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- Mavis Beacon was a fake character dreamed up by a video game marketing team. But don't tell the internet that. Much like the misremembered phenomenon of the non-existent Sinbad movie Shazam that.
Mavis Beacon was first hinted at on 2013-04-12, when Bryn McMahon was talking with Security Guard B about getting 'a teacher' to identify the Egyptian Artifact he recently acquired. Even after Bryn described her as looking 'plain', many overly-nostagic viewers expected Ms. Frizzle, who is not plain in any sense of the word, to be the teacher he. Broadcasted live on Twitch - Watch live at I reallyyyyyyyyy torturing myself?
| Mavis Beacon | |
|---|---|
| Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing character | |
| First appearance | 1987 |
| Portrayed by | Renée L'Espérance (1987) |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Typing instructor |
Mavis Beacon is a fictional character created for the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing line of computer software.[1][2]
History[edit]
Developed to be a personification of a The Software Toolworks instructional typing program, Mavis Beacon debuted as simply a photo of a model on the software's packaging in 1987. The model chosen to be the face of Mavis was Haitian-born Renée L'Espérance, who was discovered working behind the perfume counter at Saks Fifth AvenueBeverly Hills by former talk-show host and partner at The Software ToolworksLes Crane in 1985.[3] Mavis's name comes from a combination of Mavis Staples (one of the software developer's favorite singers) and the word beacon (an allusion to her role as a guide to typing).[1][4]
There have been several models chosen to represent the confident efficiency of Mavis Beacon; her image changes to represent a 'modern professional typing instructor.'[4][5]
Due to Mavis Beacon being portrayed by a black woman, some retailers were initially reluctant to display the product. However, once the popularity of the program became evident, many distributors reversed their decision and began to display the line of software bearing Mavis Beacon's image.[4]
Mavis Beacon Is She Real
Since its introduction, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing has been the best-selling instructional typing software.[6]
Fame[edit]
Mavis Beacon has been seen as groundbreaking for being one of the first computer instruction characters and for being a female African-American embodiment of computer software. Throughout the 1990s, Mavis Beacon served as the virtual typing instructor at numerous U.S. schools. As of 1998, she had instructed 6,000,000 school children.[4] Mavis has been compared to U.S. cultural iconBetty Crocker and has been called 'the Betty Crocker of cyberspace'.[1][7]
Confusion[edit]
Mavis Beacon is often thought to be a living or historical figure by the public. This confusion has led many to contact the software developers seeking to speak to, interview, or book Mavis for an event. Furthermore, as a result of Mavis Beacon's continuous use in computer typing software, and her image on millions of software boxes, many consumers have reported confabulations (i.e. false memories) of Mavis Beacon winning typing contests or appearing on talk shows.[1][4]
References[edit]
Mavis Beacon Kids
- ^ abcdMacklan, William (November 19, 1995). 'Supertypist Mavis Beacon Is A Creation Of Marketing'. Seattle Times. Washington. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^'What's Mavis Beacon Up To These Days? Nothing. She's Fake'. Vice. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^https://www.vice.com/en/article/kwx5a9/whats-mavis-beacon-up-to-these-days-nothing-shes-fake-926
- ^ abcdeBiersdorfer, J. D. (December 31, 1998). 'Next They'll Say Betty Crocker Isn't Real, Either'. The New York Times. New York. p. 2. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^'Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Platinum 20'. Broderbund. Archived from the original on May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
- ^According to NPD Group data
- ^'Mavis Beacon: Typing Teacher Who Never Was Turning 30'. Mental Floss. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
| Original author(s) | Norm Worthington,[1] Walt Bilofsky, Mike Duffy[2][3] |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | The Software Toolworks |
| Initial release | Late 1987; 34 years ago |
| Stable release | 20 |
| Operating system | macOS, Windows |
| Platform | cross-platform |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | mavisbeacon.com |
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is an application software program designed to teach touch typing.
History[edit]
The typing program was initially released in late 1987 by The Software Toolworks and has been published regularly ever since. The original version was written by Charles R. Haymond, an independent computer programmer living in Berkeley, California, who later worked for the Department of Homeland Security.[4] The first version written for MS-DOS was created by Norm Worthington, Walt Bilofsky, and Mike Duffy.[2] Editions of Mavis Beacon are currently published by Encore Software (hybrid Mac and Windows) and Software MacKiev (macOS only) and are available throughout the retail sales world. An early version supported both QWERTY and the alternative Dvorak Simplified Keyboard layout. Later versions supported only QWERTY until the 2011 Ultimate Mac Edition from Software MacKiev which returned full Dvorak keyboard lessons to the product. Earlier versions were made for Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit family (version 1 only), Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Palm OS (version 16), and Amiga. The current[when?] Windows and Mac versions are published under the Broderbund trademark by both Encore and Software MacKiev.
Features[edit]
The program includes a number of speed tests and constantly tracks the user's words-per-minute typing speed. It also includes a number of typing games of which some versions have been included since the first release. (The 2011 Ultimate Mac Edition for macOS, published by Software MacKiev, also includes two-player competitive typing network games, integration with iTunes, Dvorak keyboard support, practice typing song lyrics, RSS news feeds and classic novels.) A certificate of achievement can be printed by the user upon the completion of tests.
Name[edit]
Mavis Beacon is not a real person. The original photo of Mavis Beacon was of Caribbean-born model Renee L'Esperance. She was introduced to Les Crane, the former talk-show host, while he was shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Crane, who was then a partner in The Software Toolworks, invented the sobriquet.
Mavis Beacon's first name was taken from Mavis Staples, lead vocalist for the Staple Singers. Elder scrolls 6 release. The surname derives from beacon, as in a light to guide the way.[5]
Reception[edit]
A favorable review[6] in 1987 by Peter Lewis, technology writer for The New York Times, gave the program an early boost.
Compute! favorably reviewed the program in 1989, stating that children, adults, and experienced typists would find it useful, and citing its support of Dvorak training.[7]
References[edit]
- ^Norman Worthington: Executive Profile & Biography, Bloomberg, ..One of Mr. Worthington's earliest ventures was Software Toolworks, one of the first highly successful consumer software companies..
- ^ abBiersdorfer, J. D. (31 December 1998). 'Next They'll Say Betty Crocker Isn't Real, Either'. The New York Times.
- ^Walt Bilofsky's Home Page - Software Publisher, .. I was one of three programmers who designed and created the perennial software hits The Chessmaster and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing..
- ^Codex Gamicus:Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- ^MACKLIN, William (November 19, 1995). 'Supertypist Mavis Beacon Is A Creation Of Marketing'. Seattle Times.
- ^Lewis, Peter H. (17 November 1987). 'PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Feedback In Typing Program'. The New York Times.
- ^Randall, Neil (January 1989). 'Mavis Makes It Easy'. Compute!. p. 70. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
External links[edit]
Mavis Beacon Free Typing Game
- Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing by Encore (Windows and Mac editions)
- Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing by Software MacKiev (Mac OS X edition)
Mavis Beacon Free Download
