Download the Alenka program. Touch typing: free online keyboard simulators. Touch typing: top keyboard trainers

When typing texts, speed is very important, and this indicator is especially relevant for typists, journalists, operators of paging companies - i.e. for those who constantly work with text.

It is clear that when typing with the index fingers of the right and left hands (as they are the most developed), the speed will be minimal, while touch typing gives 150 characters per minute, and even more. After all, during normal typing, you need to read the text from a sheet of paper, look at the keyboard, find the necessary letters and, making a fan of your fingers, type in the words you remember. The blind method allows you to read a paper original and at the same time, without looking at the keyboard, type text. In this case, all 10 fingers are used (this is the so-called ten-finger method), each of which is responsible for a specific area of ​​the keyboard. That is, the fingers in the initial state are on the keys F, S, B, A for the left hand and on O, L, D, F for the right, while the thumbs tap on the spacebar.

When using the blind ten-finger method, typing occurs reflexively, on a subconscious level, when it is not individual letters that are remembered, but their combinations. This is the secret of fast typing with minimal typos. Although the QWERTY keyboard layout was not originally intended for speed typing, significant success can be achieved using this technique. The main thing is to have something to train on (cats have nothing to do with it :)).

Among the many different programs, I found those that can be classified as keyboard simulators.

Conventionally, they can be divided into several categories. To the first I will include those intended only for improving typing skills. Such simulators will not help beginners, but they will be useful for everyone else. The second class includes simulators specially designed for training from scratch. As a rule, they are built in the form of a game and are aimed at creating a feeling of comfort and convenience with a gradual complication of tasks.

So, the keyboard simulators themselves.

The program is a training system of 47 levels. Each next stage differs from the previous one by adding letters. Before starting practice, you must complete training to at least level 6. However, this cannot be done without registration - only 3 levels of training are available in demo mode.

In the simulator you can choose your skill level (from beginner to professional), change the keyboard layout and interface language. When working, your task is to have time to press the letter that falls on the keyboard. At the same time, intermediate statistics are kept at the top of the screen, consisting of the percentage of hits and errors. The final result is displayed as a separate menu item in the form of a print speed diagram and an error diagram.

The impression of the program is spoiled by the fact that it does not have any reference or training documentation. And so, a very good program for teaching beginners how to “stuff”.

The Stamina program is a screen divided in the middle by a horizontal stripe. The text moves along this strip, depending on the speed at which you type. By the way, Alexey Kazantsev, the author of this program, proposed a new arrangement of hands, considering it more progressive and natural: the fingers of the left hand lie on the Y, B, A keys , M, and on the right - T, O, L, D. Well, it all depends on the anatomical characteristics of each person.

The advantage of Stamina is that it teaches typing in two languages: Russian and English. It also has many music files that are played while working with the program. For example, if you type a moving line without errors, a pleasant melody sounds. But as soon as you relax and click on the wrong letter, a severe cough is heard “behind the scenes”, etc.

The result of the work is written to the file only if you have been typing for more than two minutes. And, in addition, statistics are kept on the number of characters typed, the speed of work and the percentage of errors made.

The program's website promises a quick release of Stamina v 2.0 with various improvements. Wait and see.

Keyboard solo

Training in Vladimir Shakhidzhanyan’s program is structured in a humorous manner: each task is accompanied by funny anecdotes, funny phrases and no less interesting and at the same time difficult tasks.

Before starting classes, it is suggested that you take a course in which you will be told about the correct positioning of your hands on the keyboard. After this, a set of letters, letter combinations, words and entire phrases are practiced.

The program keeps very detailed statistics of classes, including grading for fully completed assignments. After all 100 exercises you must pass the final exam.

This wonderful software product is distributed as shareware. Therefore, even during the trial period, only a part of the exercises (about a few dozen) are available in the simulator, during which you will master only the middle row. But despite this, you can still appreciate all its advantages.

It’s strange, but for some reason “Solo on the Keyboard” can teach the blind method only in Russian. But, gentlemen, developers! English is also often used in our country, not to mention other countries. Such a program, capable of efficiently teaching the ten-finger method in a short time, should have a great future.

