Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 17 Standard

List Price: $19.99 Discount Price: $4.95

Features:

• Typing tutorial software with 250+ practice and custom lessons
• Practice speed, accuracy, and rhythm; entertaining arcade-style games
• Enjoy a freshly updated user interface with improved resolution
• Adaptive Response Technology adjusts lessons to age, skill, and progress
• Import your own MP3 files to listen to while practicing

Accessories:

PC World

Customer Reviews:

Works well when used in addition to "regular" typing lessons [Posted on 2007-01-07]
Advantages: 1) gives extra "practice" that isn't as boring as typing exercises from a book 2) speed tests give feedback on actual progress being made. 3) personal accounts keep everyone progressing at their own level (However, when used with children, they still must be carefully monitored to be sure they are using correct hand position or they will just reinforce poor typing skills.)

I teach a middle school computer class and realized that even though most of the kids have been using a computer since preschool, they are horrible when it comes to having to type anything more than a few words in length. As a part of our class, I teach them proper keyboarding strokes and hand position and make them practice 10 minutes per day. We use Mavis Beacon in addition to a traditional typing book, and it gives them some extra practice that is not as boring as constantly typing exercises from the book. They like playing the games, but I do have to keep my eye on them to be sure they use proper keyboarding hand position. The Mavis Beacon program really is valuable for the "extra" practice.

I purchased the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 17 for my own kids to use at home and learn to type correctly. I do have to monitor them to be sure they are using correct hand position, though, because it is not a stand-alone program for kids. Adults who wish to learn to type would have much success because they are more likely to monitor themselves, but kids tend to get wrapped up in beating the games and forget to use proper hand position.

**So, overall, I think it is a great product as long as it is used properly.**

Will burn your CPU [Posted on 2007-03-04]
This is obviously an old code packaged as new. You can see that from the moment you install it. It will also install 3rd party offers on your computer. It will use 98-100% of your CPU even if you do not type anything. I believe the code actively loops indefinitely reading the keyboard instead of registering a callback function for events from keyboard. In just a few minutes your CPU will get hot and your fan will run like crazy. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.

KLBILL [Posted on 2007-03-09]
I ordered this for my sister as a b'day present. She is "typing challenged" and has improved so much it is amazing. She enjoys the drills and seeing how much she is improving. Great product for any age

Well, it does teach you how to type... [Posted on 2007-06-08]
But there are many flaws. First off, it installs many third party programs on your computer in secret so you should do a custom install if it gives you the option, and DONT fill out the form that they have you fill out to register the product with your real information. They don't have customer service anyway, so this is just a ploy to sell your information. I tried getting a hold of customer service because I cannot get the program to run full screen on my xp system for some reason and you're given the run around by their website and end up with no one to contact. No email address- No phone #...Nothing. It gives you the option to type two spaces after the period instead of one, but the option doesn't work all the time. It looks like a program from the mid 90's that they're trying to pass off as recent. I will not deny that this program brought my typing speed from 30 to 50 words per minute with daily practice which is why I gave it 3 stars, but I don't see why another program with no flaws couldn't do the same. I haven't been able to compare products and maybe this really is the best program for learning how to type, but all I can say is- If there's any way around ordering a Borderbound product, you should do so at all costs.

Previous purchasers of the Mavis software [Posted on 2007-10-05]
This is terrible. I had purchased Mavis back in the day and now with my children needing to type I thought this was the product to buy because of my computer operation system incarnations. I thought, MAVIS...the software I had eight years ago, but:

After reading the posts...

If there is no help or no support or no avenue for this software, then I would have to say, don't buy it. (I say this with a heavy heart. Mavis, what happened.)

I shall have to search elsewhere for my children's typing software...sorry

Sincerely,
Daniel Craig
Arizona

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