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Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 16 Deluxe (PC) | 
| From: Avanquest Software
Category: Software
List Price: £29.99
Buy New: £13.39
You Save: £16.60 (55%)
New (4) from £9.99
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 70
Platforms: Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows Xp, Windows 98
Media: CD-ROM
Number Of Items: 1
Operating System: Windows Me
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5016488112789
ASIN: B000ARE66M
Release Date: September 2, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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Product Description
Get your children up to speed with typing for computer use. The most boring (to adults), but addictive (to kids) software we have come across. This gets the "best value for summer holidays" award! Never have children been so determined to finish the exercises and become proficient keyboard operators.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Not much improved over older versions May 31, 2008
AfterTheEvent (Belfast)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I used Version 8 on Windows 95 to teach myself to type in the late 90s.
Then I thought it was great. It was a big help.
This version I expected to be more polished. Perhaps more scientific in it's approach; though really it hasn't changed much. Still good.
Purchased for my neice, installation hung on her XP machine during install/registration. Ctrl+Alt+Delete showed registration and installation to behave as two seperate applications. Killed registration and the installation proceeded.
The first thing I noticed was that the interface didn't scale well to a widescreen resolution of 1680 x 1050 some jumbled text in the options dialogue.
Installation problem + resolution irritation = minus one star.
Secondly: Even my niece (11) is irritated by the lack of keyboard navigation. The use of the enter key to start the next lesson would be a help. You have to reach for the mouse for every task.
This coupled with the fact that it runs full-screen (not in a window) is definitely minus another star.
The program occasionally gives / displays the wrong instructions for a UK keyboard but does register the correct key-presses - irritating.
The program doesn't appear to have changed in format much since version 8 which is a little disappointing. There is much more material but it's all much the same. I really thought teaching methods might have changed a bit though admittedly typing is still a muscle-memory skill.
This is generally useful and helpful software and could generally be recomended. It includes a Learn Word XP title as well which may be useful to some. While the actual training available from the software is of quite good quality the application as a whole is distinctly average.
 I have bought more than one version, I like it so much! March 30, 2008
Shantimar (Greece)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was already a very speedy typist when I bought Mavis Beacon for my husband, and for fun I tried the programme too: well, it immediately spotted my weak point: symbols and numbers (I rarely have to use them!), and earnestly presented me a lesson on those. I was mortified and I laughed, so started using it myself. This is one of the wonderful features: the programme sees where your weaknesses are, and in the next lessons concentrates on those. Then my son grew up, and started using it, then my daughter was born, and now she's almost 11 and has also started using it... of course it's a different version now, the third I own. I find it as brilliant as it was, although I must say that the changes from v.9 to v.16 are not that many. But then, if a thing is good as it is, why change it?
You have to be humble and patient, and Mavis will be very patient and very encouraging, even if you make a hundred mistakes: she will just say "OK, you need some more work on these keys. Let's begin a lesson with new combinations, and you will soon learn them".
An advice. If you want to see results, follow the programmes guidelines, don't rush to do the games (as my son does), just go through the lessons. You can easily repeat a lesson whenever you want, if you succeed at a test but still you don't feel confident (or if you succeeded by cheating, i.e. looking at the keyboard).
The interface is pleasant and relaxing, the music too, and gives you rhythm (but you can turn it off if it gets on your nerves, and put your own music or no music at all - or a metronome, if you so wish!).
A very nice feature is the keyboard with the moving fingers at the bottom of the screen (the key to be used is highlighted every time to help you see where it is). So you can start by not looking at your own keyboard and hands, just looking at the one on the screen, and then as you learn the keys don't look at anything but the text.
Who cares about the differences in spelling? You just have to copy what you see! If what you write beneath the examples is correct, it will be blue, errors are in red. You don't have to press "enter", it automatically goes to the next line. After completing the text, your WPM (word per minute)speed is measured, and then adjusted according to your mistake percentage, so that you are not tempted to type quickly but carelessly like a reviewer here who almost gave me a headache. Accuracy is far more important, and you are also encouraged to type rhythmically, with a steady rhythm. I had learned this in typing school, decades ago (in 1973, if you must know!), and I know how important is for developing speed.
The games in Mavis Beacon are great fun, although some can be stressful as you have to avoid sharks or crashing your iceberg etc... My children love creature creation, where by typing you can create fantastic creatures.
A useful video tutorial on how to sit correctly and align your arms and hands on the table for ergonomic work is also included.
OK, now on the funny note: Mavis Beacon's face gets whiter with each new version. Does this make for better sales?
I live in Greece and I had a font problem some years ago, which made use of the programme impossible (my font didn't align with their font, and everything I typed was marked as error). I e-mailed customer service. They were very quick to reply and helpful, although what they said didn't solve the problem - it was due to something else, I found out.
I recommend this programme to anybody. Yes, having British or French or Italian keyboard makes it useless, I agree. (I didn't have this problem because in Greece we use American/Greek keyboard).
Speedy typer thanks to Mavis Beacon March 10, 2008
Jo Brown (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have really learned form Mavis Beacon!!
I had a query if it was compatible with my computer so I contacted GSP customer suppert online and they got back to me really quickly and sufficiently. The product is Americanised but its not teaching you HOW to spell but HOW to type.(You should be able to figure the spelling bit out for yourself.) I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to learn how to type accurately and with speed.
 Be careful with this one February 17, 2008
Miss D (Mumbles)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Just bought this version and tried to install it on our brand new PC which is running XP...no GO, doesn't want to know yet, it simply will not respond/download. When I get more feedback I will leave another note here. But be careful. Our PC is brand new. However, my other Compaq PC which also runs windows XP has loaded "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 9" without any problems.
It's okay but could be better-designed July 31, 2007
Wayne Redhart (West Midlands, UK)
26 out of 31 found this review helpful
(Okayh, I've been practisign hard for a number oif weeks now so I'm going to test myself out by doing this as 'live' run to see how I'm doingso fqar.)
This is a pretty resasonabel prgoramme, with a decent range of optkons. NOt logn ago my tuyping skillls were prety non=existant and writing an onlone review could be an extremely slow process- taking uip ti hapf an hour *per setencne that is!). tHEse dyas I can type quite accjrately wihtout having to spend all of my tome lopking dowmn at my hands adn I can tyep at arounds80 worsd=per=minute. aS OTHER REVIEWRS HAVE POUNTED OUT, THE aMERICNA KEYBOARDS GHAVE DSIFFERENY PUNCTUATIOAN TO brITISG MODELS SO THE MOTRE ADVANCED EXERCXISES ARE PRETY USFELESS. aLSO, i FELT PPRESSSURED BYU SOME OF THE TIME-LIMITDS SO SOMETIMSE i TEDN TO RUSH TOOO MUCH. OH BUGGEWR THE CAPS LOCLK IS ONM
Okay, I've slowed down a little now, but my computer tells me that I averaged about 90 words-per-minute there- a new personal best! Perhaps I need to work on my accuracy a little more, but I'm definitely getting faster. As my piano teacher used to tell me- concentrate on achieving speed before accuracy. Or was it the other way round? Anyway, it was something to do with speed and accuracy...
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