I would like to warn you right away that I did not find this program at this address: some of the site’s pages are being redesigned. But the simulator can be obtained from the Abakan file library (see address below).

Before you begin, you must select one of the six languages ​​used. Next we get to the main menu, from where you can select other settings options. This includes the number of letters used during training, the keyboard layout (besides Russian, there are American, German, French, English and Swiss), and music and sound control, as well as a table of records. This is also the only program in this review in which you can choose the type of keyboard - after all, it is slightly different with different locations of the "Enter" key. By launching demo mode, you can see the correct placement of your hands on the keyboard and the correct finger movements when typing each character.

The training is structured in the form of a game: monsters are constantly hunting for the knob-shaped creature. If you are slow, they get closer to the victim with every step and can do something bad to him. In short, if you type slowly, you will constantly feel sorry for the bird.

The downside is that BabyType does not have clearly defined statistics. It is maintained only for the total number of correctly typed characters. If there is an error, the bar at the top of the keyboard drawn on the screen will move to the right and after it reaches the very end, the program will show the champion table.

Still, BabyType is a pretty nice keyboard trainer. It will be useful for everyone of all ages.

Alenka

This was the first keyboard trainer that I learned about many years ago. Back then there were still 286 cars, and the 486 was considered the most “squeaky”...

In short, "Alenka" runs under MS-DOS.

After a short tutorial on the first page, you are already starting to train. When working with this simulator in DOS emulation, there is a keyboard at the bottom of the screen that exactly repeats all keystrokes. At the top are the lines to be typed. Here again you need to “run away” from the catching up cursor. Characters that you do not have time to type before he catches up with you will be considered incorrect. And then you can look at statistics, including the number of errors for each letter and for each individual finger.

"Alenka" is a classic keyboard trainer, and therefore you should try it.

Virtuoso

Like the previous program, "Virtuoso" runs under MS-DOS. It consists of 16 exercises: the first 11 are designed to teach the basics of the touch typing method, and the rest are for practicing and improving the acquired knowledge.

After getting acquainted, you will be asked to choose one of three skill levels, then they will tell you about the correct placement of your fingers, and then the exercises themselves.

Skill level refers to a certain level of rhythm, the ability to make a limited number of errors, and typing speed. Work on each exercise will continue until you meet these requirements.

The authors of the program assure that it is able to remember the last task you managed to complete, and performance statistics (current and last time). What’s important is that this simulator reminds you of proper work hygiene: sitting at the table, positioning the keyboard, etc.

"Virtuoso" will teach you not only to press the keys correctly with your fingers, but also to do it rhythmically, clearly and quickly.

The last two programs can be found in the file library at www.abakan.ru. For some reason, the new versions of these programs do not indicate a page from where they can be downloaded. Some other simulators are also presented on the same server: TRK, Dokatype, TypeEn. All of them are similar to those described above, but if you wish, you can download them and “drive” them.

After working with the simulators for a couple of weeks, you will be able to surprise your virtual chat interlocutors with quick answers, and reduce the time you spend typing letters and documents. All that remains is to wish you good luck in this useful endeavor!

By repeatedly typing various letter combinations, words and sentences on a keyboard simulator, muscle memory is developed in the fingers.

Fingers “remember” the location of the keys on the keyboard and subsequent pressing does not require human control - rapid typing of text occurs on a subconscious level.

What is a keyboard trainer?

A keyboard trainer is a program designed to for teaching touch typing, acquiring the ten-finger typing skill And increase print speed on the computer keyboard.

A keyboard simulator is a training text editor for typing a specific text fragment, with a system of hints while typing on the keyboard and a function for calculating various typing metrics (typing speed, typing rhythm, counting of typos, etc.)

Online keyboard trainer

Online versions of keyboard trainers have gained the most popularity, as this is the most practical and convenient way to learn touch typing and learn the computer keyboard layout.

• The typing simulator, as an online service, does not require installation on the user’s computer.

• Access to training is possible from any operating system using a modern browser.

• You can use the keyboard trainer from any computer with Internet access.

• The results of completed tasks are stored in the cloud and will never be lost.

• The online service is always the most up-to-date version: users always have access to new functions and capabilities of the keyboard trainer presented by the authors of the program.

