Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 17 - Old Version

by Encore

Product Features

• Typing tutorial software with 350+ useful skill-building exercises
• Concentrate on core drills, key interests, or overcoming bad habits
• Practice speed, accuracy, and rhythm with 40+ new custom lessons
• Adaptive Response Technology adjusts lessons to age, skill, and progress
• Ideal for students, email enthusiasts, and office professionals

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000B6JARC
• Item model number: 10069
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 25, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,122 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #29 in Software > Education & Reference > Typing

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The leader in typing tutorial software for 11 years running, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing v.17 is the only typing software delivering the customized training you need in a motivating, engaging format. Work at your own pace with lesson content that keeps you interested. This flexible program is an ideal choice for any would-be fluent typist, including students, email enthusiasts, and office professionals. If you use the keyboard, you'll benefit from Mavis Beacon!

Practice speed, accuracy, and rhythm with more than 40 new custom lessons.

Features:

• Target your individual goals with more than 75 custom lessons
• Benefit from Adaptive Response Technology, which adjusts lessons to your age, skill-level, and progress
• Create custom practice lessons
• Track your progress over time
• Concentrate on core drills, overcome specific habits, or focus on key interests with more than 350 useful skill-building exercises
• Improve your skills the fun way with arcade-style practice games
• Watch video tips on comfortable posture and attain proper physical alignment
• Mavis habla Espanol
• Winner of over 15 prestigious awards, including Parents' Choice awards

Product Description

The leader in typing tutorial software for 11 years running, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing v.17 is the ONLY typing software delivering the customized training you need in a motivating, engaging format. Work at your own pace with lesson content that keeps you interested. This flexible program is an ideal choice for any would-be fluent typist, including students, email enthusiasts and office professionals. If you use the keyboard, you'll benefit from Mavis Beacon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Software once you get it to work!, December 20, 2005

By 

L. M. Nguyen "French Pastry" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 17 - Old Version (Software)

I'm 36 and never learned how to type. I figured I'd try and since the Mavis Beacon series seem to be the most popular, I got this one, despite some reviews describing installation problems.

Sure enough, when I installed it, it wouldn't run. You basically need to set it up to run in Win98 or Win2000 compatibility mode, at 640x480 resolution. Reboot, and Voila!

So it's been 3 days, and even though my speed dropped quite a bit with learning the proper fingers, I'm typing properly. And the speed is coming back fast.

The classes are very well designed, it's actually pretty amazing how efficient it is, and fun on top of it.

The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is the compatibility issues. How hard can it be for their engineers to update their engine?!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Installation on Mac Mars Otherwise Good Software, May 26, 2007

By 

Scott Corbett (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 17 - Old Version (Software)

My son is eleven and is just starting to use computers. I thought typing software would start him on a lifetime of good typing habits. I chose Mavis Beacon because of the longstanding reputation. Once we got it to work the way I wanted, the actual lessons and games work fine and he is learning to touch type nicely. The kids' setting moves at a pretty reasonable pace for his skill (minimal) and age.

The installation engine for this software looks like something left over from 1979. It gives no feedback about the only choices (full or minimal install) and is not "Mac-like" in any way. The biggest problem I had has to do with the multiuser aspect of the Mac OS X system. I wanted to install the software into the main Applications folder and then let my son use it on his parental-controlled user account. It took me nearly an hour two times to get it to play nice with both multiuser and parental limitations on my desktop and laptop machines. The problem has to do with permissions, which default to read only in all accounts but the main administrator's account. This generates error messages because it can't save your work and progress in those other accounts. I finally figured out that I had to go to the User - accountname - Shared - Boderbund folder and change permissions to let everyone have read-write access to the personal work files and folders. Just for good measure I changed the permissions on the program itself. Now everyone is happy and my son can learn to type in his own account space without having access to my work and financial records.

For a program of this popularity and age, I would expect a better installation experience. I know I'm not the only one having problems, but for us it did turn out OK in the end. My twenty years as a Mac power user came in handy. If you are just doing a straight-forward installation in your own account, it probably will work fine.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Way to learn!!, November 25, 2006

By 

E.S "phantom_horse" (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Deluxe 17 - Old Version (Software)

I bought this because it looked from the reviews that it was the best on the market. I have now owned it for a couple of months and I cannot say that I disagree. I have loaded this on to 2 computers so far as I purchased a new one recently and I have had no problems in loading the program as some people had mentioned. When I started practicing I confess I was a one finger typist. I found the lessons easy to understand and great at teaching me where all the keys etc. are. The games often provided a welcome break but continuing to reinforce everything you had learned at that point. The only thing now that seems to be holding me back from making this keyboard keys steam is practice and my spelling. If you want learn touch typing with fun and ease then this is the program for you!!