eClaire

Hi all,

Just a little question

I really want to learn how to touch type, I can type semi quickly but not quick enough! Is there any good software out there that you can recommend?

TIA

Claire

OllyK

Mavis Beacon is the original. Personally I didn't get on with any of them. No substitute for time behind the k/b! I more or less touch type, not properly but I am fast enough.

Mice_Elf

Put pieces of plaster over each letter on the keys to hide them. Sit and type pages of books out into Word. Type emails to everyone you know.

Practice is the key.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

apparently I can semi touch type but I make so many spelling mistakes by typeing so quickly that it defeat the point so I like to take my time and get it right in the first place. During the morning my brain does not work as quick as my fingers, so I revert to the old 4 finger approach. Probably killed too many barin cells with the old JD's and stuff in my studentr days.


(above was touch typed )

eClaire

Thanks

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Just realised this isn't muppets...what are you doing out of the hutch??

BexTait

It's possible to leave the hutch isn't it?
I used Mavis Beacon for a time, but I was more interested in the games that there were to practice the skills! The only bit of touch type I can do after using Mavis (I got bored after a bit, then we got a new PC) is the num pad, which has proved useful to me when inputting numbers for coursework data etc.

red_dog104

I went to Pitmans to learn mine! One of the hardest things I've learned! Absolute killer. Started shorthand too but I've given up on that!

eClaire

LOL red!

Ali, I never really used Muppets that often a while back! Used hang in NSR

eClaire

I downloaded this program off the net, it seems pretty good! (http://www.senselang.com/) The only think is my wrists hurt

red_dog104

Tell you what Claire. You will find touch typing a killer if you are already quick cause you have to get out of your learned bad habits. Start now!! Mavis Beacon is supposed to be good though!

Your wrists and lower arms will kill you for a good few weeks! You get used to it eventually though! Best thing I ever did was learn to touch type!

GaryK

I dont agree with the whole ethos of touch typing, I kinda semi do it cos I know where the keys are (after 20 years use ) but they say you shouldnt look at the keyboard, look at the screen, I say bollox, I dont need to look at the screen cos if I look at the keyboard I know I've hit the wrong key anyway!

Gary

Mice_Elf

Red_dog - so you have any information on Pitmans? I've searched in the past and only found US information.

Thanks

eClaire

LMFAO @ Gary!

Ohno, if it hurst sod it!

LG John

I downloaded some random program years ago and taught myself. Takes a lot of patience but is worth it in the end

red_dog104

Pitmans

eClaire

Yeah, I have watched Saxo Boy typing, he goes at the speed of lightning! (I typed this without looking at the keys!

LG John

You should see some of the receptionist lasses at my work!! They must be twice as fast as me

milo

well i am relally good adn fast at typnig withotu lojking at teh keys.

Dracoro

I look at the screen and glance down at the keyboard from time to time. Normally when I need a symbol or suchlike (made more awkward given that I use a mac as well as a pc). I didn't do any lessons as such but have been using a keyboard since at school (15 years ago) and can probably type around 50wpm. Never use a spellchecker (basically coz I can spell and when I make an error, I can see it as I'm always looking at the screen).

I'm not sure if I've any bad habits that would stop me being able to get my speed any higher, but I don't need to go any higher.

Actually, I lie about not having lessons. I had some basic lessons from my mum (who can type at 100wpm+) many years ago so I guess I know the basics well enough to get me where I am today. In accepting this award, I'd also like to thank keyboard.co.inc for the keys, my fingers for the tapping, the screen for the looking and all you others for taking the time to read my drivel ...................................

eClaire

Hey this is quite easy! getting better already! It's a bugger having to look for the shift key!

Brendan Hughes

Worked briefly for KPMG management consultants. They had an intro guide, it said "the slowest part of the computer is the user". Wonderful comment, I always love quoting it when the big boss insists on having the latest computer but only types with two fingers.

Did mine using a book of exercises for typists (it was 1992). Spoke to a bunch of secretaries, ALL said the most important thing was not to look at the keyboard, so I practised with a couple of books either side and a piece of plywood balanced across, so even if I looked down I couldn't see anything! Took about 5 mths @ 30-40 mins a day. Very, very pleased I can do it, 30wpm average, can hit 40 (praps 45) if I practice. Looking at keyboard now slows me down. Wonderful when you need to type in a passage from a book/report, can do it only by reading the passage, don't need the screen. Continuing your report while looking at your boss standing behind you can also be quite impressive!

Got Mavis Beacon for my son, but a bit screwed as a) Portuguese keyboards aren't quite the same as UK/US, and b) we bought the Win 98 version but have XP, and it only works in XP for users with Admin privileges (which he hasn't got).

It's "habit", so don't expect a quick fix, but decide you can make serious time to try over the next 4-6 mths and you'll be very happy with the result.

I think there's a squillion free programs on the net, just google. I'd sell you my Mavis if the postage was worth it, but I doubt it from Portugal!

OllyK

Funny how I switch mine on in the morning and have time to go to the other end of the office, make a cup of coffe and get back again before it has logged on. My CPU is sitting at 100% most of the time and I am forever waiting for the damn thing to catch up with keyboard strokes and mouse clicks.

Jerome

I tried learning to touch typing a few years ago. I'm pretty quick anyway, I just wanted to be faster. However, for me, touch typing slowed me down so much that I wasn't getting my work done. I then reverted back to 6 finger (& 2 thumbs) typing and haven't looked back. I'm only wasting 2 fingers and can live with that.

I also like the fact I'm not staring at the screen for hours on end, non-stop. After 19 years of working with computers, I've still got 20/20 vision.

Also, I often see seasoned touch typists take ages to type anything in because they are constantly correcting mistakes- which seems to defeat the object somewhat...

Brendan Hughes

OllyK, hasn't that ZX81 got some antiquity value by now?

GaryK

So what is a good speed for a touch typist then?

Gary

eClaire

Hmmm, Interesting! I have a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128K, in full working order and about two black bin bags full of games! Worth anything?

Brendan Hughes

How long's a piece of string? I get by on 30wpm. Pros hit 100+, they can type at talking speed. I don't need that skill.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I can touch type
I was tought back in the good old days (i was 17 at the time) and can even type in the dark (dunno why thats good but you dont need to look at the keys as you cant see them )
The best way is to start by putting a tea towel over your hands and only doing small words on the middle layer on the keyboard, such as as or kad or lad, eventually you should be able to type abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz without looking, the weird thing is though, that i can type without thinking but to find a key i need to look down (its because its classed as being instinctive, and im looking out of the window just now typing this )
Your other option is doing an RSA typing course, as a night class or local authority run training programme.
You will find getting past certain words per minute targets hard as you have blocks, but you will overcome these and gain more speed

Tony

Brendan Hughes

BTW, had a stunning program for the Mac in about 93. Forgotten the name - Quest software? It got you to take a "vocab" test, and it would generate sentences with random verbs, adjectives and nouns, all in the semi-scientific /literary vocabulary. They would be nonsensical and incredibly difficult, I'd score about 26wpm on them. Then it would say to take a "book" test, which was just repeating a passage out of a book - "normal" English. After the hell of four or five vocab exercises, I'd score 40+ on the book tests.

Unfortunately the prog wouldn't run when I updated the Mac OS from System 6 to System 7, and never found it since.

Very simple but very, very effective.