The best keyboard trainer

Most keyboard trainers are just a set of exercises for mechanical typing on the keyboard. It is required to monotonously complete several dozen monotonous tasks. This method of teaching typing seems tedious to the student and quite quickly causes boredom and fatigue.

It is much better when a keyboard trainer is something more than just a tool for monotonously typing texts one after another.

Ideally, a simulator for teaching typing takes into account the specifics and characteristics of each student, his individuality, his capabilities, his abilities and skills.

An individual approach to the student is required! Using this approach when learning touch typing will allow you to quickly acquire the necessary ten-finger typing skill and bring it to perfection.

It is ideal when each student is indirectly prepared to complete the next task.

Psychological attitudes are very important! You need to feel as if there is a real teacher behind the student, reacting to your every gesture and ready at the right moment to infect you with optimism, encourage you, give useful advice and help you complete a difficult task.

Just such a keyboard simulator for teaching touch typing is the SOLO on the keyboard program, developed by the famous psychologist Vladimir Shakhidzhanyan. This is not just a typing simulator, but a whole comprehensive course, polished over the years to perfection. To date “SOLO on the keyboard” is one of the best modern keyboard trainers.

SOLO on keyboard

An individual approach, specially selected texts, the ability to follow the system “from simple to complex”, a virtual teacher behind the student’s back, a game moment, the use of psychological techniques when interacting with each student while learning the skill of ten-finger typing on a keyboard - all this is included in the touch typing course "SOLO on the keyboard".

Differences between “SOLO on the keyboard” and other online keyboard simulators:

• the training course is built using humor, music, an interesting script, interesting presentation, and original direction;

• the keyboard simulator creatively uses the opportunities that modern IT technologies provide: analysis of completed tasks, individual advice, human development literary materials, psychological observations;

• while taking the “SOLO on the Keyboard” quick typing course, various typing indicators achieved while completing tasks are saved, which allows you to view detailed statistics, tracking your progress;

• the online simulator uses a flexible rating system among all users, which introduces a competitive element into the learning process, encourages students and helps them look at themselves from the outside, correctly evaluate the results achieved, stimulating students to self-improvement;

• The online touch typing course also uses a system of rewards and incentives: awards and various insignia are given out for success achieved during the completion of tasks.

Keyboard trainer for developing fast typing

For those who have completed the “SOLO on the Keyboard” course and have mastered the skill of touch typing, or for those who already master the ten-finger typing method, we suggest using a special mode of our keyboard simulator to increase typing speed.

In this mode, the keyboard trainer selects an individual set of letter combinations for a specific person. By practicing the proposed letter combinations, students work through the “difficult places” when typing, which ultimately allows them to achieve fast typing with fewer typos.

While typing letter combinations, the program analyzes any typos and suggests re-typing the letters where the error most often occurs.

Do you want to learn how to type quickly?

Daily training for 10-15 minutes on a keyboard trainer will significantly increase your typing speed. and will help you avoid typos when typing the most complex texts.

We save the typing results achieved on the keyboard trainer, so each person can independently assess the productivity of their work and, by looking at the speed graphs, make sure that their typing speed has increased.

Is it possible to use the simulator to increase your typing speed without mastering the entire “SOLO on the keyboard” course?! It is possible - provided that the student has already completed 2/3 of the lessons. In this case, it is necessary to continue the main course and at the same time use a keyboard trainer to develop typing speed.

Introducing the Keyboard Trainer

The latest version of the keyboard trainer is developed using the native capabilities of modern browsers and does not require installation of Adobe Flash Player. Whereby Learning to quickly type using a keyboard trainer is possible on an iPad or Android tablet, with a connected Bluetooth keyboard.

We invite you to get acquainted with our program in more detail.

Virtual teacher

Mixanatic is a virtual teacher who is an integral part of the keyboard simulator. Mixanatik meets a student who types with two fingers in 1 lesson and, after guiding him through 100 lessons, produces a “soloist” who masters the ten-finger typing method on the keyboard.

Text editor

The educational text editor inside the keyboard trainer has two popular ways of displaying the typed text and the ability to scale the font. The student can customize the display of the text editor to his liking.

