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Typing Software – Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 18 Review

Are you still looking at your keyboard when you type? If so, imagine being able to touch type without looking or worrying if you’re typing correctly. Typing software – Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 18 being reviewed here can make a world of a different with a “hunt and peck” approach to typing. For those unfamiliar with the term, a writer searches for a letter on the keyboard and hits it usually with one or two fingers. With Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 18, you’re only a few lessons away from becoming an experienced typist. Truth is, it’s easy and it’s FUN!

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 18 Details


  • Practice on 10 arcade style games
  • Choose from over 2500 lessons
  • Exercises for finger positions
  • English or Spanish Typing Instructions
  • For Windows XP/Vista and Macintosh OS 10.4-10.5
  • Product Dimensions are 5.5 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight is 2.4 ounces
  • Developed by Software Toolworks


Your Computer System Must Meet These Requirements

Make sure your computer can support this application. Mavis Beacon works well on Windows and Macintosh.

Windows Xp (Home & Pro) Sp2/Vista¹, Pentium Iii 700 MHz or Higher (800 MHz Processor for Vista), 128 MB Ram (512 MB Ram for Vista), Video Card With 32 Mb of Video Ram, 800 X 600 24-Bit Color Display (1024 X 768 Resolution Recommended), Windows Compatible Sound Card, Speakers, Keyboard & Mouse.

Macintosh requires Os X 10.4 – 10.5, Powerpc G4, G5 or Intel Core Duo Processor, 800 MHz Processor or Higher, 256 Mb Ram, Video Card with 32 Mb of Video Ram, 1024 X 768 24-Bit.

Both systems require computer speakers, keyboard, mouse, CD/DVD-Rom drive, and 300 Mb of free hard disk space. Plus, Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view Mavis Beacon User Guide, that is also downloadable for free from company’s website.

¹Windows Xp and Vista require users to activate Administrator Privileges in order to properly Install the program. Unfortunately, these privileges aren’t activated during the activation process. Users must set up the program to “Run as Administrator” by using Authentication Key. Follow the steps for this process below:

  1. Right Click on the icon which starts the program.
  2. Left Click on Properties
  3. Left Click on the Compatibility Tab
  4. Check the box for “Run this Program as Administrator”
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Proper fingering position on keyboard

Pros

At $14.95, these lessons are extremely affordable!

Easy lessons that are GREAT at teaching typing with simple, enjoyable repetitions.

Comes in a children’s version and one for professionals.

Good, clear instructions.

Rated 3.7 out of 5 Stars!

Capable of having multiple users with one license.

Great return policy.

Mavis Beacon has been around since 1987.

Cons

Mavis Beacon lessons display
Screen shot of Mavis Beacon typing lesson.

Check first to see if the application will work on your Macintosh. Some users have complaints that it does not work on MacBook Pro.

Application is in need of a face lit. The graphics are a bit old-fashioned.

No on-line downloadable version.

After achieving a 50-words-per-minute speed on typing tests, application may become glitchy.

Conclusion

Mavis Beacon games
Screen shot of Mavis Beacon game.

One of the best parts about this software are the games, that are primarily designed for children, but fun for any age. It is an intuitive program too, that has the ability to shift its intensity based on the progression of the user. In other words, as you move through the exercises, the program can give you an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, that will act as a guide through the remaining lessons. It has greatly increased my skill level, even though I learned in school many years ago.

I’d mentioned in another post that I can type nearly at the speed of my thoughts, but had not expressed how wonderful it is to fill a page in a matter of minutes. It’s quite an extraordinary concept. For those who make their livings writing, typing is practically a mandatory skill.

If you’ve found this review helpful, please leave a comment below. Thank you.




 

 

 

 

 

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Dragon Naturally Speaking Review

Here’s a concept, speak rather than type all computer functions without having to use a pesky computer keyboard and mouse! Sounds FANTASTIC! Right? Well, it is. There is an application that will make this reality possible. It’s made by a company called Nuance Communications and it’s called Dragon Naturally Speaking. With a little setting-up and a few vocal adjustments, you can be a voice-activated, hands-free computer user. Take a look at some of the details below.

