Tipp10 Review – Free Edition
Tipp10 is a free touch typing tutorial for browsers and desktops
Tipp10 is a free typing solution with more than 3 million downloads. It teaches users to type fast and efficiently using the ten-finger system.
The tool is aimed at beginners, including children, and those wanting to improve their keyboarding skills. Mastering the 10-finger system is extremely useful for essay writing students or adults who work online.
Tipp10 – Goals and Features
Previously, typing was an area where people received training and gained a profession. However, that skill has been neglected recently, despite computers being a common household item. Tipp10 aims to rectify this. Several features help users to learn quickly and smartly. Similar to premium typing software you will find a sequence of 20 intelligent lessons, progress tracking, and a customizable interface.
Initial Exercise
The first time you open Tipp10 Online in your browser, or as software, it is useful to start with the beginner’s initial exercise. This is designed to familiarize new users with the basic concepts and hand positions used in typing.
Supportive Tips
Tipp10 provides numerous tips and pieces of advice for learners. Including, advice on how to organize lessons and practice, how long should each session be, and more. Even the sitting position a typist should adopt is covered in the advice section for beginners. This information can be useful when first starting out.
Intelligent Learning
The lessons provided by Tipp10 vary depending on skill level. For example, if there are certain letters that the user struggles with, those letters will appear more often so that practice is gained in problem areas. This means that learning is efficient.
The complete course of 20 lessons is designed to have everyone writing confidently. Each lesson focuses on different letters or typing aspects, such as punctuation, capitals and numbers, gradually building up to the use of the entire keyboard.
Virtual Assistance Keyboard
To aid the learning process, a virtual keyboard gives the user tips on what fingers to use on what keys. As the text appears, the corresponding keys are highlighted on the screen. This visual aid encourages people to keep their eyes focused on the screen rather than on the keyboard.
Typing Game
For extra practice, Tipp10 includes typing games. However, the game is only available if the user makes a donation to Tipp10. Donations can be as small as $1. If a donation is made, the game helps to keep the process entertaining and the user can practice between lessons.
Progress and Feedback
A progress tracker allows the typist to check how they are doing and what they still need to work on. A detailed feedback report is also provided after each session. This is a motivating feature, and it also enables the user to compare their own results to see any reoccurring problems.
Customizable Interface
The speed, font and colors used in Tipp10 can be changed. This helps people to find a style that they feel comfortable with. The length of lessons can also be adjusted to suit the user. This feature is handy for children, perhaps the lesson time could be reduced slightly if the user finds it hard to concentrate for long periods.
Text Choice
It also enables users to choose a particular subject area to focus on. For example, legal documents. There is also the option to upload a text of choice and practice it. This would help to keep the learning interesting, perhaps a child could type a favorite story or an adult a chapter from a book.
School System
On their website, it discloses that a version will soon be available that could be used throughout schools. Meaning that all the teachers and pupils could have access to the same system. This feature would be very beneficial – teaching keyboarding skills would be much easier and checking the progress of students.
Platform Independent
A key feature of Tipp10 is that it is easily accessible to almost anyone. Tipp10 can either be run in your internet browser, which requires no installation whatsoever, or it can be downloaded. Various downloadable copies mean that it can be installed on Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu or several different versions of Linux.
This is handy and means that not only can lots of people access the tutor, but they can also use it in different locations. If Tipp10 was used in a school, for example, students could potentially also practice their skills at home.
Multi-Lingual
Currently, Tipp10 is available in English and German. There are also different keyboard layouts available, the most commonly used is QWERTY, but Neo, Dvorak and RISTOME are options too.
Tipp10 App – Pros and Cons
The main positive about Tipp10 is that it is free! In addition to this, it is available on lots of different platforms. Furthermore, it is one of the few free tutors that actually come with a modern interface, color theme and graphics.
Reviews from various sources also suggest that this app has delivered a clear and simple interface that people find genuinely helpful. The adaptable, intelligent nature of lessons has received lots of positive comments, some stating that other free tutorials do not offer this feature.
Tipp10 does seem to only have English and German available, lacking other languages which therefore limits the accessibility to a much broader audience. However, Tipp10 is a relatively new tool so perhaps more languages will be added later.
Point system – Another reviewer states that it is an excellent way to learn to type faster, and suggests that the calculation of activity or goal points should also include time spent on exercises in general. This would encourage users to keep up their concentration and motivation.
Praises – Tipp10 received various positive mentions in the media. Since it is a German-based company, most of them are related to web resources from Germany, however, they all highlight Tipp10’s set of features, simplicity and user-friendliness.
Tipp10 Online Review – The Verdict
More language options would improve Tipp10 (visit website). However, considering that it is free and contains some very handy features, I would say that Tipp10 is a worthwhile resource for people who want to get to grips with the 10-finger system.
Furthermore, features such as intelligent lessons, practicing with your own material or progress tracking make this tool nearly as comprehensive as premium solutions.
Those, however, can differ from Tipp10 in the way that you will see more frequent updates of the technology, material, and knowledge base. They might also come with premium features such as video tutorials, better compatibility, and usually more skill-targeted activities, drills, or games.
What are good alternatives?
If you look at the premium market, tutors such as Mavis Beacon, Typesy, Ultrakey or KAZ have made themselves a name in the industry. Those are usually the first choice when it comes to teaching those skills in schools or for individual learners.
Looking at free options, you may have heard of 10-Fast Fingers, RataType, or KeyBlaze. There are many more tools out there, we just wanted to name a few here without further prioritizing them.
Can I make a donation to help Tipp10 become better?
Yes, you can donate any amount to the Tipp10 developers. They have a separate menu link on their website. Donations can be made in most currencies and through PayPal. However, if you already use the tool, you can make a $1 donation to activate the game, and this way will actively support the improvement of future features.
What are the technical requirements?
Tipp10 is lightweight and does not take much space. Mac systems should have version OS X 10.3 and higher installed, while Windows users can install it even on a Windows 98 machine. If you use the online version, you are all set, and specific requirements apply.
Have you got any experience with the Tipp10 app? Do you practice online or have the desktop version installed? Please, let us know in the comments below.
Tip: What are the best keyboard switches for typing?