HANDMARK Scrabble for Windows & Palm

by Handmark, Inc.

Product Features

• Play Friendly mode, where you can choose to accept or reject words, and let the computer suggest moves
• For faster gaming try out Tournament mode, to play by classic Scrabble rules
• Built-in Official Scrabble Dictionary makes disputes over words no problem
• Drag-and-drop tile placement makes spelling out words a snap
• Use IR ports for multiplayer gaming

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005NSSQ
• Item Weight: 12 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,904 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can play Scrabble, one of the most popular and beloved word games, on your Palm OS device! Designed to play like the board game, you select tiles using drag-and-drop functioning. This version also offers an intuitive interface, a built-in Official Scrabble Player's Dictionary, and automatic scoring for every game. It even saves partially completed games that can be continued at a later time.

Practice your Scrabble skills against the automated computer opponent; choose from beginner, novice, intermediate, or expert levels. Or, play against up to three opponents using just one device. The program even hides your tile rack automatically. You can also play against others using multiple Palm OS devices with infrared (IR) beaming. This lets you study your tiles while your opponents take their turn, just like playing the board game.

Play in either Friendly or Tournament mode. Friendly mode plays like a casual, low-stakes Scrabble game: no stress, no tension; you can accept or reject entries outside the rules and use the clever Suggest Move option. Tournament mode, however, is a different beast. It plays by the classic rules, includes challenges, and even checks words against the Official Scrabble Player's Dictionary.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good way to learn, but expert level is inadequate, July 7, 2002

By A Customer

The following refers to version 1.1, which has hi-res support and looks great. The interface is easy to use and there are helpful features like word lookup, score history, and hints. The hints, though, are often not very good, because the AI even at expert level is simply not a sound player. It seems to rely on its vast knowledge of the official Scrabble dictionary (which is a maddeningly inconsistent book, but at least it's a standard) without paying much attention to strategy. For example, it will routinely play an "s" for 5 or 6 points rather than keeping it in hand for a killer move; and when it discards letters, it always seems to discard all 7. It also frequently overlooks obvious better plays.

If you routinely score 300 points or better, you won't have much trouble beating this game. But it does give good practice, and it's a great way to learn obscure but handy words for your next game against a human opponent.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Palm Games Available, September 29, 2001

By 

Joe Philly (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HANDMARK Scrabble for Windows & Palm (CD-ROM)

I strongly recommend this game to play during subway rides and to develop your Scrabble skills. I used to struggle to get 200 points in a 2-player game, but I can now routinely score 300-400 points after learning several tips and tricks. If you allow the program to help you by suggesting words, you can learn lots of convenient 2-letter words and good ways to use Q, J, and Z to take advantage of bonus squares. It's a great game to play while you're waiting in line or traveling. The only problem I've had is that if you save and restart a game later, the computer word suggestions are sometimes invalid. Otherwise, it's great!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun new way to play scrabble, May 19, 2002

By 

Maureen Davies (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I just got this game a few days ago and already love the way it looks on my new visor prisim. The ability to beam each turn is espically nice when we are waiting for the movies or anytime we are stuck in traffic. The board is easy to see (in color) and can switch between IR and single player mode. I highly recommend for people who like scrabble to get this game if they have color- I did not like the trial version on my grayscale PDA.