Dragon Naturally Speaking Details:


  • Speak naturally and software types, opens and closes computer applications, and learns phrases and word usage enabling it to become more personalized, and voice-driven.
  • Includes Nuance approved microphone.
  • Software is equipped with tutorials making it easy to master application functions.
  • Package has a DVD-ROM for installation
  • Dictate in all areas where one would normally type functions.
  • Nuance has Customer Service 1 (800) 654-1187 and Technical Support 1 (770) 702-6014 for problem solving.
  • Size is 7.5 x 5 x 2.5 inches
  • Weight, when shipped, is 4.8 ounces

Everything user needs is included in package to begin the process of making your computer a fully functioning voice-command marvel.

Before You Buy Dragon, Refer to the System Requirements

  • Dragon works best with a minimum of 2 GB (32-bit) for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, and 4 GB (64-bit) Windows 7, 8, 8.1. Plus, Windows Servers 2008 R2, 2012, and Windows 10.
  • CPU – Minimum 2.2 GHz Intel dual core or equivalent AMD processor.
  • Application needs hard disk space of 4 GB
  • Dragon functions with Internet Explorer 9 or greater, Chrome or Firefox
  • It needs a sound card supporting 16-bit recording


Pros

Dragon can assist those with limited computer skills, allowing them to replace all mouse and keyboard functions with verbal commands.

Great for writers who can dictate faster than they can type.

Dragon has a 30-day money back guarantee.

Easy installation and voice recognition practice homework included.

Dragon supports Microsoft Office 2010 & 2013.

Dragon receives 3.2 out of 5 stars!




 

Cons

Nuance’s latest version 13 receives mixed reviews because of its accuracy or lack of accuracy in voice recognition. It costs $52.48 verses their older version, 12, that costs $78.82 (The latter is the one this reviewer recommends.)
Dragon’s mistakes are difficult to correct because many are pronunciation and not spelling. In other words, Dragon may hear speaker dictate “where”, when “wear” is the correct word. This may require extra editing.

Dragon does not support dictation into Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. However, there is a Dragon Medical Practice Edition for this area. Please be aware that the medical software is over $1,000 to purchase.

Nuance’s Customer Service needs improvement. Contacting them may try your patience, making refunds difficult to obtain. Sometimes customers are referred to Nuance Community of users for the answering of their questions.

Installing the downloadable version of Dragon can be problematic. Wait for the CD-ROM instead.

<a style="background-color:black;color:white;text-decoration:none;padding:4px 6px;font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.2;display:inline-block;border-radius:3px;" href="https://unsplash.com/@carlheyerdahl?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=photographer-credit&utm_content=creditBadge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="Download free do whatever you want high-resolution photos from Carl Heyerdahl"><span style="display:inline-block;padding:2px 3px;"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="height:12px;width:auto;position:relative;vertical-align:middle;top:-1px;fill:white;" viewBox="0 0 32 32"><title>unsplash-logo</title><path d="M20.8 18.1c0 2.7-2.2 4.8-4.8 4.8s-4.8-2.1-4.8-4.8c0-2.7 2.2-4.8 4.8-4.8 2.7.1 4.8 2.2 4.8 4.8zm11.2-7.4v14.9c0 2.3-1.9 4.3-4.3 4.3h-23.4c-2.4 0-4.3-1.9-4.3-4.3v-15c0-2.3 1.9-4.3 4.3-4.3h3.7l.8-2.3c.4-1.1 1.7-2 2.9-2h8.6c1.2 0 2.5.9 2.9 2l.8 2.4h3.7c2.4 0 4.3 1.9 4.3 4.3zm-8.6 7.5c0-4.1-3.3-7.5-7.5-7.5-4.1 0-7.5 3.4-7.5 7.5s3.3 7.5 7.5 7.5c4.2-.1 7.5-3.4 7.5-7.5z"></path></svg></span><span style="display:inline-block;padding:2px 3px;">Carl Heyerdahl</span></a>
Imagine all you can accomplish!