Last year I set myself a goal - to master touch typing. I reached it quickly enough. I don’t remember exactly now, but, in my opinion, it took me no more than a few weeks. It was possible faster, even much faster, but it was not always possible to devote time to training. Now I have decided to master the Latin layout, and, I want to say, mastering the second layout is much faster. In fact, this can be done even in one weekend. Of course, I'm not saying now that you'll be typing at 300 characters per minute, but at least you won't be looking at the keyboard. Today I decided to write about keyboard trainers for touch typing, and in general about what touch typing is and who needs it.

Why do you need touch typing?

Just answer one question for yourself: how often do you type on the keyboard? I can predict the answer. Of course, often! This could be a banal correspondence on social networks, or it could be more serious things - a thesis (if you write it yourself), work reports, copywriting (if). Can you imagine how much time you could save if typing took you, say, 5 times less time. And this is not the limit.

Yes, first of all touch typing allows you to increase your typing speed. Ideally, you will be able to type at the speed of thought, even much faster than writing with a regular ballpoint pen. You will not think about which key you need to press; your fingers will do it subconsciously. It will be hard at first, but then you will start to enjoy it. You just need to overcome yourself.

In addition, touch typing is good for the brain. To master touch typing at a high level, your brain will have to create a huge number of neural connections. And in general, fine motor skills of the hands themselves also have an extremely positive effect on brain function. So print more.

What types of touch typing keyboard trainers are there?

Well, first of all, there are online keyboard simulators touch typing and offline simulators. There's not much to explain here. You will use the first (online simulators) through an Internet browser, and if registration is provided there, then you will be able to train not only at home. And the second type of simulators (offline) involves installing a program on your computer with all the ensuing consequences. I prefer online simulators, but, of course, they require constant access to the Internet.

You can also meet free and paid keyboard trainers. Personally, it seems to me that the difference is small, although I can’t really compare, because I myself have only used free simulators. Here, as in everyday life, everything depends on the person. More precisely, it depends on whether he knows how to achieve his goals or not. By the way, this is a great chance to test this quality in yourself.

Keyboard simulators can also be divided according to their interest. This is of course not for everyone, but personally I like it when training is built in the form of a game and is divided into levels, when there are some achievements, points, competitions and other gaming stuff. This draws you into the training process, and you don’t even notice how you are developing your touch typing skill step by step. In a word, have fun and profitably.

Well, I think it’s time to move on to a review of popular touch typing keyboard trainers. I will not divide them according to any gender characteristics or sort them in any way, but will simply describe them and, perhaps, collect the basic information in a small table for convenient comparison. I won’t describe everything, but only those that my heart is drawn to.

All 10 – free online touch typing trainer

All 10(website) is one of the best free touch typing simulators. It was on it that I mastered the ten-finger set, so I will describe it first. The site itself looks quite nice and doesn’t bother you when spending a long time on it.

Interface "All 10"

The training is based on levels. If you complete the task and advance to the next level, if you fail, beat Claudia until you pass! The tasks from level to level are basically the same, but the only difference is the number of keys on which you need to flutter like a bird. To pass the level, you need to type the provided text at a speed of at least 50 characters per minute and you are allowed to make no more than 2 mistakes. Well, these are the minimum requirements, but purely for yourself, you can set a goal to sit at the same level until the speed is, say, 120 characters per minute.

Training can be completed in Russian and English. What I’m actually doing now is going through levels in English.

After training you can get certified. For some reason I didn’t pass, I have to pass.

The service also has statistics for each lesson, where you can compare your results with the average and with the best results.

In principle, this keyboard simulator alone will be enough for you to learn touch typing. But for the sake of decency, let's look at other interesting simulators.

Clavogonki is an exciting online game. Touch typing won't get you far

Clavogons(site) is a truly unique creation that combines all the best that can be needed for learning high-speed touch typing. Just look at the table of the best players. The fastest player this week set a record in 892 characters per minute. Can you imagine? 15 characters per second!

Clavogonki: choosing a race

There is a development system, ranks, points that can be spent on all sorts of bonuses and other things inherent in any game world.

