Customer Reviews

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 16 Deluxe (PC)

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

 

 

I've been using the non-deluxe version of MB for a couple of weeks now, and I'm making good progress with my touch-typing - at least as far as the ordinary letter keys go. However, there are a few problems with the program. Firstly, it's American, so it uses American spellings, and there is no way to change this. Secondly, and probably more seriously, American keyboards are NOT identical to British keyboards - the QWERTY layout is the same, of course, but when it comes to the position of non-alphabetic characters like $, @, £, # etc, they are in different places - so Mavis Beacon's directions actually become misleading. Again, there's no way to change this. Having said all this, learning to touch-type is definitely a worthwhile endeavour, so good luck with it!

I bought this product after a recommendation from a friend, and a need to speed up from my typing!

The program is really easy to install and use, and the program is easy to follow.

The games are a good feature, and provide a more entertaining way to learn.

I am very pleased I purchased this product and am continuing to use it to improve my typing skills.

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 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.

In an attempt to counter the negative review... this program is great. I learnt to type with version 1 almost 12 years ago - it took me 2 weeks to go from my fairly speedy 2-finger typing to full touch-typing at about 25 words/minute.

It is user-friendly and not intimidating.

Contrary to the review above, you are NOT learning to completely control the computer from the keyboard, you are learning to type - and this program succeeds.

I've just bought this version for a relative and I thought it was just as good, if not better, than the version I learnt with all those years ago.

BUY IT!

I've had no end of problems with this software.

I learnt to touch type with Mavis Beacon 15 years ago. This time I wanted to learn the numbers and symbols. Everytime I have tried this version of Mavis Beacon it has crashed. I contacted the software company whose name appears on the box. I went throught their FAQ's and did what was suggested. I filled in a form online, I got an automated email to say they would deal with my problem in due course. 12 days later I have heard nothing.

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).

Well I used Mavis Beacon gosh.... 19 years ago and it was the perfect solution to learn and build up typing skills. I also used it for fun (PC games were not in abundance in those days...) As a now Training Manager I have had a few people ask me lately for some trainnig on typing skills and this is the first thing I think of in these sitations. I'm sure it has moved along since then but it definately helps and the test are rarely the same.

The lessons are set so that you understand where the keys are on the keyboard. You are guided by looking at the visual hands and not at the keyboard; you learn through exercises and repetition. The next step is reviewing the keys you have just learnt. The chart of your progress is very good because it shows you how you are doing and what you need to practice. For relaxation the games section is brilliant, it's set for accuracy as well as for fun. The lessons stay at your level until you have mastered them. Excellent!

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.