Customer Reviews

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 12.0 Deluxe

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This program is set to freeze the screen if the new typist is unable to pass the test for intermediate level. This has caused great frustration for our kids. The program needs to be rebooted each time. I only found the solution to this by going to the Broderbund website. Broberbund seems to think rebooting is a simple solution for beginners. I find this program difficult for left handed typist. It gives the intermediate test immediately after the lesson for the ,and. These are two difficult skills for left handers. It also freezes in other places and then does not restart where I left off. This is just a poorly written program.

Though the product targets a younger user/student,
I found the exercizes worthwhile. 12.0 Dlx was
valuable help for me to increase my speed and accuracy
which will enable me to increase my salary.
High recommendation for the rusty who don't need much
to get back into the swing of typing. The ergonomic
exercises are a considerate touch.
Amazon delivered when they promised, as always. :)

1) Not only is the program core so old that it is a 640x480 pixel graphic, it will only run in full screen mode on XP. If your note book has a 1028x768 display, the fonts are all jagged and *very* difficult to read.

2) The credits role at the end of every session and lock up your computer for over a minute. The only way around it is to Ctrl-Alt-Del and click on End Task. REALLY ANNOYING.

3) You have to have the CD in your drive every time you start up. If you are on the road, have a spare minute to practice, and have left the CD at home, you are out of luck with Mavis

Make your voice count in the battle for decent software. Don't buy this program.

I bought this software on 8/16/2002, in effort to boost my typing skills. I type primarily with one hand due to my disability; and I needed to refresh myself on the techniques of one-handed typing (which I learned when I was a junior in high school 5 years ago.) Before purchasing this software, I was at a speed of a mere 12 words a minute, I needed to get back up to at least 30 wpm, which is half the speed I was in high school. Today, 8/20/2002, I am up from 12 wpm to 30-35 wpm! I am confident that within the next few days I will be back to 60 wpm! The promise of "Better typing guaranteed' is no understatement! Buy this software if you need to improve your typing skills! Included on the software is a manual for one-handed typing techniques written by Lilly Waters, so if you are one handed typist in search of good software this is for you! I have tried other programs and nothing compares to this! It is worth the price, hands down!

I was very disappointed with this program. Problems:

1) You have to put in the cdrom each time you run the program.
2) You have to watch the intro credits and exit credits each time you run it - there is no way to bypass them. This adds almost two minutes of useless fluff to every session.
3) The graphics and sound are distracting, and are not helpful in any way. There are 3D graphics showing finger placement that I found confusing. I just couldn't tell which finger was doing what. The program pauses every so often to give fairly useless comments.

After a few lessons I gave up. I've tried other typing tutor programs in the past, and I'll go back to them.