Customer Reviews

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 16 [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This is an excellent program. My daughter uses it at school and loves it. However, when I installed it on her laptop (she has a limited user account under Windows XP Service Pack 2.), I received an error message "Could not create file for system settings." I went to the Broderbund website and found a technical note (ID: 39783)for this problem. The instructions work for XP prior to SP2, but they are completely useless under SP2. As a result, my daughter completes a set of lessons and, instead of moving on to the next lesson, the programs throws her back anywhere from 5 to 15 lessons. This has been sufficiently discouraging that she has given up on the program. The Broderbund site has no facility to send a question or inform them of a problem. I'm hoping someone from Borderbund will see this review and post a fix to their website. Without a fix for this problem, I'm stuck and this program unfortunately becomes a waste of time and money.

I looked forward to plunging in and getting my typing up to speed. The program sounded great! After I purchased the software and pulled half my hair out looking for a solution in the documentation and online I finally resorted to a long wait on hold to get to a tech. According to him, this program won't work on a wide aspect ratio screen! Now after all that exhaustive searching, one would think that a tid-bit like that might show up somewhere. As these screens are becominig very common, I suggested that information like that should be included somewhere. For the time being it is a closely held secret.

My son and I had been using Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Version 12, making progress and having zero technical difficulties. What a great program that one is -- especially in comparison to Version 16. Version 16 has numerous glitches. It frequently bumps my ten-year old son out of his lesson back into the classroom. You can imagine how this infuriates someone, particularly a little boy. Little things annoy also, like having 3 spaces after a period when I adjust the settings for 2. The music comes on after i've adjusted the settings for no music, etc.

The most infuriating of all is the lack of product support. No phone support, almost hostile voice on phone advising me that my call is being terminated when I chose a software support option. Constant referal to the online support website, which does not have an item corresponding to the problems we are experiencing. And careless response to my email.

Big disappointment after Version 12 was so great and funcitonal. We are looking at other software now and will no longer give enthusiastic recommendations for Mavis Beacon as we have in the past.

I'm a Mac user and it is beyond me how this program is ranked number one. Horrible graphics, lame GUI and finding support...good luck.
You have been warned... DO NOT BUY THIS
Mavis Beacon v16 equals complete junk!

I read all of the reviews about this program and I had concerns that it would not work with my operating system (XP SP2); however I took a chance and I have NO problems with this software and my operating system as previous reviews have noted. The installation was quick and without complications.

I learned typing in high school and for the last 15 years of my professional career I have typed using the wrong fingers and looking at my hands and I finally decided to be more effecient in my career I needed to REALLY learn to type. My 1st test with this software and not looking at my fingers, etc. I typed 10 WPM (ugh!). After using the software for about 2 hours I now type 45 WPM with 95% accuracy. I am quite impressed with this software and I would recommend to others.

I read the previous reviews about the problems people were having, however, I bought the program anyway, hoping I would be one of the lucky ones. No such luck. I have seen other Mavis Beacon programs so I knew it was exactly what I wanted. For a while, it was. The program taught me all the basic keys, but, then it quit acknowledging my success. No matter how perfect I do the lessons, it WILL NOT move on and keeps making me review the same lesson. The same problem another reviewer wrote about earlier. I have looked everywhere for a fix, but, cannot find one. I have removed/reinstalled the program, tried everything I could think of. To say I am discouraged and frustrated is an extreme understatement. I am sure I would have given it 5 stars had the program continued as it began. However, it is terribly lame to buy a typing program that fails to provide typing lessons :(

This is one of the very few companies that provides no technical suport at all. Do not buy it!!

I have owned Mavis Beacon before and one important factor about the program is the fact that it provides drills and has you work on the
placement of your hands and which finger to use on which key.

I used KP typing tutor freeware, which is great if you don't want to spend any cash, but really did not help as much with placement of your hands to the keyboard. Mavis Beacon also comes with games that are fun to play to build speed. But some of these games' graphics make me squint to read, so therefore I have to slow down.

I think you will be happy with Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 16 and because it is not the newest version buy it at a lower cost and save yourself some money!!!

Happy Typing!

I wish I could give them zero stars.

Broderbund pulled support for software I owned only 2 years after it was released.

I was unable to install it because it required internet registration which was no longer supported. To solve the problem, they offered to SELL me a different software title.

They must have thought I was stupid. They expected me to give them more money???

This company has second rate software and third rate customer service. Do not buy anything from them.

Avoid this product. Broaderbund hasn't done a decent update on this product. I guess they haven't heard of Windows. To boot it or leave it you have to click on one button after another through 2 screens and you can't move between it and other programs. What is with that?
Why can't your computer just remember who you are and where you are in the program unless instructed otherwise when you hit the Mavis button? After all it is a computer!
I don't know what else is out there but I wouldn't buy this again. Two thumbs down!