The only drawback is that if you are a beginner, then you have nothing to do here! This keyboard trainer can teach you speed typing, but it is unlikely to teach you touch typing from scratch.

Klavarog – professional free online keyboard trainer

Speaking of Clavarog(website), it’s easier to start with its shortcomings, because there are very few of them, and then move on to its advantages, which will help you quickly forget about the shortcomings.

The only disadvantages of this keyboard trainer are that it does not have registration and does not remember your progress. That's all! Oh yes, the interface also looks a little old-fashioned and too simple, but there is nothing superfluous and nothing distracts from the process of learning touch typing.

Clavarog: a complete professional set

Now let's move on to the advantages of Clavarog:

Languages. There are as many as 5 languages ​​in this keyboard simulator - Russian, English, German, Ukrainian and Esperanto.

For each language it is provided 4 difficulty levels. At the first difficulty level “Start” you will be able to master the very basics - short, repeating words. At the second level “Beginner” there will be longer and more complex words. At the third level you will practice your typing speed. On the fourth - typing random paragraphs of text from books.

In addition to the usual national languages ​​(not counting Esperanto), you will be able to master touch typing course specifically for programming languages, taking into account the syntax features of each of them. The most popular programming languages ​​are collected, among which you will find JavaScript, PHP, Python, C, C++, Go, Pascal, SQL, XML/XSLT. If you are a programmer, then this keyboard simulator will be effective for you.

There are also different keyboard layout options for each language. You are most likely only familiar with QWERTY, because all keyboards on computers and laptops have this layout. This is when the top row of letters begins with the Latin letters qwerty. However, there are other layouts. They are less popular and certainly less familiar to the average person, but people who use them claim that they are more convenient and they can achieve better results (meaning typing speed). Among these layouts are: dvorak, ant, workman, klausler, jcuken and others…

Programmers most often work with alternative types of layouts. So if you are a programmer, then this touch typing keyboard simulator is doubly suitable for you.

Touch Typing Study – another good touch typing keyboard trainer (online)

Big advantage Touch Typing Study(site) is a huge number of languages. But will this be a benefit for you? I think not, unless you are a polyglot linguist. Otherwise, this resource is not much different from its analogues.

Touch Typing Study - simple, but no less effective

It is possible to register, but it is not necessary, since all lessons and exercises are available without registration.

There are also several unique games that are not like Tetris or Snake... although they are more like moving crosswords, I don’t know how to describe it, you just need to see and feel it. For the games they get a separate plus from me, after all, the games are very captivating in the process and I am always FOR this approach to learning.

By the way, like all the keyboard trainers that I describe, Touch Typing Study is completely free. Use it for your own pleasure, as much as you like.

Touch typing: top keyboard trainers

I did not describe all of these simulators in the article, because I described only online and free keyboard simulators, but, nevertheless, these are worthy candidates for you to learn about them. Perhaps someone is not against paid training. But for some people it’s more convenient to download the program onto a computer, you never know, maybe the Internet at home isn’t always available... well, that’s it!

Rating of keyboard trainers

Let's try to choose best keyboard trainer from those presented in the voting form. If you have come across them, you can choose the one you like best. If not, select the last option to view the voting results. I'll add my voice too. If you like several keyboard trainers and cannot choose the best one, then vote for 2 at once. You cannot vote for 3.

Conclusion:

Is touch typing difficult to learn? I think not! Especially considering the abundance of tools provided for this. Do you need touch typing? It's up to you to decide, but I think that this skill will definitely not be superfluous.

My typing speed on the Russian layout is now about 150 characters per minute, in English - about 90-100 characters per minute. I achieved this using a free online keyboard trainer " All 10" But the speed is low, I agree. Therefore, after completing the English layout course, I plan to hone my speed typing on the resource " Clavogons" What do you train on?

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Free typing lessons are included in the complete Learn to Type package. Animated keyboard layout and on-screen hints (hand graphics) are designed to correct typos by showing you the correct way to enter characters during training and practice. The difficulty of the tasks gradually increases, from 2 letters at the beginning of the course to using the entire keyboard. At the end of the lesson, statistics are available: typing accuracy, number of words per minute and number of errors made.

