Apple make Gaeilge one of their official languages with their computers now offering more features to speakers of Irish.
Gaeilge like other lesser spoken languages has been left behind by computer companies when it comes to diacritics.
Many computer programmes fail to produce a satisfactory síneadh fada, also known as a long accent over both vowels and consonants, leaving Gaeilgeoirí and speakers of other minority languages with typewritten text that is not up to standard.
The top of the capital letters can be chopped off and in lowercase, the fada tends to grow out of the vowel.
That has all changed however with the launch of the Apple Computers' Irish language keyboard programme which can be easily installed on computers and is compatible with all Mac programmes and desktop publishing.
It gives the user an option to use a síneadh fada both in upper and lowercase and means that Apple computer programmes can all be run through the medium of Irish.
This new product was developed from a prototype by educational manager Michael O’Toole in collaboration with the computer department in Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
This episode of 'Zero’ was broadcast on 14 March 1988. The presenter is Raymond Maxwell.
'Zero' was a magazine-style programme covering developments in science and technology. The first programme was broadcast on 7 January 1987. The series ran until 1989. The RTÉ Guide published an article about the series in its edition of 2 January 1987.
