any other peripheral input devices, such as the mouse or keyboard. Windows comes with a default virtual keyboard in this regard, but if you want more out of it, Softboy.net On Screen Keyboard is sure to come in handy.

The application comes with several preset designs so you get the idea that customization is among the primary features. It’s a fun experience to go through all of them, especially since they perfectly explain how the application is a bit more than just a virtual on-screen keyboard.

One of the layouts is a default keyboard, with a transparent layer, and animations for button interaction or simple mouse hover. What’s more, a special field shows text suggestions, starting with the letter you press, and narrowing down results as you continue to type your word. It’s a neat advantage, considering this works even when using a physical keyboard.

As mentioned above, customization is what steals the show. There’s a separate component with which to edit designs. You can work on existing ones, or build a different one from scratch. On the visual side of things, options let you define shapes of buttons, placement on the keyboard, colors for different states of interaction, and custom images for backgrounds or buttons themselves.

Functionality has an important part in customization as well. For instance, you manually get to configure what each button does in every state. The impressive part is that you’re not limited to buttons or characters, but have the possibility to run external applications or files, launch specific web pages, insert entire text paragraphs, and even trigger special commands. This means the application can also be used as a launcher, and not just a classic keyboard.

To be fair, Softboy.net On Screen Keyboard doesn’t quite make the proper first impression, but this is probably because of the abundance of colors of the initial keyboard. However, spending a little time to get to know the set of features unveils its true potential, which is to create a virtual, on-screen keyboard with every button perfectly customized for any command you need to trigger.