stewartw@neptune.UUCP (Stewart Winter ) (05/03/88)
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Our link was down for a week and a half. This may or may not
have gotten out. Hope you enjoy this as much the second time as
the first. Stewart
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Review of Intellitype:
Having sold my mother on an Amiga, she decided that she needed to know how
to type to make good use of it. Therefore, I had to find a typing tutor
suitable for a novice typist (hunt and peck) who is ~50. The two choices in
the store were Intellitype and Mavis Beacon. I will briefly discuss the
reasons for my choice after the review.
Intellitype is set up very well for the beginner. First, you must type
in a diagnostic test which evaluates your capability. It then recommends
which lesson you should start at. It keeps track of each student using a
different STUDENT: disk for each. The student then starts up intellitype
for the next lesson when they want to. Intellitype will warn you if you
are taking your lessons too often or not often enough. The lessons are
designed to teach you to type in either 30 or 60 days. The lessons start
out simples (home row ASDFJKL;) and work up to entering a long story.
INTELLITYPE
RATING: Very Good
My mother will not keep up with something if it is boring to her. She has
kept up with her typing lessons and tells me that she enjoys them. The best
sign perhaps is that she has not had to look down at the keyboard at all,
except to get started.
USER INTERFACE: Excellent
The lessons are well structured. The documentation is good. Even a very
novice computer user will have NO trouble doing this. The lesson plan is
the strong point of intellitype. It really handholds you, but you can
override this by "browsing".
ERROR DETECTION/CORRECTION: Very Good
As you type, Intellitype keeps track of not only simple typos, but also
more sophisticated errors such as using the wrong shift key, transposition
of letters (vevry instead of every). Keeps track of accuracy and speed for
each character on the keyboard.
Intellitype recommends extra lessons or practice sessions if it thinks
you are not progressing well through the course.
LITTLE (NICE) EXTRAS: Good
A clock in the corner keeps track of how long your lesson has been going on.
(Each lesson is 45 minutes in length)
RECOMMENDATION: Seems very good for a adult beginner.
PART 2: Why I didn't choose Mavis Beacon.
Mavis Beacon has some nice features not found in Intellitype, but overall
seemed to be better suited for someone who can type and wishes to improve
their ability. The one really noticeable feature was a metronome which could
be turned on.
On the down side, the lesson plan did not compare. The user interface was
not as simple. The display was very busy and distracted from you concentrating
on what you were supposed to type.
It simply seemed better suited for someone interested in improving rather
than learning typing.
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Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated P.O. Box 9707
VOICE: (613) 738-1440 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Dr.
UUCP: uunet!cognos!neptune!stewartw Ottawa, Ontario
"My dog's father is Wil the Wheaton." CANADA K1G 3Z4
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Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated P.O. Box 9707
VOICE: (613) 738-1440 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Dr.
UUCP: uunet!cognos!neptune!stewartw Ottawa, Ontario
"Not likely, he excaimed!" CANADA K1G 3Z4