If you’re an adult, 18 or older right now, then you probably took a typing class at some point between first and eighth grade, which taught you how to type, orient your hands on a keyboard, and how to not look at a keyboard but still improve accuracy, precision, and your words-per-minute count. If you’re reading this on a non-traditional computer (like a desktop or laptop), then you are probably also aware of how your ten fingers transferred your knowledge of typing and condensed it into two thumbs-worth of capabilities and know-how.
And these times have changed to just that; changing the way we type, and how we are able to type. We had physical keyboards on our phone years ago, and some of you may still and there’s no problem with that. Some of us, and a majority of us actually, have only a touchscreen to use, for keyboard and message viewing. The touchscreen keyboard is vastly greater for its capabilities, such as customizability or options for it and the ability to get keyboards on your device that help you type more accurately, or, as often promised, with more speed and greater accuracy. And that’s fine and dandy and all, but we all have had that instance where we sent the entirely wrong word because of a mistype for a quick text to a friend, like that you’re “going to parts tonight” instead of a party. There are much worse though, and I truly feel for you, friend, if you’ve had the issue of inaccuracy and sluggishness with mobile typing. But there may be a way to train yourself back up to the caliber of typist you were in grade school. Enter The Typist.
The Typist is a nifty app on the Play Store, so go pick it up, it’s completely free. What it does is lets you select from a few different lengths and types of situations, and put yourself to the test of typing as much as possible for an amount of time you choose. Then what does this make it? Annoying? Difficult? No; it makes it a competition, since the Typist can link with Google Play Games and allow you to compete with friends. The point is speed, but also accuracy, just like in school. This app looks to, if widely adopted by today’s smartphone and tablet users, reeducate us all how to type when on the go, just like school probably taught you how to type when at the computer.
Here’s some advice before you go and link with Play Games and share your score and speed with friends. First, find the keyboard you are most comfortable with, which should be obvious, but sometimes isn’t. Don’t find the one that says it’s the fastest, or knows what you’ll type before you do. Find the one that you know best. The symbols, the numbers, everything. And that’s the best part of The Typist: you can use any keyboard you want with it (obvious, but still worth pointing out). The next step is to give it a few goes before posting up against friends. Nobody wants to share the first attempt, trying to figure out how to do the thing. Look below to see the pre- and post-first-go-round tutorials, and go check it out for yourself. You’ll probably be seeing some friends post their scores if you log in to that sort of competition, but it’s all fun and games to us, right?
