Speed Reader-X™ Reviewer's Comments

Speed Reader-X screen shots.

The introductory screen allows individual users to log in and see their progress. The software also remembers their last completed lesson. You can create new accounts by simply clicking the New button. I do not know if there is a limit but I created 12 accounts with no problems. That should be enough for almost any family so everyone can keep track of their own scores.

You then select the lesson you want to see. Each new lesson is unlocked when you complete the previous lesson. There is no limit on how many lessons you can complete in one day but the software recommends not more than one per day. You can also repeat a past lesson at any time which is a good idea. I had to repeat some of the lessons to practice the lesson objective.

The lesson objective is on the left hand page. You are not in the dark about what you are supposed to be learning like with some of the other programs tested. Speed Reader-X explains exactly what you are practicing and learning from each lesson.

When the training session is completed, there is a timed reading test where your progress is calculated and displayed in the form of a bar chart. You can see past test results and the date they were taken.

The 5.0 version has a feature called the Practice Section. It allows you to practice at your own pace by setting the speed and hilight mode and you can also load your custom text file. This makes the bonus ebook disk extremely useful. I found it to be a lot of fun just playing with the options on this screen but I can also see how it could be useful for someone who reads extremely slowly or extremely fast. They could use this screen to practice at a their own reading level instead of following the structured lessons.

Video Tutorial:

The CD-ROM also included a video that demonstrated and explained how to use the software. This was suprisingly helpful and it was nice to know where to start and what to do without having to read a long manual.

Ease of Use:  
Speed Reader-X has a professional appearance and navigation system. A novice will appreciate the step by step process.


Feature Set:  
Speed Reader-X has an extensive feature set. The program offers you progress tracking so you can see your progress. You can also re-test at anytime

This program is designed to fit a variety of learning needs. Not everyone learns the same way, so Speed Reader-X includes options to repeat lessons until objectives are met. The practice page also allows you to set your own reading speed so you are not locked into the structured lessons.

As stated above, Speed Reader-X clearly dominates the speed reading trainer software category. The lesson objective shown before each lesson provides a clear explanation of what you will learn with each lesson and what the goal is for the lesson. Objectives are broken down into clear and simple terms. As you progress, these skills are combined.

Speed Reader-X is rich in information that was not included with other packages. It had many suggestions and explanations that other speed reading software packages should have included. For example, no other package explained how character recognition viewing of words can be used to suppress sub-vocalization. This was a critical point in speed reading and must be understood. Without some of the advice from the lesson introductions, we would have been confused about what we were supposed to do when watching the software. Fortunately, the software makes everything very clear.


Ease of Installation:  
There was no problem installing Speed Reader-X. It is available on CD only, no download. It did not require any activation key or Internet activation. Simply install and run.


Help/Support:  
The software has a Help section but the information you need is in the introduction video and shown before each lessonl. The PDF manual is around 30 pages and can be printed out if desired. It is very much to-the-point and does not have a lot of filler. This makes it easy to read through quickly and to find information. Elite Minds Inc did a superb job; every lesson has multiple pages of useful information. There is an optional audio CD available which was not reviewed.
We emailed support at noon Eastern Time with a simple question which was already answered in the manual. Within 7 hours we had a reply which was polite and correct. Elite Minds Inc offers an order line but not a telephone support line. Email support only, but that is how most companies are going these days. They also provide a FAQ online. Speed Reader-X has a 90 day money back guarantee.

Basics:  
Speed Reader-X effectively covers all key fundamentals to give speed reading students a solid foundation to learn speed reading. The system is new, and the website says it is based on new research. The manual does have information not included with any of the other products. This program covers all the fundamentals and more.


Effectiveness:  
Version 4.0 Review: Effectiveness was not rated due to the nature of speed reading. Speed reading is very subjective and requires practice that is beyond the scope of this review. I can however say that after going through the lessons I see the logic in speed reading and the basic concept does make sense to me. The visual intake of words should be possible with practice. If I follow the advice from the first 3 lessons I can double my reading speed. I started at 250 wpm and can use the techniques to read at 500 wpm. Perhaps I can add to this review after I have had a chance to practice the techniques further.

Version 5.0 Update: I have had several months to mull over the entire concept of speed reading and to practice. I have seen a personal improvement but it has taken some effort. I was interested in reading a book on interpersonal communications just to pick up some tips but I did not have time to sit down and read it cover to cover. I thought it would be a great test for my developing speed reading skills. It turned out to be a very interesting experience. I found that my concentration was easily broken,there are a lot of distractions here, but when I could avoid distractions to focus and follow the techniques outlined in the software, I could achieve, what I would estimate to be, double or triple my normal reading speed. This will no doubt take more practice but I am most impressed at the entire concept of speed reading at this point.

Bonuses:

The package includes a free bonus DVD which contains 17,000 classic eBooks(an upgrade from the 9,400 offered with the previous version). These are from the Gutenberg Project and are in txt format so they can be used with the Speed Reader-X software or read using any standard eBook or text viewer. The free bonus is also sold by other companies under various names for around $30 which makes it an excellent bonus for a package based on reading.The eBook disk has all the favorites like Homer's Illiad and Shakespeare, but it also has thousands of other historic reference books and lots of classics I had never heard of before as well as some more modern sci-fi books and novels. It also includes many foreign language versions too. The bonus disk includes an eBook reader called the Parchment reader. It lets you select any of the 17,000 ebooks and read it on screen. You can also set bookmarks to return to where you stopped reading. The Parchment Reader makes the disk easy to use and it is easy to find books with the keyword search feature.

Summary:
Speed Reader-X is the best option available for you to learn speed reading. Don’t let the price tag fool you; this learning software blows away more expensive systems in both content and ease of use.