Helpful hints:

• When practicing typing, don't look at the keyboard. Only on the screen.
• Even without looking at the keyboard, you can place your fingers in the basic position - to do this, you need to use your fingertips to find the bulges on the letters A and O.
• The first lessons use a set of letters. And only when your fingers remember the keys do words and sentences appear. This is the best way to learn to type without errors.
• It is important to periodically check your typing speed - an online test will help you monitor your learning progress. Complete tasks over and over again to learn how to quickly type on the keyboard - online lessons are created specifically for this!

16.04.2007

Our time will come, our time will come,
And our grandchildren in good time
They will push us out of the world too.

A. S. Pushkin

Everything has its turn, one generation gives way to another, old technology gives way to new. Having passed the test of time, some remain and continue to develop, while others go away forever. This can be seen everywhere, including in the world of keyboard trainers.

The DOS operating system at one time showed many people the path to mastering a computer. Therefore, all the first programs designed for ordinary users were written for DOS. Now they remain only in programmer archives - a kind of “dustbin of history” of the computer world.

It was from there that I got and installed a wonderful program on my computer. Look at the picture. Perhaps you have ever seen such a screensaver? In the early to mid-90s of the last century, this program “lived” in the computers of almost all educational institutions in Russia. The famous "Keyboard Trainer" (TRK). The latest version was released in 1990.

And the keyboard is shown, and the speed at which letters fall can be selected. Everything seems to be provided for, everything seems to be there. Some users actually learned how to touch-type using the ten-finger method using this program.

A lot of “shooters” of this kind were invented back then. Computer networks in our country were poorly developed, the exchange of information and the search for existing programs were even worse, so each programmer himself “reinvented the wheel.” Hence there are many similar programs.

However, the Alyonka keyboard trainer looks much more solid, although they are almost the same age as TRK. Look at the working window of this amazing program:

In many ways this program is better. The area of ​​action of the fingers has already been shown according to our most popular layout, YTSUKEN, combinations of letters have been added to delimit closely spaced keys, for example “o” and “l”. The program can be configured for a specified dialing speed. At the beginning of the line you are typing, a cursor will appear, which will monotonously approach the letter in the line that you are currently typing. The goal of the game is to escape from the cursor. After completing the exercise, you can view error statistics.

Compared to other keyboard trainers of that time, Alyonka was truly a step forward. Therefore, if you love the DOS world and want to learn how to type quickly, then it is best to use this program.

And now - BabyType. Look at the cute little animal - the hero of the program. Sits on the key and smiles.

Set of letters in the top row. You need to collect them, and do it quite quickly, because the strange animal looks unfriendly. We must save ourselves!

The program can show you how to hold your hands correctly when typing on the keyboard. It is important.

BabyType is a pleasant program that, with regular practice, can significantly increase your typing speed. Is it possible to learn the blind ten-finger method from scratch using it? Of course. You can learn to type without any program at all, simply by typing certain texts, forbidding yourself to look at the keyboard. And the program simplifies the learning process and makes it more interesting.

Finally, we got to the most interesting and non-standard program among the “ancient” ones - KeyTO.

If you read the description for it, it may seem that it is based on some extremely complex algorithms. Yes this is true. The goal of these algorithms is not to make you master the elements of cryptography and probability theory, but to teach your fingers to “play chords” on the keys.

This is what she looks like:

In my opinion, the program has two features that significantly distinguish it from other keyboard trainers. Firstly, training takes place across all rows of the keyboard at once. Secondly, the program, unnoticed by the user, calculates the statistics of your mistakes and gives you more tasks using the keys that are difficult for you. In a word, KeyTO behaves like a kind of trainer.

I briefly talked about the most popular Russian keyboard simulators in the 90s of the last century. Not all such programs were mentioned, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is no longer so easy to find them on the Internet - many links lead to nowhere. Secondly, all the keyboard trainers of those times, at least according to the descriptions, are very similar to each other.

Many of them live a new life and develop. The number of users who have learned to type on the keyboard using the ten-finger touch method is growing - quickly and easily, gently and beautifully. This means that it was not in vain that the authors of “old” programs tried their best, spending sleepless nights debugging the source codes of their creations.