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I wish I could say the same for Broderbund's Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Version 10 Deluxe ($50), but the truth is, my fingers ache after each lesson. In my mind I know this is a good product, but learning to type properly is hard work. Still, Mavis' perky comments like, "Look out, world, here comes a great typist!" are reassuring--especially when I'm typing 15 words a minute. And the program adapts its lessons to tackle weak spots--in my case anything not on the home row. For a break, kids can play games like Far-off Adventure, in which typing in rhythm with accompanying music keeps a hot-air balloon afloat on the screen. The CD-ROM even has charts and graphs to track students' progress. A flexible program, it adapts the complexity of its language to the age of the budding typist, beginning at age eight. Someday I hope to become good enough to tap out a sonnet, one of the advanced options. But at the rate I'm going, let's just say I'm not holding my breath.
For Encarta, visit microsoft.com for Print Shop and Mavis Beacon, visit broderbund. com. E-mail Anita at hamilton@time.com