eiktub™ is a suite of programs by LinguArabica, LLC that enables the user to write in Arabic efficiently and accurately without using an Arabic keyboard. A standard English (QWERTY) keyboard is all that is required.

The following eiktub™ products are available:

• A Front-end to Google that allows searching the web for Arabic content.
• An Arabic transliteration pad for writing fully vowelized Arabic using English letters (Windows XP/Vista only).
• A web-based Lite version of the Arabic transliteration pad that works on any system (no download or installation is required).
• A Firefox Add-on for writing Arabic in any web form browsed with Firefox (great for writing Blogs, Facebook entries, emails, etc).

• eiktub™ (formerly QirTaas™) is designed to help the Arabic speaker who is not familiar with (or does not have access to) a standard Arabic Keyboard.
• eiktub™ uses BATR (Bikdash Arabic Transliteration Rules), which are designed for efficient, complete, unambiguous transliteration of Arabic using the QWERTY keyboard.
• BATR rules are complete: There is a clear (and almost unique) way to write any Arabic word, and are almost completely phonetic: write Arabic as you hear it. The English representation sounds reasonable even when read by someone who does not know Arabic.
• BATR rules are efficient: With the exception of two consonants ( z' = ذال and t' = تاء مربوطة), every consonant is represented in a straightforward way by only one English letter:

  b = باء	t = تاء	c = ثاء	j = جيم	d = دال
  r = راء	z = زاي	s = سين	x = شين	g = غين
  f = فاء	q = قاف	k = كاف	l = لام	m = ميم
  n = نون	h = هاء	w = واو	y = ياء

  
  
• BATR rules use UPPERCASE (CAPITAL) letters to represent "heavy" (or emphatic) Arabic consonants. For example: دال = d (daal) whereas ضاد = D (Daad) represents the heavier sound. The heavy sounding letters are:

  H = حاء	K = خاء	S = صاد	D = ضاد
  T = طاء	Z = ظاء	E = عين

  
  
• Vowelization ( أحرف العلة و التنوين و الشدة ) is handled phonetically: شكل كما تسمع
• eiktub™ allows easy vowelization (تشكيل) of the Arabic text. In fact, a fully vowelized output is the default. Just follow the following simple rules:

  a = فتحة	aa = ألف	aN = فتحتين	aaa = الف مقصورة
  u = ضمة	uu = واو	uN = ضمتين
  i = كسرة	ii = ياء	iN = كسرتين

  
  
• eiktub™ is "smart" in the sense that it chooses the correct form of the hamzat' (ء) based on context (unlike the standard Arabic keyboard where the user has to pick the right form of hamzat' based on transcription rules).
• For a thorough description of the features of eiktub™ and the concepts of Arabic transliteration refer to the guide.