Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing facts for kids
1987 box art
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| Original author(s) | Norm Worthington, Walt Bilofsky, Mike Duffy |
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| Developer(s) | The Software Toolworks |
| Initial release | Late 1987 |
| Stable release |
20
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| Operating system | macOS, Windows |
| Platform | cross-platform |
| License | Proprietary |
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is an application software program designed to teach touch typing. Released in late 1987 by The Software Toolworks, the program aimed to enhance users' typing skills through a series of interactive lessons and games.
Mavis Beacon is an entirely fictional character, created for marketing purposes.
Contents
History
Background
Founded by Les Crane, Walt Bilofsky, and Mike Duffy, The Software Toolworks was known for its Chessmaster 2000, a chess simulator. The team then embarked on creating educational software. Norm Worthington and Mike Duffy also played a role in the program's development.
The original photograph used to depict Mavis Beacon was that of Haitian-born model Renee L'Esperance. The name "Mavis" was derived from Mavis Staples, the lead vocalist for the Staple Singers, and the surname "Beacon" was chosen for its association with a guiding light. Les Crane, the former talk-show host who was a partner in The Software Toolworks during its early years, played a role in creating the persona of Mavis Beacon.
Development
The program's early versions supported both the traditional QWERTY keyboard layout and the alternative Dvorak Simplified Keyboard layout.
Since its initial release in 1987, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing has undergone numerous iterations. The 2011 Ultimate Mac Edition by Software MacKiev introduced two-player competitive typing network games, integration with iTunes, Dvorak keyboard support, practice typing song lyrics, RSS news feeds, and classic novels. In 2021, Encore, Inc. released Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 2020.
Sales
In 1999, the series had sold over six million copies. In 2000, two products from the franchise were on the Top Selling Educational Software list. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 10.0 is in the fourth position, while Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 5.0 is ranked eighth.
Distributions of the software include MS-DOS, Apple II, Commodore 64, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Palm OS, and Amiga.
Gameplay
Users might find themselves racing a virtual car by accurately typing words that appear on the screen. The program also includes typing drills that present users with passages of text to type out. It provides a comprehensive overview of their progress. Successful completion of lessons and tests can result in the achievement of certificates.
See also
- Seeking Mavis Beacon
- Typequick
