Etaoin shrdlu is a nonsense phrase that sometimes appeared by accident in print in the days of "hot type" publishing, resulting from a custom of type-casting machine operators filling out and discarding lines of type when an error was made. It appeared often enough to become part of newspaper lore – a documentary about the last issue of The New York Times composed using hot metal was titled Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu. The phrase "etaoin shrdlu" is listed in the Oxford English Dictionary and in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
Mavis Beacon is a fictional character created for the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing line of computer software.
Educational software is a term used for any computer software that is made for an educational purpose. It encompasses different ranges from language learning software to classroom management software to reference software. The purpose of all this software is to make some part of education more effective and efficient.
The Miracle Piano Teaching System is educational software which uses a MIDI keyboard to teach how to play the piano. It was published in 1990 by The Software Toolworks for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Macintosh, Amiga, Sega Genesis, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems.
Mario Teaches Typing is an educational video game developed and published by Interplay Productions for MS-DOS compatible operating systems, Microsoft Windows, and Macintosh. The game uses the Mario character, licensed from Nintendo, to teach keyboard skills. A sequel to the game, Mario Teaches Typing 2, was developed by Brainstorm and published by Interplay in 1997.
Mindscape was a video game developer and publisher. The company was founded by Roger Buoy in October 1983 in Northbrook, Illinois, originally as part of SFN Companies until a management buyout was completed in 1987. Mindscape went public in 1988 and was acquired in 1990 by The Software Toolworks, eyeing Mindscape's Nintendo license. When Toolworks was acquired by Pearson plc in 1994, Mindscape became the primary identity for the development group. Mindscape was then sold to The Learning Company in 1998 and bought out by Jean-Pierre Nordman in 2001, becoming headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Following the poor performance of its products, Mindscape exited the video game industry in August 2011. Notable titles released by Mindscape include the MacVenture series, Balance of Power, Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight, Legend, Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat, Warhammer: Dark Omen and Lego Island.
Chessmaster is a chess-playing video game series, which is owned and developed by Ubisoft. It is the best-selling chess franchise, with more than five million units sold as of 2002. The same cover art image featuring Will Hare was used from Chessmaster 2000 to Chessmaster 9000.
The Software Toolworks, Inc., was an American software and video game developer based in Novato, California. The company was founded by Walt Bilofsky in 1980 out of his Sherman Oaks garage, which he converted into an office, to develop software for the Heathkit H89 microcomputer. It quickly expanded into video games, releasing Airport and MyChess in 1980; other notable games include Chessmaster 2000, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, and Mario Is Missing!. Toolworks merged with its distributor, Software Country, in 1986 and, after going public in 1988, acquired IntelliCreations, DS Technologies, and Mindscape. By 1994, Toolworks employed 600 people and had a revenue of US$150 million. In May that year, it was acquired by Pearson plc for $462 million, which converted it to bear the Mindscape identity by November.
The Chessmaster 2000 is a computer chess game by The Software Toolworks. It was the first in the Chessmaster series and published in 1986. It was released for Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Macintosh, and IBM PC compatibles.
Dvorak is a keyboard layout for English patented in 1936 by August Dvorak and his brother-in-law, William Dealey, as a faster and more ergonomic alternative to the QWERTY layout. Dvorak proponents claim that it requires less finger motion and as a result reduces errors, increases typing speed, reduces repetitive strain injuries, or is simply more comfortable than QWERTY.
Scetlander was a software publisher which released titles for various 8- and 16-bit home computer systems in the 1980s and 1990s.
Donald's Alphabet Chase is a educational video game developed by Westwood Associates and published in 1988 by Walt Disney Computer Software. It was released on various home computers including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOS and ZX Spectrum. An Atari ST version was planned by Nathan Software but got no release. The game was released in five different languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian and German.
A typing game is a genre of video games that involves correctly entering letters, words, or sentences on the keyboard. It began as a sub-genre of educational games designed to familiarize players with keyboard use and to improve skill at touch typing. Successfully typing a letter or word is tied to an action, such as firing a weapon at an attacking space ship. Companies associated with video games, like Broderbund, Atari, Inc., and Sirius Software all released typing games in the early 1980s. More formal educational software like Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (1987) incorporates minigames as a practice option. Some later games, like Type Rush, add online competition based on players' typing speeds, making typing more addictive.
Typequick Pty Ltd is an Australian courseware company specialising in the development of computer-based touch-typing tutor systems of the same name. The first Typequick program was developed by Noel McIntosh's AID Systems in conjunction with Blue Sky Industries in 1982, as a tool for teaching typing skills among users of new micro computers. The Sydney based company of the same name was founded by McIntosh in 1985, after buying out the founders and acquiring the software.
JumpStart Toddlers is a 1996 educational video game, the fourth within the JumpStart franchise. An enhanced version was released in 2000.
David Lynch Teaches Typing is a 2018 game by independent developer Rhino Stew Productions. Described as a "short playable interactive comedy game" and an "interactive experience", David Lynch Teaches Typing is a satire of touch typing educational software titles such as Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. A likeness of David Lynch assists the player in completing a series of increasingly bizarre and unsettling typing tasks.
Chess Player 2150 is a 1989 chess video game by Oxfordshire-based Oxford Softworks released for the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS. A successor, Chess Champion 2175, was released in 1990.
Seeking Mavis Beacon is a 2024 documentary film directed by Jazmin Jones, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance film festival. The film is distributed by Neon and is the director's directorial debut.
