Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2205 in Software
• Brand: Avanquest Software
• Released on: 2006-09-22
• Platform: Windows XP

Computeractive
With so many lessons on offer, even seasoned Office users would likely find something here.

Manufacturer's Description

Mavis Beacon Teaches Microsoft Office offers interactive computer-based training with high-quality audio narration and rich media content for increased retention.
The software includes simulated environments and comprehensive testing.
Training and testing results can be printed or exported for viewing by a teacher, parent or employer.

• Interactive Lessons for developing the skills to effectively use Microsoft applications and the internet.
• Self-paced courses allow learners to progress at their own speed and review lessons as desired.
• Each programs features are presented in relevant, real-world situations.

Lessons and programs include:

• Word - business letters, CV's, memos, facsimiles, reports and more
• Excel - budgets, timelines, stock portfolios, sales trends, surveys and more
• Outlook - e-mail, schedules, address book, calendars, tasks and more
• Powerpoint - presentations, handouts, sales decks, annual reports, web publishing and more
• Access - databases, inventory control, business records, mailing lists, shipping history and more
• Bonus Tutorials - WindowsXP, Internet Explorer FrontPage

Note: Users of this software do not need the actual application to perform the training.

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)
Having bought the Mavis Beacon typing tutor I thought I was on to a good thing here as the teaching style of that piece of software is excellent, with LOTS of interactive exercises which reinforce the learning material. BTW, the ONLY reference to Mavis Beacon I have seen so far in this product is her picture on the outside of the box. Everything including the help file is labelled 'all in one office training', which is fine but in my view misrepresentation.

On my machine, P4 with win XP & 1GB ram, a reasonable box, selecting ANY of the exams produced 'Please wait, exam loading', still like that after half an hour. Contacted customer support after searching the faq page on the web site for the product, which had one entry, and although they were quick to respond, their complex solution did not solve the problem.

I based my purchase on the Mavis Beacon name and the single 5 star review listed here. After purchase, I checked other reviews made by the same reviewer. Only GSP software (the publishers of this product) and all reviews have 5 stars, my my. I will be interested to see if this review makes it into the lineup and I will be carrying out a bit more research on my software purchases in future.

A little dated but fair value from "Mavis"
Sadly Mavis Beacon is not a real person - merely a creation designed to help sell various computer software tutorial packages; the photo on the box is just of an attractive model. The most famous product to bear the name is Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing which has been around since the nineteen eighties and has sold in huge quantities.

This package for teaching Microsoft Office is now starting to look a little elderly - it teaches Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6, for example, and is presented on three CD-ROMs rather than a DVD-ROM. The rather large box contains just a standard DVD sized case which houses the three CDs - there is nothing else, no book, no instructions no paperwork of any kind. The small case is just a facsimile of the large box.

You don't actually need to have the Microsoft Office products on the computer you are going to use the tutorial with; the software is completely self-contained. Amazon's Product Description and Features will explain which Office products are covered by the training, and shows some of the ways it can be used.

This product rather trades on the Mavis Beacon name in the hope of generating sales, but it is reasonable enough at the price. If you are a complete novice with Office, or have a specific project in mind and need some help, then Mavis may be able to help you. The software is now dated and the Office products rather generic so don't expect too much; if you just need to become familiar with one Office product - Word perhaps, then there are some good single application tutorials available which may be more suitable.

Overall Mavis Beacon teaches Microsoft Office is a fair value tuition package which claims to contain 108 hours of training! It will give you a good overview of Office's features and more detail if required. If you are happy in the Windows XP age - and many people still are - then you will get on just fine with Mavis.

Excellent software
This interactive learning software is better than any other "learn Microsoft Office" title I've tried.

This is the most non-intimidating interactive learning software ever. You go step by step from the absolute beginning to the more advanced techniques. Main menu navigation allows you to skip what you may already know, enabling you to zero in on what you may want to work on at the moment.

You are not only shown what you want to know, but then must do it yourself. NOTE: you DO NOT need to have Microsoft Office installed on your computer. All the interactivity exists in the program.

Constant exercises, end of chapter reviews, and chapter quizzes make this a great way to learn Microsoft Office anytime and anywhere. I strongly recommend this to any serious learner.