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Typing Genius - Review
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By: Typing Genius
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Typing Genius is the ultimate way to practice and improve your typing skills on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Now is the time to get your touch typing up to speed! Show users of other mobile devices and blackberries the true power of the software keyboard. Progress through practical exercises and track your results -- prove that typing without a physical keypad can be fast and accurate! |
I was speaking to someone last night. Toward the end of the conversation we both went to make a few notes. I pulled out my iPhone and she pulled out her... Motorola Q. The conversation went something like this --
Her -- "You like that thing?"
Me -- "Love it!"
Her -- "I tried one but never was able to get used to using the keyboard."
Me -- "Since I started using this almost a year and a half ago I find I can't go back to a physical keyboard."
Her -- "But it's impossible to type on."
Me -- "Actually like typing on it more than a physical keyboard, you just need to trust the keyboard, not think too much, and just plow through typing what you need to type. Inevitably, almost magically, the right words seem to be input by the iphones corrected text function. Oh, and now that most applications allow you to use the devices what's in landscape, it's even easier."
Her -- "I'll stick with my physical keyboard."
As I've written before, one of the barriers to the iPhone being adopted even more widely than it has been is its lack of a physical keyboard. The striking thing about it is that, for me, it's one of the most positive aspects of the device. Sure, a certain percentage of people will have a preference for a physical keyboard over a virtual one no matter what happens. All the same, I truly believe that many of the people who have been reluctant about getting an iPhone because of its lack of a physical keyboard could easily get over that concern with a little practice.
There have been a number of applications which have tried to offer that practice but this one is, by far, the best I have seen.
Typing Genius provides a wide variety of typing exercises that can help you become faster and more accurate with the iPhone's keyboard. This is true whether you are brand-new to the iPhone, or quite experienced with it.
The first thing worth noting is the excellent series of tips provided by the application. While it takes just a few minutes to read through them, they are definitely worth reading. The exercises themselves are numerous and better conceived than any I have seen on other typing tutorial applications. It offers a number of levels of difficulty from basic, to intermediate, to advanced, to pro. In addition, it offers a number of different "practical" exercises. You can practice 100 popular words or series of sentences phrases or slang.
What makes this application stand out in my mind is the fact that the "basic" exercises are broken down into exercises that use the left-hand side of the screen, the right-hand side of the screen, both sides of the screen, or capitalization. That is an excellent way to really practice improving your speed and accuracy while using both of your thumbs. In addition, each of the exercises offers three different settings. You have the option to hold the iPhone in portrait mode with the auto correct setting on, in landscape mode with the auto correct setting on, or in portrait mode with AutoCorrect turned off. Having a variety of options means you can improve your speed and accuracy on multiple levels.
Finally, it's worth noting that the application keeps a record of your statistics and allows you to measure your improvement over time or challenge a friend if your competitive streak requires it.
In all, I find this to be an excellent application that is worth getting regardless of whether or not you are new to the iPhone.
Quick Take
Value: High
Would I Buy Again: Absolutely
Learning Curve: Low
Who Is It For: Anyone who uses the iPhone or iPod Touch
What I Like: Very useful at helping anyone who owns an iPhone or Touch becomes faster and more accurate with their typing
What I Don’t: Nothing
Final Statement: This is an app everyone should have and use. If you are new to the iPhone it will help you get over your physical keyboard addiction. If you are a virtual keyboard veteran it will help you become even faster at typing