Final Words on the Subject

Having purchased this software several years ago, I am a believer of its good qualities. There is a learning curve, though, for the software to recognize your voice pattern. However, once this is accomplished, this software is quite the handy tool. I’m fortunate to be able to type at the speed of my thoughts, yet I still use this software especially when I’m too tired to type. Writing books of 200-300+ pages can be tiresome, so having this sort of application can really come in handy.

As with all software, at times, the technology takes a while to catch up with the needs and demands. Each revision seems to include improvements, but somehow manage to leave out some of the more useful capabilities. This is true, unfortunately, with Dragon. I prefer the earlier versions to the latest. Hard to say what went wrong with the upgrades. Having said that, Blackcurrant Press recommends Dragon Naturally Speaking version 12. There are great applications here for having a hands-free computer. Can you think of any? Click Here to find more information.

Please leave a comment below if you found this review helpful. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

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A Publisher’s Opinion on the Importance of a Good Book Cover

Here’s a Publisher’s opinion on the importance of a good book cover.  Imagine buying an expensive piece of jewelry, a ring perhaps or bracelet. Now, think about a special someone who will be the recipient of this gift. Now, place it in an ordinary box like the ones found at a grocery store.  Then wrap the box in a crumbled paper bag. Not a great way to present a fine present, right? In fact, this will not be well-received at all unless the objective is to throw the recipient off in guessing what’s inside. This is an analogy of what happens with book covers all too often. An author spends days, months, or even years crafting their novel, only to dress it in rags.  Unless the book is about rags, this technique is ill-advised.

What is the purpose of the book cover?

Book covers have quite a few sections all purposely designed in order to inform readers, merchants, and libraries about the content within. In other words, it is an informational device and marketing tool of significance.

The dust jacket (sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover) of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a summary of the book from the publisher (known as a blurb), and/or critical praise from celebrities or authorities in the book’s subject area. In addition to its promotional role, the dust jacket protects the book covers from damage. However, since it is itself relatively fragile, and since dust jackets have practical, aesthetic, and sometimes financial value, the jacket may in turn be wrapped in another jacket, usually transparent, especially if the book is a library volume.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_jacket] See illustration below of a hard cover book template. Soft covers do not have back or front flaps.

Hard Copy Book Cover Template Sample
hard cover book template

The lists below the bold cover section titles in the illustration above are the items that are typically found within those sections. Of course, these items need not be present on all book covers, however, the title, author’s name, bar code, price and ISBN must be present on the cover. Without the bar code, merchants will not be able to sell the book because this code holds the basic information about the product, tracking for inventory and publisher and distributor identification.

Hard Copy Book Jacket Cover 

Poor-ducing Theatre book cover

Above cover is from writer, Carl Clay, a book about producing theater and film at Black Spectrum Theatre sold in the Shop.

What about the book cover picture?

This can be a very subjective area, like all art, not everyone likes the same thing. That is why there are impressionists, abstract artists, realists, etc. Therefore, one cover design or formula cannot please all audiences. However, there are basic rules cover makers should follow.

Art work should be sharp and presentable with a minimum of 300 dpi resolution. The easiest way to describe this is to say that when the picture is magnetized to 400 in a photo viewer, the picture should still look sharp and not fuzzy. In other words, only use high quality photos, pictures and illustrations. Printers will typically ask designers to adhere to these conditions and some will even demand cooperation because the finished product now attaches their name and reputation to the work.

In the post-war era, book covers have become vitally important as the book industry has become commercially competitive. Covers now give detailed hints about the style, genre and subject of the book, while many push design to its limit in the hope of attracting sales attention. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_cover]

What about the content on the cover?

The content on the cover should give readers some clues to the story within. Good covers simply echo the book title, for example, book title Walk in the Park might have a picture or illustration of a park. Great covers tell a story in and of themselves, for example, book title The Eclipse might have a moon partially covering the silhouette of a man carrying a weapon. Both of these examples aren’t based on actual books, but are given in order to spark imaginations.

Best to think of the book cover similarly the way movie trailers are perceived, as ways to engage an audience and entice them into coming to see the show. Anything less than that, is a waste of valuable space on one’s cover.

What tools are used to make book covers?

