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            PC-FasType - Quick HELP Facility -- Beginner Menu

NOTE: All menu items can be selected by moving the highlighted cursor bar
with the arrow keys or spacebar and then pressing the ENTER key to select
it.  As a shortcut to using the highlighted cursor bar, most menu items
can also be selected by pressing the indicated Function Key.

     The BEGINNER DRILLS menu is where you should start if you're not
familiar with the standard "QWERTY" style keyboard and wish to learn the
generally accepted methods of touch-typing using the HOME keys as a base
for your finger placement.  The HOME keys on the QWERTY-style keyboard are
the letters "asdf jkl;" located on the middle row of the keyboard.

     If you're already familiar with the keyboard that you selected when
you started PC-FasType, but want to brush up on your typing skills, you'll
find these beginner drills helpful.




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                 *** PC-FasType's Teaching Technique ***

     The drill technique used by PC-FasType for teaching you how to touch-
type using any of these drill selections is 'RANDOM PROMPTING'.  That is,
PC-FasType will randomly select a character from the list displayed in the
text window above the screen keyboard and prompt you to type the key where
that character is located by changing the color of it on the display and
"clicking" it on and off.  After you press the matching key on the
keyboard, the color will change back and another character is selected
randomly.  This goes on until you have successfully typed the number of
characters shown in brackets on the text window title line at the top of
the screen.   The displayed time in the upper right corner will start
ticking away with your first keystroke, and the number in brackets will
begin to count backwards until it reaches zero.  Of course you can press
the escape key anytime to end your drill early, but we suggest you go for
the full count.

     Keystroke errors are indicated by a beeping noise and a large "X"
shown over the key you incorrectly pressed.  The keyboard prompting
continues until you type the correct character.

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                      A Neat Option: CHOOSE YOUR OWN

     This selection from the Beginner's Menu deserves special mention
because it is such a powerful tool for selective reinforcement of your
typing skills.

     Common selections include all of the keys in one row, or all of the
keys in one or more "columns" of keys.   For example, you could practice
typing numbers on the keypad area by selecting all the numbers on the
number row ( 1 thru 0 ), then press the NUM LOCK key so it's ON.  When you
BEGIN TYPING, you can type the numbers you're prompted for using the
KEYPAD area of the keyboard; this will reinforce your "calculator" skills.

     Another example is to choose all of the characters for particular
fingers.  Suppose you wanted to practice typing all of the characters
addressed by your two index fingers, which type more characters than any
other pair, you could CHOOSE the following sequence of letters:

                         f g r t v b j h m n u y

and optionally, the numbers 5,6,7,8.  Then BEGIN TYPING to exercise your
two index fingers ONLY.  Can you think of other ways to use this option?

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The BEGINNER DRILLS Menu selections are described as follows:

** Begin Typing -------------- F10 **
      Display the Screen Keyboard and begin typing any previously selected
      drill or exercise.  If nothing was selected, you'll be drilled on
      the HOME keys only - 'asdfjkl; and space bar', - the default
      selection.

** HELP! Facility ------------- F1 **
      Call up the Quick-HELP Facility of PC-FasType.

** HOME Keys Only ------------- F2 **
      The HOME Keys (asdf jkl;) are where the fingers of both hands are
      placed when you start to type, and where each finger returns after a
      different letter is typed.  This selection chooses just the home
      keys and space bar; you will be drilled on these keys only.  All
      previous drill or exercise selections you previously made are RESET.
      You can also select the HOME-keys-only from the "Add More Letters"
      menu. (next HELP page)

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** Add More Letters ----------- F3 **
      This selection will display a pop-up menu of all the alphabet
      letters you can add to the list of characters you are learning to
      type.  You need selections from this menu to add more letters to
      your typing vocabulary.  Any row of characters in the menu can be
      selected. All selections will be check-marked and the letters added
      to your list.  See the "Add More Letters" selection in this Quick
      HELP Facility for more information.  After you learn to type the
      HOME keys, the next letters you should learn are  e, i, and the
      ENTER key.  Therefore you would select the "e,i" entry from the "Add
      More Letters" sub-menu which will add them to the list of HOME key
      letters and the space bar.

** Add More Numbers ----------- F4 **
      Numbers are hard to learn; this pop-up menu lets you select all, or
      just a few at a time.  Numbers you select from the menu will be
      added to your drill list and displayed in the text window.  See the
      "Add More Numbers" selection in this Quick HELP Facility for more
      information.


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** Choose CAPITAL Letters ----- F5 **
      This selection works the same as Add More Letters except you choose
      CAPITAL letters instead.  Any CAPITAL Letters you choose from the
      menu will be added to your drill list and displayed in the text
      window.

** Add Punctuation and Symbols- F6 **
      If you feel brave and want to practice typing the special characters
      and symbols (both upper and lower case) on the keyboard then make
      this selection.  These characters will be added to your drill list.

** CAPITAL Letters Only! ------ F7 **
      You will be drilled on CAPITAL Letters only;  no lower case letters,
      numbers, or symbols will be included.  These drills will teach you
      accurate use of both the left and right SHIFT keys. Any previous
      drill or exercise selections you made will be reset.





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** Do It All! ----------------- F8 **
      Make this selection if you want to be drilled on ALL of the keyboard
      characters.  The drills will include all lower case letters, all the
      numbers, shifted characters, symbols, and CAPITAL letters.

** Choose Your Own ------------ F9 **
      Making this selection will pop-up a dialog box listing all of the
      characters for the selected keyboard.  You simply type in the ones
      you want to learn. You can practice typing a specific row of keys on
      the keyboard by selecting ALL of the characters on that row; for
      example, to practice typing the characters on the number row only,
      enter all of the numbers, the minus and equal signs and press F10.

** KAPS for Kids ----------------  **
      Very young children sometimes have a hard time telling the
      difference between capital and lower-case letters.  This 'toggle'
      will cause all of the letters in any beginner drill selection to be
      shown in CAPITALS (upper-case).  Just type the letters as you
      normally would but you won't have to use the shift key.


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** Return to Main Menu -------- <- **
      Make this selection with the cursor bar and Enter key if you want to
      return to the MAIN menu.  Pressing the left arrow key will get you
      there too.

** Display Next Menu ---------- -> **
      Make this selection with the cursor bar and Enter key if you want to
      display the INTERMEDIATE DRILLS menu.  Pressing the right arrow key
      will get you there too.












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PLEASE NOTE THIS!

     If you choose a drill or exercise and the checkmark appears but
nothing else happens, you have to then select BEGIN TYPING by either
moving the highlighted cursor bar there and pressing the ENTER key or just
press the F10 function key after making your drill or exercise choice.  If
you don't do anything in a short time ( 7 to 10 seconds),  PC-FasType will
prompt you to select BEGIN TYPING.  The reason is to let you make sure of
your choice before beginning to type.   If the choice you've made is
really the one you want, then you have to tell us by selecting BEGIN
TYPING or pressing F10 to begin typing.


     Using the left and right arrow keys will get you quickly from one
menu to another too.  Notice that the highlighted cursor bar of the next
menu that gets displayed will be resting on its own "next menu" choice.




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 "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."



       Let's see...that makes 374,981 times I've typed this phrase!

                                        - PC-FasType Author






