What types of files can I read with RapidReader?

Web Pages, word processor documents, text files and RapidReader formatted documents .r2d.

In RapidReader for Windows RapidReader runs in the background and automatically places a RapidReader button on the menu bar of Internet Explorer  plus MS Word, Note Pad and other text applications. Simply click on this button (or menu item) to activate RapidReader.

TOP

What is the average reading speed?

The answer is, that it varies of course on what kind of material you're reading. In general however, the average for reading on paper is about 160-280 words per minute for a very good reader. On a computer screen that speed drops considerably based on the length of the document. The longer the document the slower the average speed. This is because of eyestrain and scrolling which slows us down to about 100 wpm. On small screens where you must "squint and scroll" the average speed drops even further. Please note, these speeds aren't based on reading a few lines or only one screen but on reading for a reasonable length of time.

TOP

Does comprehension improve with RapidReader's higher speed?

The answer is, in clinical trials using standardized testing, comprehension was significantly improved in nearly 90% of subjects with the RapidReader method while enjoying multiplying normal reading speed. One reason is that moving your eyes slowly across a page introduces all sorts of "confounding" elements. First of all there are the innate distractions that occur because you are always thinking much faster than you are capable of reading. Your mind wanders to all sorts of irrelevant thoughts. Secondly, research has shown that if you see and understand the meaning of the word you comprehend it ( this is sometimes called "sight vocabulary" such as when you see the word "STOP" at an intersection, you know immediately what it means). Comprehension of sight vocabulary can occur at up to 1600 wpm!

TOP

Will I retain what I read at higher speeds?

Actually, once the words are understood, retention is really a matter of attention to what you're reading and your memory not the display. However retention will be better if there are fewer distractions while reading. The slower you read, the more likely you are to be diverted during the time between words. How many of us have had to re-read a paragraph because our minds were wandering. Our brains move much faster than our eyes can travel across a page and this disparity of "waiting" for the next word, particularly in the case of boring material, is often the cause of wandering attention. The result is a seeming lack of retention. RapidReader helps retention because the display is dynamic and the words are moving at a speed which holds our attention. Research indicates that at 400-500 words per minute retention remains at about what it would be when reading a page of text slowly.

TOP

What if I want to pause for a moment to think something over?

Simply click the mouse once and PAUSE on the last word you read. You can also DOUBLE CLICK or press the SPACEBAR and the text will stop and be visible in ParagraphView. When we read anything of any length, we all actually stop occasionally to "rehearse" what we've been reading (e.g. we might repeat something we just read, or might want to think it over) the RapidReader method accomplishes this with a simple press of the space bar to pause the text and another press when you're ready to resume RapidReading. During this pause you can also add or read your User Notes, add Highlites and perform other functions using the TurboView Tool Bar.

TOP

What if I miss a line and want to go back?

You can "rewind" a word at a time, a line at a time or a page at a time. You can also see the text displayed as a paragraph. Please check out the RapidReader HELP FILES on using the various navigation controls.

TOP

Will I lose words if I blink?

Very probably not. The blink of an eye takes about the same time as it takes for a hummingbird to flap it's wings once. At it's fastest, the human mind can comprehend text at 1600 words per minute or one word every 1/26 of a second. That's much slower than a blink of the eye. The most you would lose to a blink, even at RapidReader's fastest display speed, would be about 1/10 of the time a word is on the screen.

TOP

Can I scan the text like I would a normal page?

Yes. When you first click on the RapidReader button on your browser or word processor, you will see the text displayed in "ParagraphView" which looks almost identical to a word processor page. The same thing happens any time you press the SPACEBAR to pause RapidReader. In this text window, you can scroll and scan as you would normally.

TOP

What if I want to skip ahead to read from another place?

You can display the text in "standard ParagraphView" at any time. The big difference however is that at any point in the text, you can begin RapidReader by simply DOUBLE CLICKING on the first word of the section that interests you

To skip through the text just scroll and when you find where you want to being RapidReading either DOUBLE CLICK (or tap for handheld devices) on the word, and you'll begin reading from that please. Please check out the HELP FILE on the menu bar of RapidReader for instructions for your particular computer or hand held.

TOP

Will RapidReader help me learn to read "ink on paper" any faster?

Yes. Speed reading courses spend a great deal of time having you practice how to keep you eyes focused on the center of the page and stop habitually "sounding out". RapidReader presents text to you in such a way that you automatically do these things to form new habits and better reading strategies that will increase your reading speed in any medium almost without trying. You will learn to pick out what's important in the text you're reading. This is an essential skill for test taking and information gathering.

TOP

What about eyestrain?

RapidReader is ergonomically designed to reduce eyestrain. The "star field" background is there specifically to break up areas of visual contrast and reduce "after image" or what's called "retinal burn" ( seeing an image when you close your eyes). If you are like most people, you should experience a substantial reduction in eyestrain when reading in RapidReader versus regular text display. SoftOlogy has spent years thoroughly researching the display of fonts and colors, the nature of illuminated text and the rate of display of words to optimize not only comprehension but visual and ergonomic comfort. However, the effectiveness of the RapidReader display is also related to the resolution quality of the screen of the device and what's called the "refresh rate" which is how fast the screen can change images. Readability will be affected by lower resolution displays such as those of certain lower priced or older hand held devices. On these devices, the practical limit is about 400 words per minute. ( Still several times faster than the "squint and scroll" method)

TOP

What do I have to do to documents to read them with RapidReader?

Nothing. For PC... you don't need to do any special conversion, it's automatic. RapidReader places a button on the menu bar of your favorite applications and browsers to automatically display Microsoft Word or, ASCII for plain text documents. All you have to do is click in the document then click on the RapidReader button and it performs the translation for you.

TOP

Can I save web pages with RapidReader?

Yes. It's a great way to save Web Pages for later reading either when you don't have time or as a way of doing research. You can also save your mark-up at the same time. Please see the help pages for information on the save operation.

TOP