In this great age of computers, typing is an absolutely necessary skill. Only being able to peck away at keys greatly inhibits any efficiency you might have, whether you’re typing a document for work, a term paper or even just an email. Luckily, there are a number of apps out there to improve your typing skills, from lessons for beginners or games that work with advanced typers to continue improving your WPM.
These programs encompass a wide range of functions. Some of the programs are very full-featured, including lessons from the very basics, games, tests and drills. Other apps come at a much lower price, and they tend to focus on only one type of exercise, whether it’s lessons or a typing game. Read on to check out some great Mac apps dedicated to improving your typing skills.
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
Easily the most full-featured and well known of these applications, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing has been a leader in this area for years for a reason: it works. Mavis Beacon offers a multitude of lessons, great for beginners and advanced users. Each lesson offers a number of drills as well as corresponding games and video lessons.
The newest version of Mavis Beacon features 17 action typing games and also allows you type news feeds, classic novels and song lyrics for fun ways to practice typing. You are able to practice dictation skills, create lessons, learn about posture and more. There are also Mavis Beacon programs for kids, so if you want a full-featured typing app, look no further than Mavis Beacon.
Price: $39.99
Requires: Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later
Developer: Software Mackiev
Mavis Beacon
Spongebob SquarePants Typing
If you need an app that teaches children typing skills, Spongebob Squarepants Typing is great for them (or any other “grown-up” Spongebob fans). Spongebob’s typing program teaches touch-typing skills from the most basic level using 17 lessons and five different challenge levels. There is a story mode, drills, games and more.
Children are able to type out stories from the Spongebob show, compete in a tournament and pick up some great undersea facts. This program also offers a great statistics and tracking component.
Price: $19.99
Requires: Mac OS X 10.6.6
Developer: Encore Software
Spongebob Squarepants Typing
Typing Tournament v2
Typing Tournament is suitable for beginners and experienced typists of all ages. This app features a medieval story mode to progress through as you learn to type. In the end you battle the Dark Typist in a final challenge. Each lesson features drills, games and videos.
The app is fairly entertaining for being a typing app, and at the current sale price it’s definitely worth it. I wouldn’t recommend paying the full price for the app, however, as it doesn’t really have enough features or a nice enough interface to merit the price tag.
Price: $7.99 current sale price, normally $39.95
Requires: Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later
Developer: EdAlive
Typing Tournament v2
Typist
Typist is a no-frills, free typing tutor application. Typist offers a series of lessons and drills covering the basic keyboard and a number of drills to help increase your speed.
The program offers a great number of lessons, particularly for being a free app. There are a few annoyances that lack the option to turn them off, but for being a completely free app it’s well worth the hassle.
Price: Free
Requires: Mac OS X 10.6 or later
Developer: Takeshi Ogihara
Typist
Tooyan
Last but not least, there are a number of games available that are simple ways to practice typing in a fun environment. These games are typically fairly cheap and are great for more experienced typists.
Tooyan is a cute little game where you must pop the balloons that foxes are holding so that they can’t eat your pigs. It’s simple, cheap and a good way to practice typing every day.
Price: $1.99
Requires: Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later
Developer: Dream Design Entertainment
Tooyan
Conclusion
These are just a few of the apps out there, but they encompass a broad range of the types of applications you’ll find in this arena. If you are a brand new typist, I would recommend the Mavis Beacon program as it provides the greatest feature set and teaches well for any level of typing skill. Advanced typists would be more suited to the less pricey alternatives, whether it is a game like Tooyan or the speed drills in the Typist app.
These are some of my top choices, but I’d love to hear yours. What apps do you use to learn basic typing skills, or what kinds do you like to help increase WPM?