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Rapid Typing Tutor may be a good program to help novice typists improve, but experienced typists looking to increase their speed may be frustrated by the program's interface.
The program contains a series of lessons that scroll across the screen as the user types. Users can choose from lessons consisting of letters, syllables, capital letters, digits and symbols, or text. As each lesson scrolls across, a keyboard diagram shows an outline of hands moving to the appropriate key. Users type through each lesson and are then shown their scores on speed, accuracy, and arrhythmic input. The main problem with the interface is that experienced typists tend to scan ahead in the text they're typing from, focusing on words or phrases rather than individual letters. Rapid Typing Tutor allows users to see no more than a few characters ahead. And since the speed of the scroll depends on the speed of the typist, those who are already fairly quick may find that the blur of text flying across the screen is hard to process visually. Users who are just getting familiar with the keyboard layout likely won't be bothered by this, but they may grow increasingly frustrated as their speed increases.
In general the interface could be more intuitive, but most users should be able to figure it out. Users can create lessons, but it doesn't seem possible to cut and paste text from elsewhere into a new lesson, which is disappointing. Installation and uninstallation are trouble-free. For free software without limitations, this program is a boon to aspiring typists. More advanced keyboardists may wish to look elsewhere.
Publisher's Description
From Typing Tutor Labs:
Rapid Typing Tutor is an innovative, feature-packed, and free touch typing tutor. Rapid Typing Tutor it supports nearly all known languages, including all European languages, Urdu, Thai, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Arabian. It also supports all existing keyboard layouts, including Dvorak, Dvorak for left or right hand, Colemak, BEPO, ABNT and a number of others, so users are not limited to learning to type in a single language using a single standard layout. The virtual keyboard of Rapid Typing is color-coded for better navigation and has virtual hands for extra realism. The program offers lessons for novices, advanced users and experts, so everyone will find a way to test their skills and improve them. Other notable features of the program include special lessons for the numeric keypad and special marks, saving of learning statistics and users' progress, a possibility to create custom lessons and modify standard ones, support for multiple users and import of touch typing lessons from plain text and RTF files.
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All versions:
3.8 starsout of 149 votes
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Current version:
4.3 starsout of 3 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-3 of 3
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"An excellent typing tutor"
Version: Rapid Typing Tutor 4.6.6
Pros
Helped me a lot to learn touch typing!
Cons
No cons. But there is one funny thing. They have various stories that you could practice and one of them is called The Show Queen, but it supposed to be The Snow Queen lol I mean it supposed to teach you type properly and their exercise is mistyped. Not complaining just saying :)
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"slightly longer on lessons then one would like,good"
Version: Rapid Typing Tutor 4.6.6
Pros
Good for dexterity
Cons
not sure if lessons should be a little shorter
Summary
have been using it , one of the better ones available
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"One of the best free typing tutors"
Version: Rapid Typing Tutor 4.6.6
Pros
This is a great little program and all you need to improve your touch typing skills
Cons
nothing I can think of
Results 1-3 of 3
