**** Power Typing Light (V. 3.4) **** HELP Thank you for evaluating Power Typing Light. PTL is the shareware version of Power Typing for Windows. It is de- signed to help you master touch typing with a minimum of effort. This system is fully menu-driven. Please ex- periment with all options and get a feel of how each option works. Here are a few explanations that may help you familiarize with the system: BASIC KEYBOARD DRILLS This section introduces you to the keys and finger placement on the keyboard. To help you find keys there is an on-screen keyboard. The system prompts you to press a key by high- lighting it. The drills are grouped to help you master the basic skill of touch typing at your own pace. To enter this section, click the "Basic Keyboad Drills" button in the main menu. The system will give you another menu of choices. Use your mouse to click the proper button that represents the key-group of your choice. TYPING GAME This is the fun section of Power Typing. It enables you to learn touch typing while having fun. You will be given a series of letters to type. To win the game, you must type quickly and accurately. The game will be very challenging if you adjust the skill-level to your actual typing speed. To enter this section of Power Typing for Windows, please click the "Typing Game" button in the main menu. NEW KEY PRACTICES After you have become familiar with a certain group of keys, you can practice typing them in the New Key Practices section. In this area you are asked to practice the new keys as groups (the best way to learn how to type). You will be asked to type combinations of several letters, designed to help you improve typing speed and accuracy at your own pace. Just click the third button in the main menu to start the New Key Practices. You will then get a menu similar to one for Basic Keyboard Drills (with a few additions). Then choose the letters that you have just learned. With these practices you will typing faster then you thought possible. You should plan to spend most of your time in this section. The additional exercises include the numeric Keypad (if you have one) and using the shift key (for capital letters). This section is designed to improve your typing speed and accuracy. The longer you practice in any one session, the more proficient you will become. PRACTICES AND TESTS This section gives you the chance to put your new skills to work. There are two areas in this sections. The first area is the practices which involves typing real sentences one line at a time. You should enter this area only after you are completely familiar with the keyboard. This area uses all the keys and makes typing more interesting. The second area is the tests. These are designed to test your typing skills. They emulate the standard civil placement typing-tests. You have 5 minutes to type as much as you can. You should consider both speed and accuracy. After the test is done, please evaluate your weakness and go back to work on the appropriate practice sections. Please also consult the progress report to see which key- groups are your problem areas. To get to the Practices and Tests section, please click the forth button in the main menu. CHANGE USER'S NAME When you first start the program you will be asked to enter you name. If another person would like to use the program and have his/her statistics recorded, then use this option. To cahnge the user's name, click the fifth button in the main menu. Then type your first name (8 characters max.) and press enter. CHANGE SKILL LEVEL Skill level is the level of difficulty in WPM that you choose to play. The levels go in 4 WPM increments. Level 1 is 4 WPM and Level 15 is 60 WPM. To change the level click the sixth button in the main menu. EXIT TO WINDOWS To exit to WINDOWS, please click the eigth button in the main menu. HELP When you click the "Help" button this information will be displayed. PROGRESS REPORT This report shows your overall achievement, as well as your achievements in different key-groups. It reports the total number of lessons/games, the amount of time you have worked, and your average typing speed and accuracy. The average WPM is based on the best five games among the last twelve. The goal is set according to the average WPM, with an increment of 4. The time required to reach this goal is based on the assumption that you spend 30 minutes a day with this system. To get to this report, click the 9th button in the main menu. if you like to have this report printed, please press F4 while displaying the report. Make sure your printer is ready. TOP TEN This report displays your top ten achievements in terms of typing speed. The list will also show your earnings from the WAF prize for that round of typing. To qualify for this list, the average accuracy of the game must be greater than 90%. To get to this report, click the 10th button in the main menu. If you intend to have this report printed, please press F4. LAST 12 GAMES This report displays the scores of your previous 12 games. It shows which key-group you were in, the average WPM, average accuracy, and the WAF prize-total for that particular round. To get to this report, click the last botton in the main menu. If you like to have this report printed, please press F4. WAF (Win-A-Fortune) Score In order to make this system fun and exciting, a WAF (Win-A-Fortune) score is offered, if the player's typing speed (WPM) is higher than the selected skill level and the number of typing errors is less than three. If he makes more than two errors, the score will be reduced by $50 for each additional typing error. The WAF score ranges from $200 to $1000, based on chance. The WAF scores may be converted to awards, if the player can find a sponsor. Many parents have report- ed that the following scheme of incentive has greatly stimulated their children to master touch typing: Suggested Schedule of Awards WAF Prize-total Award 3400 $0.25 4200 $1.00 4600 $2.00 5000 $5.00 ** The average score: $3000 ** The probability of earning a score of $3400 or greater: 31% ** The odds of winning a score of $5000: 3125 to 1 Touch Typing Touch typing means typing without looking at the key- board. Studies have shown that a competent typist is also a productive worker and quick learner in many fields. Many potential employers would love to see you, if you could type 50 WPM. Using a computer and a good typing program, you can reach this goal within 10 weeks, assuming that you spend 30 minutes in practicing every day. Here are a few tips on good typing habits: Finger Position With your fingers curved and positioned upright, place your fingers on the home keys: Right hand: asdf Left hand: jkl; Each finger is used to control one or two columns of keys: Keys Finger f g r t v b F-finger (L-1) d e c D-finger (L-2) s w x S-finger (L-3) a q z A-finger (L-4) j h u y m n J-finger (R-1) k i , K-finger (R-2) l o . L-finger (R-3) ; p / ;-finger (R-4) Left Hand Right Hand L-4 |L-3 | L-2 | L-1 | R-1 | R-2 |R-3 | R-4 Q W E R T Y U I O P A S D F G H J K L ; Z X C V B N M , . / L-4 |L-3 | L-2 | L-1 | R-1 | R-2 | R-3 | R-4 Place your thumbs slightly above the space bar. Use your right thumb to press the space bar. Use your right little finger to press the Enter key when called for, and return the finger to the typing position. Capitals: To type a capital letter controlled by a finger of the right hand, as H, depress the left shift with the left fourth (little) finger without moving the other fingers from typing position. Hold the shift key down until the key for the capital has been depressed; then release the shift key and return the finger to typing position quickly. Use similar technique to depress the right shift for a capital letter controlled by a left finger, as G. Your fingers should always return to the home keys after pressing a key. *** Registration **** Power Typing Light (PTL)is a shareware that has a two week evaluation period after which a payment of $16 is required. The payment entitles you to the commercial version of "Power Typing for Windows". REGISTRATION FORM ----------------- Edicom Systems 19785 W. 12 Mile RD. #601 Southfield, MI 48076 (810) 541-8889 Internet: jimsc@bbs.gatecom.com Power Typing for Windows For credit card orders, please call 1-(800)-242-4775 (ask for PsL). Name: ___________________________________________________________ Company: ________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: _________________ Country: _____________ Program Name: Power Typing for Windows Please send me ____________ copies at $16.00 = __________ Shipping US/Canada $2.00 = __________ or Shipping International $6.00 = __________ Total = __________ Disk Preference (check one) 3.5" _________ 5.25"___________ Non-U.S. checks must be drawn on a US bank. The registration fee must be in U.S. dollars.