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 a computer program that helps people learn how to type without looking at the keyboard. This skill is called touch typing. The program first came out in late 1987. It was made by a company called The Software Toolworks. Its goal was to make typing easier and faster for everyone.
The character named Mavis Beacon is not a real person. She was created just for the program's advertisements.
Contents
The Story Behind Mavis Beacon
How the Program Started
The Software Toolworks was a company started by Les Crane, Walt Bilofsky, and Mike Duffy. They were already well-known for another popular game called Chessmaster 2000. Norm Worthington and Mike Duffy also played a big part in making the typing program.
The famous character, Mavis Beacon, was first shown using a picture of a model named Renee L'Esperance. She was from Haiti. The name "Mavis" came from a singer named Mavis Staples. The last name "Beacon" was chosen because it means a guiding light. Les Crane, one of the company's founders, helped create the idea of Mavis Beacon.
Developing the Program Over Time
The first versions of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing worked with different keyboard styles. These included the common QWERTY keyboard and the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard.
Since its first release in 1987, the program has been updated many times. For example, the 2011 Ultimate Mac Edition added new features. These included typing games for two players and the ability to practice typing song lyrics. It also let users type along with news feeds and classic books. In 2021, a company called Encore, Inc. released Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 2020.
How Many Copies Were Sold?
By 1999, the Mavis Beacon series had sold more than six million copies. In 2000, two versions of the program were among the best-selling educational software. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 10.0 was the fourth most popular. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 5.0 was the eighth.
The software was available on many different computer systems. These included MS-DOS, Apple II, Commodore 64, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Mac, Microsoft Windows, Palm OS, and Amiga.
A Documentary About Mavis Beacon
In 2024, a movie called Seeking Mavis Beacon was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. This documentary looked into how the Mavis Beacon character came to be. The filmmakers found out that the woman on the software box was not named Mavis Beacon. It was Renee L'Esperance, the Haitian model. She was paid $500 for the photo. She was not involved in making the software or selling it. She also did not share in the money the program earned. Renee L'Esperance herself does not appear or speak directly in the documentary.
How to Play and Learn
The program makes learning fun with different activities. For example, users can race a virtual car by typing words correctly. There are also typing drills where you type out passages of text. The program keeps track of your progress. When you finish lessons and tests successfully, you can earn certificates.
Mavis Beacon's Impact
The mini-games in the Mavis Beacon series helped start a new type of video game. These are called typing games. Many of these games are small, creative games made by independent developers. While they often teach typing, they also use typing as a main way to control the game.
See also
- Typequick
