On-Screen Keyboard Portable
Virtual keyboard assistant that can move anywhere
- Category Mouse & Keyboard
- Program license Free
- Version 2.1
- Size 568.55 kB
- Works under: Windows 2000
- Program available in English
- Program by PortableApps
On-Screen Keyboard Portable is a virtual keyboard that you can take with you on the go.
On-Screen Keyboard Portable is a virtual keyboard, which means that it’s not a physical keyboard but rather one emulated by software and displayed on screen. Typing is achieved by clicking buttons using a mouse. The program is also portable and lightweight, which means that it doesn’t require installation; you can carry it around on a USB flash drive and the program takes up just kilobytes of space.
Virtual keyboards were once a solution to niche problems, but they’ve become more common as personal computers have begun to support touch-based interfaces. For home users, virtual keyboards can also be very helpful when you experience a broken or damaged keyboard and need to get by until you get a replacement. Virtual keyboards do not, however, defend against software key loggers, which are the most common kind, and it’s worth mentioning that outside of portability, On-Screen Keyboard Portable doesn’t do anything that the accessibility keyboard that comes with Windows can’t.
Nevertheless, On-Screen Keyboard Portable can be a very handy tool for IT professionals and the like. The keyboard supports most special keys, including Windows-specific keys. It is also supported by most Windows versions, going as far back as Windows 95. The keyboard is movable and resizable and has a number of other settings that you can use to dial it in to your preference.
However, what sets On-Screen Keyboard Portable apart from other options is configuration persistence. Any changes you make to the settings are stored alongside the program executable and available to you on the go. The increase to footprint that this has is negligible, and it ensures a consistent experience without having to change settings at each computer your work on. Perhaps the only thing that could make this program better would be support for hotkeys, macros and so forth.
Pros
- On-screen keyboard
- Portable and lightweight
- Supports most PCs, including Win 95
Cons
- Windows accessibility keyboard is similar