Software in this area has come a long way, not to mention access to such powerful tools. Printing presses used to be the standard method for creating books and covers. Authors would have to go to a printing company and pay them to have their books and covers done. However, now-a-days nearly every household contains a personal computer. Publishing capabilities are no longer just in the hands of printing presses, but are now in the hands of the consumer.

In the opinion of Blackcurrant Press, one of the best book publishing software applications available is InDesign. A designer can either upload a cover template or create their own in this application and build their cover. Unfortunately, learning the InDesign application may not come naturally to users who are only used to Microsoft Word. This application has a few more features and capabilities. Plus, the price tag for this application ranges from $900-$1,200+ depending on package variation. Of course, for those who do not wish to learn a new software or create their cover on their own, outsourcing is the way to go. Book cover designers are plentiful and most will work within their clients’ budget.

Another good book publishing software application is Quarkxpress. This software has been around a while and some designers may not be familiar with it at all. It’s not as user-friendly as InDesign, nor as integrated with other applications. However, with a little effort and ingenuity, this application is capable of doing most of the things that InDesign can with a smaller price tag of $850. Again, outsourcing book cover production is always an option.

A favorite, of course is PhotoShop, with a price tag of $240.  It has a great deal of capabilities like the others, though basically known for its photo altering tools.

Also, there are websites that allow users to create a cover for FREE!  Try Canva, or Kindle Direct Publishing, or Create Space, to name a few.

Conclusion

Below are some samples of great book covers.  Hopefully these will inspire budding authors to create their own works of art!

example of a good book cover

 

Notice the picture is clear and high resolution.  It is a photo of a street in Tuscany.  It has a quote on the cover as well as an award.

 

A Publisher's opinion of a good book cover

Notice the words ‘the woman’ appear as if they’re peaking through the window blinds.  It has a best seller honorable mention and a quote.

 

 

This book cover shows the important of a book cover

Notice the word ‘Me’ wrapped around the Empire State Building.  Also, the author’s title mentions another book of distinction.

 

 

This Publisher’s opinion on covers is to ask writers to take a look at books similar to theirs. The intention for this is to illustrate industry quality and standard.  It would be lovely to report that this technique always works. Unfortunately, some writers do not believe that book covers matter.  To them, we say, “Sometimes the old barn needs a little paint!”

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please leave a comment below.

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Typing vs. Writing – Which is Better?

Mike Tinnon
Photo by Mike Tinnon

Typing vs. Writing – Which is Better? To Type or Write Long-hand – that is the question when starting one’s novel.  Ultimately, it’s author’s choice and which ever feels the most comfortable.  It is such a personal choice that each have merit.  Some like the flow of the pen ink as it glides along a blank page.  While others prefer tapping away on their lap tops for hours on end.

At Blackcurrant, when typing prose, poetry, novels, short-stories, lyrics, etc. a computer – WINS!   Also, there is a mighty good reason to type when one writes!  When typing one page per day as author of a book, by year’s end, will be 365 pages complete.  This way an editor can receive the work in less than a two minute e-mail and start refining one’s work into a masterpiece.  A writer can quickly become a published author!

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Photo by Nordwood

 

Now, if you prefer writing your pages out in long-hand, eventually those pages will have to be typed because most editors and publishers require it to be so.  Depending on how fast you type or how much money you have to pay someone else to type for you, will determine how long it will take to get your pages out to your editor.  At Blackcurrant, we’ve had many writers in this situation, and some of them weren’t typist and had very little money to hire one.

 

 



I wrote my first novel, Smart, Sexy, Spiritual, Strong  in long-hand.  I feel as if I’m still writing it because I had so many re-writes to do prior to publication.  It took me five years to finish this novel because I couldn’t make changes easily.  My advice, don’t waste time – type!

USING PAPER?  Save the Planet Along the Way

I use my scrap paper on both sides.  I simply pick it up off the floor (chuckle…chuckle) and put it into my printer face down.  This accomplishes three things:

1) If it is face down, I don’t have to look at the horrible draft I’ve just finished

2) I’m saving the planet, and

3) I’m saving up in case this whole writing thing doesn’t pay off!! (chuckle…chuckle)           

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” —Thomas Jefferson